- Clarice Bugo-Kionge, Interim Country Director, Heifer International Kenya said the organisation will make a case for catalytic financing and technology to accelerate Africa’s food systems.
- Several young innovators from six African countries working with Heifer will be attending the forum to strengthen their innovations to support smallholder farmers on the continent.
Image: HANDOUT
Agriculture experts, young innovators, and farmer groups will next week converge at Africa’s Food Systems in Kigali.
The forum, which will be held from September 2-6, 2024, will provide a platform for dialogue and collaboration on food security issues.
It will bring together thousands of industry leaders, policymakers, innovators, development agencies, private sector giants, farmers and agripreneurs to discuss critical challenges and opportunities in Africa’s food systems.
Clarice Bugo-Kionge Interim Country Director, Heifer International Kenya said the organisation will make a case for catalytic financing and technology to accelerate Africa’s food systems.
Heifer International, is a global nonprofit organisation, leveraging technology and innovation, and working with key government and development partners to end hunger and poverty.
She said the organisation will be deepening the conversation with key stakeholders on how innovative financing can catalyse technology integration that enables smallholder farmers to improve productivity.
“Time has proved that effective access to finance requires innovation if agricultural transformation is to be achieved," Bugo-Kionge said.
"We believe innovative finance is a sum of access to finance, access to local and global markets, and technology coupled with mentorship /capacity building of the smallholder farmers for increased resilience."
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame will join other world leaders at the event to address challenges facing Africa’s food systems.
The forum is organised by AGRA, under the theme, ‘Innovate, Accelerate and Scale: Delivering Food Systems Transformation in a Digital and Climate Era’.
During the meeting, strategic partners, young innovators and smallholder farming organisations will be seeking collaborative action and driving change in the area of leveraging innovative financing to accelerate technology integration in agriculture.
Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President, Africa Programmes, of Heifer International, said the organization will be showcasing many innovations, including innovative financing of a tech-led tractor leasing initiative.
She noted that the Hello Tractor innovation catalysed the initiative’s expansion, unlocking commercial capital, and powering beneficiary smallholder farmers in the pilot phase to over 200 per cent increase in income.
The initiative also created more than 250 jobs for young Africans as tractor owners, booking agents, tractor operators, and technicians.
“We are inspired by the incredible contributions that young visionary African innovators can make towards transforming our food systems and we are actively backing their innovations. Through our various programs, especially AYuTe NextGen, we provide the catalytic financing and market knowledge that these innovators need to iterate and scale their agritech solutions for challenges faced by smallholder farmers,” said Ifedi.
“With the integration of finance and technology, we can move smallholder farmers from sustenance to a business, and support them to take their businesses to scale and profitability, while creating much-needed new jobs across the value chain for young people."
Ifedi said they will be engaging with critical partners, stakeholders, and policymakers to deepen the conversation, and leverage their experiences to fast-track the food systems transformation.
Several young innovators from six African countries working with Heifer will be attending the forum to strengthen their innovations to support smallholder farmers on the continent.