African nations look to India for seeds, farm inputs

Participants of the 2^nd Africa-India Agricultural Economic Mission
during the Business to Business (B2B) meeting in Hyderabad

17 December 2011. Hyderabad, India. 2nd India-Africa Economic Mission laid groundwork for South-South collaboration. It was organized by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Brussels-based EMRC International.

The 25-member mission from Nigeria, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Chad, Malawi and South Africa comprised of academicians, planners and strategists, top executives and technical directors of private firms brought together by the economic need and the desire to ensure sustainable development in Africa.

In addition to the discussions, the field visits and the knowledge sharing, several Business to Business (B2B) meetings allowed the participants and their Indian counterparts to get down to business and forge partnerships.

KK Sharma of ICRISAT and Idit Miller
of EMRC International at the B2B meeting.

“It was an eye opener for me. During the B2B, I explored various business opportunities in India. Our population is far less than that of India but still lots of people sleep hungry. I want to use the technologies of India and implement them in our country,” says Mr Muhammed Nurallah Abubakar, Executive Director, Livestock and Fisheries Development and Marketing Company, Federal Ministry of Nigeria. “This was a great initiative by ICRISAT and EMRC. I have been in touch with the ICRISAT office in Nigeria since 10 years to understand various agricultural technologies. Setting up an agribusiness platform in Nigeria will be a great help to our country,” he added.

“B2B meetings are essential and one of the main reasons for taking part in these economic missions. One needs to be introduced to the most fitting business partner,” explains Idit Miller, EMRC International’s VP and Managing Director. “This mission emphasizes the need for private and public sector dialogue and partnerships”.

Related:
EMRC supports AFRICA op 8 dec 2011. Idit Miller on Voxafrica TV talks about the promotion of SMEs in Africa.

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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).

A Kenyan agricultural SME's view on ARD

Grace Mueni Nyaa is the founder of the Kyome Fresh Company Ltd. This December was the first time Grace Mueni Nyaa ever set foot in Brussels. She was invited to the European Development Days to tell the story about how her village, Kyome, in just seven years, became a viable agricultural co-operative. Thanks to logistic and technical support from the European Union, Kyome’s fruits and vegetables meet international standards, and the Kyome Fresh Company exports to developed countries worldwide. Grace embodies a vision of the future of European development aid.

“The help that is coming to Africa is really good from the developed countries, but I feel Africa needs to get to a level where it becomes self-sufficient. Of course, when you have a stronger brother who holds your hand, you can cross the bridge. But you have to grow up at some point where you can cross the bridge by yourself.”

Grace Mueni Nyaa, from Kenya, working as a Managing Director, Kyome Frehs Company Limited has watched her company to grow from initial capital base of €2600 to €140.000 in seven years down the line with an average annual sales turnover of €1.6 million! Her vision for Kyome is to propel it to be a lead exporter of fresh fruits and vegetables Africa and more so while along the way eradicating poverty and creating self-reliance to the workers. Audio file of  Grace Mueni Nyaa at the European Development days panel on SMEs. She witnisses her support she received from ColeACP.

How useful is research to an SME dealing with waterpackaging & hibiscus in Burkina Faso?

At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting held end of September 2010 in New York City, Durabilis announced its US$ 10 million commitment to support the development of sustainable and integrated agro-business supply chains in West Africa.

Over the next 5 years, Durabilis will develop a number of innovative agro-business supply chains in West Africa that will utilize high technology innovations for low cost Bottom-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) applications to be marketed in local and regional markets. These agro supply chains will link local small holder farmers with state-of-the-art processing and transformation facilities and a distribution network that guarantees linkage with market demand. Liquid products such as energized water, hibiscus, fruit juice, dairy products, cereal, fortified rice, mangos and sweet potatoes will all be part of the product range.

The commitment will be piloted in Burkina Faso in 2010/2011 and will be replicated in other West African countries such as Senegal, Nigeria, Mali and Ghana in the course of the coming years.

Following a meeting on 26th of October in Brussels "Consultation du Secteur privé européen dans le cadre du Programme PAEPARD" Carl Wulfrank of Fair-Fruit ~ Durabilis was interviewed.

