Training program on agribusiness incubation for SSA

Dr Ralph von Kaufmann, Technical Coordinator,
UniBRAIN-FARA, in a discussion with Dr Dar and others

21-24 November. Aiming to promote agribusiness ventures in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) through value-chain based agribusiness incubators, ICRISAT’s Agri-Business Incubation (ABI) program under its
Agribusiness Innovation Platform (AIP) organized a training program on “Strengthening the capacity of UniBRAIN – Agribusiness Innovation Incubation Consortia (AIIC) members” at ICRISAT-Patancheru.

The training program primarily aimed to strengthen the capacity of AIIC members in incubator planning and management, in view of UniBRAIN’s plan to set up an African Business Incubators Network (AFBIN) similar to the Network of Indian Agri Business Incubators (NIABI) of India. The training was focused on incubator management, planning for incubation operations, client selection, setting up systems and processes, and other key aspects of setting up successful business incubators to promote entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa.

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)

Twenty six participants from the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Universities, Business and Research in Agricultural Innovation (UniBRAIN), Pan African Agribusiness and Agro Industry Consortium (PanAAC), Agro forestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE), Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA), Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricoles (CORAF) and SADC joined the training program at Patancheru, which had 30 resource persons from infoDev, ISBA, STC, Trec-STEP, Technopark, Villgro, etc. who provided and shared their vast and rich experiences in agriculture and agribusiness.

The training was continued at the Business Planning and Development (BPD) units of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore and Ooty.

Background
UniBRAIN is a program of FARA supported by the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DANIDA). It is facilitated by a team of partner institutions comprising FARA Networking Support Function for Capacity Strengthening (FARA-NSF4) and its associated sub-regional organizations – ASARECA, CORAF, Centre for Coordinating Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa
(CCARDESA), African Network for Agriculture, ANAFE, PanAAC, and ICRISAT Agri-Business Incubator (ABI).

Opportunities and challenges for SMEs in agriculture in Africa

23rd September 2009. The 13th Brussels Development Briefing took place in Brussels (European Commission, Centre Borschette) on “Upgrading to compete in a globalised world: What opportunities and challenges for SMEs in agriculture in ACP countries?”.

This Briefing examined the effects of the financial and food crisis on enterprises in developing countries and also the opportunities this can provide to link local SMEs to global economies. Experts also discussed investment programmes needed to support SMEs in order to promote growth and investments, upgrade and upscale SMEs to reach regional and exports markets. Moreover this session shared concrete examples of SMEs being successful by boosting innovation and technology, processing, value-addition, infrastructure upgrading.

• Provide equity capital and matching grants in agricultural investments to support agro-industries: the case of the African Agricultural Fund (AAF), Vincenzo Galastro, IFAD [Executive Summary] [Presentation]
• Private sector investments in Africa’s rural areas: the case of the AECF, André Dellevoet, Executive Manager, Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, Kenya [Executive Summary] [Presentation]
• Experiences from the private sector: scope and need for upgrading, Hasit Shah (SUNRIPE, Kenya) [Executive Summary] [Presentation] , Juliette M. Newell (Tijule Company Ltd, Jamaica) [Presentation] , Denis Noel (Noelville Ltd, Grenada) [Executive Summary] [Presentation]

Reference:

CTA Brussels Briefings

The role of the private sector in stimulating innovation, generating employment and contributing to the development of African agriculture

This second edition of Business for Development takes a look at the role of the private sector in stimulating innovation, generating employment and contributing to the development of African agriculture and the wider economy.

The authors investigate how African agriculture can become more market-orientated, the importance of agro-food industries, and the action some governments are taking to transform their economies through commercial agriculture. This accessible publications reviews issues, such as "aid-for-trade" and the puzzle of why Africa's share in world agricultural trade is falling. Case studies from Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia show the successes and failures of government intervention and NGO programmes in fostering agricultural development. This a must read for governments, the NGO community and members of the private sector.

Reference:

OECD Development Centre. Published by OECD Publishing Website May 2008. The international launch of this publication was on 26 May in Tokyo. The report was also presented on in Yokohama in occasion of TICAD IV.
Related:

OECD Development Centre and African Development Bank Gather Policy Makers in Tanzania for Debate on African Agriculture 3rd July 2008 Dar Es Salaam,Tanzania

Strenghtening the capacities on biotechnology: Syngenta-FARA collaboration

Both FARA and the Syngenta Foundation recognised that harnessing the potential of biotechnology requires adequate understanding of the technology, its acceptance and appropriate application by African countries. It was recognised at the consultations that well-reasoned and carefully articulated awareness raising and advocacy was required to enable parties to engage in meaningful dialogue on the issues to allow the safe application of modern biotechnology. Also technology developers in modern biotechnology are reluctant to transfer proprietary technologies to Africa for the benefit of small holder resource poor farmers due to liability and redress problems that could arise due to the poor stewardship of these transferred technologies.












