Intro
Included in this report is an op-ed by infoDev Program Coordinator, Ellen Olafsen, on how infoDev works to help developing countries turn their agricultural surpluses into high-quality processing jobs. Download the report entitled "Agriculture: Smallholder Value Chains" and read the op-ed on page 19.
Download the ReportHighlights
Sowing the seeds of enterprise in Nepal
Officials call for agribusiness support at infoDev workshop
An infoDev-led workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal drew over 70 entrepreneurs, government officials, and other stakeholders last month. Beyond sharing knowledge on agribusiness incubation, the meeting gave attendees a platform to shape the visioning for a possible Agribusiness Innovation Center (AIC) in the country.
Creating the right environment for adding value in agribusiness
A poor enabling environment for entrepreneurs is one of the main obstacles to lift African agriculture, traditionally focused on commodities trading, into a flourishing agribusiness sector. New approaches should lead to a sector which sells its products to local and regional markets and has serious job creation potential.
Revolutionizing ICT and Agribusiness: A Conversation with M-Farm's Jamila Abass
infoDev Top 20 awardee harnesses mobile technologies to improve farming
M-Farm, a Kenyan SME that continues to transform agriculture, was named by infoDev as a Top 20 Access to Market and Finance selectee. This highlight celebrates the story of M-Farm's founder and CEO Jamila Abass, tracing the development of an exciting and growing initiative.
Resources
This document proposes a new model for promoting the growth of a competitive value adding horticulture sector in Senegal.The proposed Agribusiness Innovation Center (AIC) will provide a set of financial and nonfinancial services to high-growth potential entrepreneurs, aiming to accelerate the growth of their enterprises and demonstrating product, process, and business model innovation across the horticulture sector. AIC complements existing efforts focused on farm-level improvements and foreign investment facilitation.
This document proposes a new model for promoting the growth of competitive value-added sunflower oil processing in Tanzania, and also seeks to identify potential growth enterprises in other value chains.The proposed Agribusiness Innovation Center (AIC) will provide a set of financial and non-financial services to high growth potential entrepreneurs, aiming to accelerate the growth of their enterprises and demonstrating product, process, and business model innovation across focal sectors. The AIC will complement existing efforts focused on farm-level improvements and foreign investment facilitation.
The Agribusiness Innovation Initiative (AII) seeks to contribute toward advancing a climate-smart competitive agribusiness sector in Ethiopian which Ethiopians benefit from an increased number of jobs and raised incomes. The AII will contribute toward this objective by identifying innovative growth-oriented entrepreneurs who are pursuing business opportunities based on value addition of agricultural commodities and providing them with a holistic service offering that accelerates their growth and increases their sustainability.
Included in this report is an op-ed by infoDev Program Coordinator, Ellen Olafsen, on how infoDev works to help developing countries turn their agricultural surpluses into high-quality processing jobs. Download the report entitled "Agriculture: Smallholder Value Chains" and read the op-ed on page 19.
infoDev's global good practices assessment, which was released today, presents lessons learned from 10 case studies of agribusiness incubators in low and middle income countries.
infoDev is glad to announce the availability of a new training course for professionals looking to use business incubation to enable the start-up and growth of innovative agribusiness enterprises in developing countries.This course is a specialized component of infoDev’s Business Incubation Management Training Program.
A new World Bank report “Growing Africa: Unlocking the Potential of Agribusiness,” says that Africa’s farmers and agribusinesses could create a trillion-dollar food market by 2030 if they can expand their access to more capital, electricity, better technology and irrigated land to grow high-value nutritious foods. The report calls on governments to work side-by-side with agribusinesses, to link farmers with consumers in an increasingly urbanized Africa.
Read the full story on this report in The World Bank website.
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About
Many developing countries have a strong agricultural sector, but miss out on the chance to turn their excess produce into processing jobs. This is an exciting development opportunity, because each additional job in agro-processing adds another 2.8 jobs to the wider economy, often benefitting smallholders, rural communities, and the unskilled. The Agribusiness Innovation Program (AIP) aims to reach development goals such as job creation and inclusive growth in agriculture, by focusing on supporting growth oriented entrepreneurs engaged in downstream business activities (such as processing) to develop competitive enterprises to effectively link into productive value chains.
Our Agribusiness Innovation Program initially funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland under the Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Program, aims to generate competitive, inclusive agribusiness sector jobs in developing countries by helping local entrepreneurs with high growth potential. Providing access to a holistic service offering including financial, market linkage, technology, and business development services, we can channel our business support know-how to transformative innovators through locally owned and operated Agribusiness Innovation Centers, or AICs.
For a deeper look at our Agribusiness Innovation Program, check out its chapter in our Work Program.
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