The Durabilis Foundation is active at present in the field of water purification and distribution in Senegal, Kenya, and Burkina Faso. In addition to the water project, the Foundation also supports the Guatemalan fruit and fair trade. In Burkina Faso the water is sold under the brand "Bara Jii" (literally a droplet of water).

The light and strong 50-cl polyethylene bags are a practical and efficient way of drinking pure water at any time and in any place: at home, at school, in the street, at work, in the field, whilst travelling etc. The concept of ‘water in bags’ is also environmentally friendly because there is less waste than if bottles are used. Moreover, the bags are made using material which can be recycled or which are bio-degradable.

Presently a new product is in the pipeline: selling bisap (beverage made from hibiscus) in bags.

Carl Wulfrank answers following questions:
a) What is the latest project about hibiscus?
b) How can a small and medium enterprise like Durabilis benefit from research?

Innovative partnerships with researchers are beneficial for all stakeholders of which the small holders. But it is very difficult

1. to get research on data management by small holders, 
2. to have research on how to manage relations with small holder groups,
3. many small growing business heavily depend on suppliers but the management of their supply is not optimal.

In Guatemala Durabilis has developed a methodology which it implements with some 1500 small holders on how to reach in a more optimal way formal markets. Research still needs to be done on the African application of this approach.


Background: About Durabilis Foundation

The Durabilis Foundation focuses on supporting sustainable entrepreneurship in agro-business supply chains in emerging markets. As such, it invests in small and medium sized agro-businesses in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa active in the fresh fruit and vegetable markets and local base-of-the-pyramid products.

Durabilis has a dedicated team performing extensive research and business development in order to provide the necessary market research, operational innovation and market linkages for the businesses it supports.

Durabilis is convinced of the need for larger scale agro-businesses in West Africa, as the numerous smaller scale projects can not satisfy the market needs or the high interest from numerous international donors looking to address this issue. As a funder and capacity building organisation, Durabilis is committed to coordinate all elements of the supply chains in order to build up larger scale integrated organisations that service the local and regional markets and thereby also address the pressing food safety issue still present in most countries in West Africa.

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Ninth AGOA Forum Embraces African Agribusiness

6th August 2010. Washington. Ninth U.S.-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, better known as “the AGOA Forum.”

In attendance were cabinet ministers and senior officials from the 38 sub-Saharan African countries that benefit from the African Growth and Opportunity (AGOA) trade preference program, as well as representatives of African regional economic communities, the American and African private sector, and civil society. The ministerial portion of the event was held in Washington, D.C. from August 2-3.

Hillary Clinton's address at the 2010 AGOA Forum

Secretary Clinton's Address to 2010 AGOA Forum On U.S.-sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation

Comesa Secretary General, Sindiso Ngwenya (left), and the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA) CEO, Dr Cris Muyunda (right), made earnest appeals to US investors to invest in Africa. During a panel presentation entitled, ‘Food Security: opportunities for Africa' Ngwenya said the African market provided an opportunity for growth in agricultural development and trade.

"We can produce enough for our needs and for the rest of the world as long as challenges facing the farmers are dealt with" he said. Ngwenya said in 20 years, Africa's collective GDP would be US$2.6 trillion, its consumer spending US$1.4 trillion, the number of Africans of working age would be 1.1 billion, with 50% of Africans living in cities by 2030. He further said regional integration through the tripartite COMESA, East African Community (EAC) and the Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) agreement had created a bigger market which should be exploited. The Secretary General said COMESA was addressing the challenges to agricultural development like infrastructure, technology and market related constraints through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP. Ngwenya said Africa has potential to produce enough food for internal needs and international trade.

A separate session focused on the private sector and opportunities for U.S.-African trade in the agribusiness sector, was held in Kansas City, Missouri from August 4-6. After spending two days in Washington, the AGOA Forum — departed from its usual format to move the event closer to business in America’s heartland and promote direct business networking, particularly in agriculture. The US Trade Development Agency (USTDA) hosted, in Kansas city, a business meeting about food security technologies to identify opportunities in the Africa agro-business sector.