Oumar Niangado and Vivienne Anthony from Syngenta Foundation with prof. Walter Alhassan, Sidi Sanyang, Irene Frempong, Samira Hotobah During, Solomon Bangali and Odularu Gbadebo

There are many actors on the biotechnology/biosafety capacity building scene in Africa at both country and regional levels. Syngenta Foundation will therefore assist FARA to undertake a study to determine its role in bioskills and biosafety support in Africa. It will also support a background study to enable the development by FARA of an effective support to awareness creation initiatives and to institute stewardship training of technology recipients.



Dr. Oumar Niangado of Syngenta Fondation explains what the big challenges are for bio-technology from Africas perspective. It is essential that Africans themselves make an informed decision about the use of genetically modified crops especially taking into account the need to increase production. He answers the question whether the problem is mainly political or a problem of capacities. He finally expresses his satisfaction about the consultation with FARA.

Drought-tolerant maize varieties for Africa

KAMPALA, Uganda -- The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) announced 19/03 a public-private partnership to develop drought-tolerant maize varieties for Africa. The partnership, known as Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA), was formed in response to a growing call by African farmers, leaders, and scientists to address the devastating effects of drought on small-scale farmers and their families. Frequent drought leads to crop failure, hunger, and poverty. Climate change will only worsen the problem.

The Director General of the National Agricultural Research Organisation of Uganda and FARA chair Dr. Dennis Kyetere presided over the official announcement of the initiative and said that the project will help address drought and contribute to food security in Africa.

‘Drought is a source of suffering and food insecurity for many people in Uganda and it is recognised as a challenge by the government. Drought causes up to 100 percent crop failure in Uganda in some instances’, said Dr. Kyetere.

To read the full press release, visit the African Agricultural Technology Foundation Web site.

India Africa Project Partnership 2008

The largest ever India-Africa conclave, being held in New Delhi from March 19-21, is expected to discuss 131 projects worth 10 billion dollars.

The conclave will highlight Africa's potential as an investment venue and increase economic cooperation between India and the nations of the African continent. Vice Presidents of Tanzania and Ghana and 37 African Ministers are among the 925 delegates who will participate in 'The India Africa Project Partnership 2008', organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the EXIM Bank, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of External Affairs.The conference will focus on four main areas: Technology, agriculture, human resources and energy.

The conference will enable Indian investors to interact with key people from more than 35 African countries on one platform.

The ELISA chairperson Yizzaw Assefa invited Indian investments in Ethiopian leather industry for production of quality leather products. He also invited Indian Companies to participate in the 2nd All African Leather Fair scheduled to be held in January 2009.

Reference:
'India-Africa conclave to discuss projects worth over 10 billion dollars' Daily India 14/03/2008
India tries to woo Africa in trade and investment Financial Express 24/03/2008

IPR: Designing Regimes to Support Plant Breeding in Developing Countries

A study for the World Bank Designing Regimes to Support Plant Breeding in Developing Countries (2006) presented by co-author Niels Louwaars at the AGM CGIAR revealed a diversity of responses by managers of public research to the emergence of Intelectual Property Rights (IPRs). They are hailed in their capacity to increase recognition, to facilitate public private partnerships (PPPs) and to generate revenue for the institute and the scientists. Few institutions have analysed the costbenefit ratio of IPRs in terms of monetary income. The general feeling is that very few institutions make a significant profit from patents; the expectations from breeder’s rights are higher, particularly in NARS in developing countries. However, there is a risk that such NARS will change their focus when they become dependent on such revenue: away from poor farmers and away from crops where a private seed sector cannot easily develop (eg. most legumes and root crops).

Related:

Science meeting AGM CGIAR 03/12/2007 Session 3B. Making IPRs work for Pro-poor Agricultural Innovation by Dr. Niels Louwaars (Wageningen University, NL) co-author of the above mentionned World Bank study (he made a similar presentation at CTA 6th AC on ST&I 15/11/2007).

Intellectual Property Rights in African Agriculture: Implications for Small Farmers, Devlin Kuyek/GRAIN.org

Public-Private Partnerships in International Agricultural Research. David J. Spielman, Frank Hartwich, and Klaus von Grebmer IFPRI, Nov. 2007. This research brief examines how PPPs in agricultural research stimulate investment in pro-poor innovation in developing country agriculture. David Spielman made a presentation at CTA 6th AC on ST&I 13/12/2007.

The first private sector interim Steering Committee Meeting

FARA hosts on Monday 12th November and Tuesday 13th November at Golden Turlip Hotel- Accra the first Private sector interim steering Committee Meeting.

The private sector agribusiness forum organized a side event and also held several consultative meetings in June 2007 at the FARA General Assembly. At the June meeting an interim steering committee was nominated with the mandate of developing the goals, objectives and a work plan in preparation for the official launch in 18 months. The ISC therefore proposed the present meeting for its membership to chart the way forward for the forum.

The meeting hence is expected to among other things lead to:

• Development and approval of an action plan for the forum.
• Laying formal structures for the private sector forum.
• Formation of a formal forum for networking, partnership and collaboration between the public and private sector agribusiness in Africa and the whole world.
• Discussing and approval of the code of conduct for the membership.
• Kick off the membership drive from national level all the way to regional level.