“Team up with African Agripreneurs” is an international conference with agripreneurs and farmers’ organizations; policymakers from government, business, academy and civil society; students – from Africa, the Netherlands, Europe.

The booming urban markets provide business opportunities for those African farmers and agri-food entrepreneurs (agripreneurs) that are able to supply the urban consumers with fresh and healthy food, such as vegetables, fruit, poultry, dairy products and meat.

The challenge for Dutch Diamond actors – government, research institutions, business and civil society organisations – is to perceive and connect to this opportunity, to establish partnerships through which their multiple assets for reinforcing rural-urban linkages and improving the food chain can be deployed in the most effective way.

Background

Fascinating developments take place around agriculture in Africa. Demand has exploded with a fast growing population, rapid urbanization, and better financial possibilities. Africa itself should and can meet this demand.

Governments, from heads of state to ministers of agriculture on the African continent recognize the political priority of, and the opportunities for, the sector. Food security, rural employment, climate change, and breaking the vicious circle of hunger-conflict-migration demand a new and extensive answer of broad investments in Africa, from inside and outside.

Recently this has been picked up by the international community, the European Union and the Netherlands Government. Plans and facilities have become available or are being prepared, by the new government of the Netherlands, as well as in Germany and France.

Booming urban markets in Africa provide business opportunities for farmers, and local and international agripreneurs. Urban consumers need fresh and healthy food, such as vegetables, fruit, poultry, dairy products and meat. The food issue is a leading theme on the international agenda. The challenge for Dutch Diamond actors (government, research institutions, business and civil society organizations) is:

• to connect to this opportunity and to establish partnerships for reinforcing rural-urban linkages and developing the food chain.

Read more on the foodFIRST website.

Workshops

This conference is about the farm-to-market trajectory, or farm to consumer. This trajectory is set out in the following four subtopics, which will be discussed in more depth in workshops:

• Producer organizations to access urban markets
• Private sector coalitions to feed African cities
• Critical capital for African agrifood entrepreneurs
• Youth and agripreneurship

In every workshop the demand analysis is provided by African input; this analysis is leading for Dutch support; and the workshop outcomes and deliverables are to be set in the framework of the conference: the farm-to-market trajectory.mme and background information

The Food & Business Knoweldge Platform is involved in the organization of two workshops:

Private sector coalitions to feed African cities (F&BKP and MVO Nederland)

The workshop will discuss the added value of Dutch international companies and SMEs in feeding cities in Africa. The focus is on increasing investments of Dutch companies in Africa, realizing that collaboration with knowledge institutes, education, NGOs and governments is often beneficial.

For more information on this workshop, see the foodFIRST website.

For more details on the conference, please visit the foodFIRST website.

Pre-Event on Thursday May 31, 2018

A high level policy meeting, followed by drinks and dinner in Utrecht. African policymakers and agripreneurs meet Dutch / European policymakers from government, business, academy and civil society. By invitation only.