During the meeting the main African agents were presented that are trying to increase their productivity by using USA Technologies, equipments and other agriculture elements, such as seed, fertilizers and others.

Visiting African trade ministers toured the Kansas City Board of Trade, whose market-making role is credited with helping U.S. farmers. The group also visited the Waters Farm near Orrick in Ray County to discuss the planting, harvesting, storage and sale of corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa

A feature added this year was a trade fair where about 25 American and African businesses, large and small, displayed their goods, networked and looked for potential partners and investors. Ismail Aderogba, the head of product quality assurance and research at Multi-Trex Integrated Foods in Lagos, Nigeria, displayed his company’s products and looking for ways to export to the U.S. market. Multi-Trex processes cocoa butter, cocoa cake and cocoa beans. His company is exporting to Europe but wants to bring its products to the United States, he said.

Thirty-four African women entrepreneurs also participated in the 2010 U.S.–Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum. Four of these women — entrepreneurs from Uganda, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Botswana — talked to America.gov .

Maria Odido, CEO of Bee Natural Products Ltd. in Uganda, said she is currently assessing how her business could benefit under AGOA, the African Growth and Opportunity Act. “It would take me a while to access the U.S. market for several reasons,” she said. “First of all, production levels are not very high, and therefore I cannot freely export to the U.S. I don’t have a problem with quality, but I do have a problem with quantity. What I would like to see is recognition of the value that SMEs play in Africa, just as developed countries have recognized the role of SMEs in their countries and used them to strengthen their economies. That has not become a reality in Africa.” Background: The Bee Natural Products company was set up in 2002 and became the flagship of honey industry in the Uganda. From working with 315 producers when it started out, the number of producers supplying BNP rose to 2,700 in a space of 3 years. Within 4 years, BNP captured 75% of the market and were the 2nd largest selling honey in Kenya. BNP is producing on average of 60 tons of honey annually.] Maria Odido is a fellow of the African Leadership Initiativeand a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network

Zambian's Commerce Minister Felix Mutati cited as an example Ghana’s CEO of Homefoods Processing and Cannery Limited, Felicia Twumwasi (photo left) and Zambia’s Sylvia Banda (photo right), the CEO of Sylva Food Solutions as being among the most dynamic women on the continent.


Background: Homefoods employs 23 people and ships 6-8, 20 ft containers per month, worth an average $140,000. Sylvia Food Solutions is a food company whose products include Solar dryers and Solar Dried foods.


BACKGROUND of AGOA
The US Congress passed the African Growth and Opportunity Act legislation in 2000. President Clinton subsequently signed the AGOA bill into law on May 18, 2000. Since then, three successive administrations, including the Obama Administration, have actively implemented AGOA, working closely with African partners and other stakeholders to help them make the most of the program.

AGOA institutionalized an annual, high-level dialogue between officials of the United States and AGOA beneficiary countries: the AGOA Forum. This year’s AGOA Forum is the ninth. In 2009, the AGOA Forum was held in Nairobi, Kenya. The AGOA Forum brings together Cabinet-level officials from the United States and AGOA beneficiary countries, along with representatives of the African and American private sector and non-governmental organizations, to discuss issues related to U.S.-sub-Saharan African trade and economic cooperation.

U.S. imports from sub-Saharan Africa increased by 78 percent to $26.6 billion in the first five months of 2010. Imports under AGOA increased 74 percent to $18.8 billion during this period. AGOA non-oil products included vehicles and parts, apparel, jewelry, fruits and vegetables, wines, nuts, spices, baskets, cocoa powder, cocoa paste and seafood.

AGOA Fosters Growth for African Farmers, Fine Dining in U.S.

In addition to increased commercial exchanges between the United States and various African nations, AGOA has also allowed American consumers to discover an array of exotic, healthy and high-end agricultural products.

The production of cheap rural energy to support post harvest technologies

25th of july 2010. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. FARA GA 2010. Interview with William Ilboudo, engineer, "Innovation en solaire et metallique"


The production of cheap rural energy to support post harvest technologies

Transcript of the interview:

Your project was selected for the World Bank Agricultural Market place?

We have worked on the idea of a rural food processing production unit. We use solar energy and waste of agricultural production like the nuts of mangos. We can also use the residue of manioc to produce “akieke “. Unfortunately this installation was not yet put into service because of lack of funding.

What was the basic technology?

Parabolic metallic dishes transform solar energy into steam and the steam is used directly for food processing or to produce hot air. We used both solar energy and the agricultural waste.

Why did the project not get a prize?

The reaction was very positive in Washington but because of my poor English I could not defend the project as I wished.

How to transform agricultural waste into rural energy?

Let me give an example. You make Shea butter with a press. The remaining shelves have 3 times more energy than wood. You burn them to operate your whole Shea butter process. If you combine this with solar energy you become autonomous. You produce steam to filter your oil. You remain autonomous far from Ouagadougou: in Bura or in Leo… 

Take another example like mangos. Gaz is presently used to produce hot air to dry them. But you can also use the nuts. You burn them, you produce steam and with a temperature converter you produce hot air to dry the mango. This also prevents possible contamination of the mangos with gas. You can adjust the temperature according to the influx of hot water in the converter.

Why is it important to diversify sources of energy in post-harvest production?

When you think of renewable energy for post harvest production you cannot rely on only one source of energy. The sun shines when it wants to shine. And accumulating or conserving energy is very expensive. Therefore, the mix of solar energy and bio mass energy is highly recommended.  In Burkina we have a lot of re-usable bio mass. Take f.i cotton: 1 ton and a half of residu remains after harvest. When you combine this bio mass with solar energy you can process food even in remote areas in Burkina Faso.

Which European partners do you have?

We collaborate a lot with Solar Food which wants to create a certificate on solar food. Buts also other small organizations. But our major concern is to be considered by African institutions.

Why do African researchers rarely collaborate with innovators from the private sector?

The African researcher often works in isolation. It’s collaboration between institutions and meetings among researchers in order to find funds for their research. Often and their research findings are far too expensive when they want to make it available to the African private enterprises. We need a research which is affordable according to our means.

What are your expectations towards African research institutions?

The African institutions tend to do what has already worked. The AFRICAN SHORT CUT is ONLY POSSIBLE when you accept to innovate and take risks. Institutions have therefore to support people who innovate and they must be willing to take risks. It is not the figures at the end of the year which count but the impact they have.

The role of incubators from an SME’s perspective

25th of july 2010. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. FARA GA 2010. Interview with William Ilboudo, engineer, "Innovation en solaire et metallique"

Why should entrepreneurship be part of the training of students in agriculture?

I think it is very important for students to make a business plan, to study a specific enterprise case. Because this allows them to see the reality and to see if their initiative fits in the economic landscape of their country. A business plan is very important in this perspective: it gives you beforehand the life of your enterprise. It informs us about the economic viability  of our idea. Whether you like it or not, all depends on the economic viability.

What are the prerequisites of a good business plan?

It first depends on how well you know your field. For example: what is the cost of the transport, of this material, etc. It is also essential to know if it will be possible to work as planned: f.i. if five day in the months are public holidays, then you have only twenty five days. One missed day has a significant impact on your business.

Are African universities ready to listen to the expertise of private enterprises?

I don't have the impression right now. As an outsider I may have a wrong judgment. But trainers/scientists already struggle for their job at the university whereby they are not taking the private expertise into account and they protect their jobs against those who have experiences on the ground

Is the youth ready to make a business out of agriculture?

Yes, I think everybody wants either to do research and express himself intellectually, or wants to express himself as an entrepreneur . But the question is whether this is easy? I would advise them to thing this twice of trice over.

How can they be supported?

To be supported they first have to make a business plan to first check if their idea can survive.  The second thing they need is training, training to start their idea.  Africa should start to create incubators. Through an incubator and as a start-up you don't need to make huge investments to buy your basic equipment. You work for 2 or 3 years with a partner. You use equipment which already exists and which is shared. And after making some profit, putting some money aside and HAVING SOME EXPERIENCE, then you can fly on your own wings. I was not so lucky. I made wrong investments and I could have worked in a different way. But that’s how it is!

Exclusive interview at FARA GA2010 (2): His Excellency Sam Sesay, Minister of Agriculture Sierra Leone

24th of July 2010. FARA GA 2010. Interview with His Excellency Sam Sesay, Minister of Agriculture of Sierra Leone

The importance of incentives for SME involvement in agricultural innovation platforms


Transcript of the interview:

Are researchers development oriented?

Researchers are far behind the development oriented aspirations. They used to be mainly production only oriented. Today the agriculture production mode has move to the agricultural value chain mode, which is looking at the whole spectrum that will enhance agricultural development. The researchers have to move likely: to look at the agro processing, to look at the marketing.  And even inside the production mode they need to look at what kinds of local manure can be promoted, what kind of appropriate technology can they develop which are labor saving? Not much has been done on those areas within the production research mode.  Within the agricultural value chain mode there is far more that research needs to do in the current situation.

What are innovation platforms?

We have to promote innovation platforms. In the innovation platform we ask how can we put all stakeholders together: the farmers, the researchers, the policy makers, the business people. How can we engender a dialogue to make sure “we put orders towards the researchers”? To tell them “this is exactly what we need”. All the stakeholders should identify what they want to be able to take active part in the agricultural value chain. And this is the source of development and agricultural research delivery products. And research should be transparent: accountable for the resources that were invested in the form of the products they promised to deliver to the stakeholders.

How should research be organized?

In Sierra Leone we decided to take the commodity chain. Because we want to take those commodities where Sierra Leone has a comparative advantage as a country.  The territorial approach make us less efficient and less effective. Therefore rice has been identified as a comparative advantage, cassava, oil palm, fisheries and non-timber products.

Besides rice, around which commodities do stakeholders collaborate?

Already we are doing something in cassava. Cassava processing has gained momentum in Sierra Leone along the value chain. We now package “gari” which is one of the products of cassava. And our “gari” is finding its way to Guinea, to Liberia and to many other places, and they are packaged in different sizes, even in small sizes of 1 kg that every ordinary person can buy.

What are the incentives for private sector involvement?

First and foremost, we used to see agricultural development as the task of the government. Since the seventies and the early eighties, when the public sector was told to move away from the market and allow the private sector to compete, that has been a very sluggish process. Governments still feel they have the responsibility to feed the people, to educate the people. If that does not happen because the private sector is not there, they have the temptation to move in. In Sierra Leone we try to restrain ourselves by creating an enabling environment. And this is what we have done with agriculture in Sierra Leone by having an incentive package for private sector promotion.  We give waivers; we give tax holidays depending on the investment from five to ten years. Even for the land tenure issue the government steps in as a middle person. There are many incentives for the private sector so that they can take over economies. All booming sectors in Europe, America, etc are private sector driven. Government has only a regulatory and monitoring function.

For innovative partnerships to last you need a conducive environment?

Definitely! 

Exclusive interview at FARA GA2010 (1): professor Calestous Juma

24th July 2010. Video interview at the FARA General Assembly with Professor Calestous Juma, keynote speaker. Professor Calestous Juma is professor of the practice of international development and Director of the Science, technology and globalization project at the Belfer Center for Science and international affairs, Harvard University. Professor Juma answers following questions:

1. How do we organize successful partnerships?
2. Should partners be organized according to a commodity chain or a territory?
3. How do you involve external partners?
4. How to make partnerships sustainable beyond funding?
5. Do you have a good example?
6. Should students produce a business plan instead of a thesis?
7. How do we include SMEs in post harvest technologies?
8. Are SMEs interested in investing in agricultural products?
9. Is it not an illusion to bridge those different working cultures?
10. What is a good broker?

Transcript of the interview:

How do we organize successful partnerships?
One of the key things to make sure that partnerships can actually work is to organize them around a specific problem so that they are function oriented rather than mandated oriented. What we tend to do is getting groups of organizations together and we look to their mandates. And we bring them together. 1. What we need is to define the problem and say: given this problem who do I need to bring around the table, so that the partners are brought together according to their competences they bring to the table and not the missions of their organizations. 2. Secondly what we move from basic research to field trials of a product we need different kinds of partners. They may not b the ones when we started off initial research. The partnership and the composition evolves over time when you move from one problem to the next one and you solve it. 3. The sustainability of the partnerships is depended on the chain of problem solving Should partners be organized according to a commodity chain or a territory? Partners should certainly be organized according to a commodity chain, not according to a territory. If you organize it according to territory partners become partnerships to block others from doing anything. But when you organize them according to a commodity chain you get at each stage of the chain a different composition of partners. They are not permanent partners as they help to solve the problem. What is permanent is the chain.

How do you involve external partners? Now it is really important to see African problems as global problems and to think about solutions as also being global. We not have the tools to find out who has been working on which problem? For every African problem there is a Brazilian, a Chinese or an European solution. Any manager of any research institution should be reaching out and use Science an Technology diplomacy, which is to use African Embassies outside Africa to identify people who are working on issues which are relevant to Africa and create connections. The partnerships need to be global.


How to make partnerships sustainable beyond funding?
The key thing is to focus on the chain of activities. When the job is finished you don’t need the partnership anymore. There are a lot of networks in African around many different issues because they were never organized around a particular problem. They meet, they have an annual conference, they have a newsletter but there is no particular problem they are solving. The same organization can rather participate in several different partnerships because it is the competence they are bringing in the partnerships that matters.


Do you have a good example?
NERICA, the new rices for Africa brought a lot of players together : international researchers, agencies and local communities. It uses new tools like video in local languages to communicate information to farmers to create awareness on the availability of the product. Innovation systems capture the idea of how people interact and focus on the interaction to solve the problem rather than bringing the mandate to the table.

Should students produce a business plan instead of a thesis?
I have seen a lot of progress in the last five years among African universities which start to be very creative on how to be commercially oriented and how to solve problems. Examples: Stellenbosch University in South Africa is the first university in the developing world which has build and launched a satellite and introduced an educational system which is very practical. The University of Development Studies in Northern Ghana is doing exactly the same thing of engaging young in agricultural activities. Also NGOs are training people, almost at university level, in solving problems. What is likely to happen is that governments are going to see those initiatives and they are going to change the incentives system for the universities to enable African universities to adapt to problem solving. But not every university should be designed this way. There has to be diversity in universities. And this should be organized on a regional level where universities can specialize according to different roles.

How do we include SMEs in post harvest technologies?
In Africa we have very poor rural infrastructure and have thus no ability to transport. If you have no capability to transport commodities you don’t have the incentive to dry and to store it and to start thinking about post harvest technologies. Post harvest technology is much linked to shelve live and duration of a product. We have been devoting too much time in growing food and less on preserving it. And that is a technological issue. Post harvest technology would create rural technologies on preservation ad that is the link with Small and Medium Size Enterprises.

Are SMEs interested in investing in agricultural products? There are a lot of firms, commercial firms and banks, looking for areas where they can invest. Especially as African markets expand: with the emergence of the East African common market and banks who are going regional. I meet a lot of investors who tell me: “We are looking for products to invest in”. What is lacking is some mechanism to connect the people who have the resources and the university researchers. There are different cultures and you thus need a link. The culture is that a business man will not take a thing until it has been completed. A researcher does not want to complete anything. He wants to do more and more research. You need bridging institutions that can see a product and say: this one we can move and commercialize it. In many countries universities have technology transfer departments that bridge between the commercial sector and the research community. But it Africa we tend to leave it only to the researchers. If we leave it only to the researchers or only the financers it is not going to work because you need to bridge institutions.

Is it not an illusion to bridge those different working cultures?
It is the only way it works. You have the technology officers and that what’s they do: they bridge. You have the venture capitalists and they also bridge. You have technology brokers: people who broke the technology partnership: that’s their job. If you don’t bridge that ability to bring a product to the market will always be an illusion.


What is a good broker? A good broker is to be honest and to be trusted.