AMEA (Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance)

Just heading back from a great day and a half in Tanzania with ANSAF/AMEA members and partners building the National BDS roadmap. It was a truly public private discussion with lots of honest, constructive debates. I'm definitely optimistic about the direction of travel.....and in theory of change language that means working backwards to go forwards!

Hanging up my (AMEA board) Hat: Certainly a bittersweet moment for me in Delft finishing my final meeting as chairman of the board of directors of #AMEA (Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance). It really has been a wonderful journey complete with marked high points and low points. It seemed particularly apt to bow out in Delft, where we had gathered six years previously at the office of #NEN to begin the process of developing and supporting an international standard for a “professional farmer organization”. It was a great feeling to leave on the high point of celebrating the actual publication of #ISO 18716:2024 https://lnkd.in/gceiqwft. I feel gratified that I leave AMEA in good health with a new set of incoming board members, 36 network members and no fewer that nine operational local AMEA networks in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Honduras, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. AMEA benefits from previous and on-going financial support from #IFAD, #Argidius Foundation and the #SmallFoundation and has been steadily consolidating a position as a thought leader in effective support services and systems change for the #AgriSME ecosystem. AMEA is also a great example of the power and value of networks and alliances, especially in these difficult and resource constrained times. Successful Networks are built on the energy, vison and commitment of individuals and AMEA has been lucky to have had many –certainly too many to mention here – who have made valued contributions over the years. But I would like to acknowledge the support of Lucas Simons, Thamar Zijlstra, Marise Blom, Maaike Fleur, Mark Blackett, Filipe Di Matteo, William (บุญ) Sparks, @alex serrano, Cees van Rij, MBA chris claes, Hedwig Siewertsen Karina Wong, Gerard Wynne, Nicholas Colloff, Jaap-Jan Verboom Hélène M. Van der Roest , Lori-Rae van Laren, Elsa van Vuuren, @Desta, Harrison Richard Kaziro, O. Grégoire AGAI @Edward Heinemann Edmond Joseph Ringo, @ian cunningham, Aggie Asiimwe Konde, Sergio E. Rivas Madelon Pfeiffer, Casey Harrison Sabrina Amburgey Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the support of my own institution #IFC Tania Lozansky, Prasad Gopalan, Anup Jagwani, Hileena Eshetu Chole Amy Warren, ROSEMARY K Mahoney Dieter Fischer, Niraj H Shah Yemesrach F. Gebremikael Fanja Ravoavy, Mehnaz Haider . #IFCagribusiness are one of the founding members of AMEA and have supported the venture throughout. I am particularly grateful to have been allowed the time to support the AMEA board.

A significant milestone in professionalizing the support to Farmer Organizations. After 8 years of the "most consultative process ever seen by ISO" we have the International Standard ISO 18716 Professional Farmer Organization: Guidance. We celebrated with the AMEA Board in our lovely green caps and prepare for the next phase, which promoting the use of the Standard. If you want inspiration you can find it here: https://lnkd.in/dbam3dWr

AMEA is committed to taking learning into action with the 70 mini case studies planned in 10 countries over the next 3 years. This builds on the ground-breaking ISF research published in 2023. A good example of how learning does change practice is shown by the Agribusiness Development Centre in Uganda. Read about it here. https://lnkd.in/e9Uau73D

We just launched our 2023 Impact Report 🎉 Alongside snapshots of our partners' impact in 2023, this year we are excited to feature short videos of several partners sharing their perspectives on how the investment landscape in sub-Saharan Africa has evolved, including: ♦ Alex Simuyandi, Emerald Africa Financing Facility ♦ Bongani Sithole, 54 Collective VC ♦ Brian Milder, Aceli Africa & Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF) ♦ Chris Isaac, AgDevCo ♦ Mobola da-Silva, Capria Ventures ♦ Raphael Dumont, Investisseurs & Partenaires - I&P The report also features looks ahead from: ♦ Elizabeth Howard, Women in African Investments - WAI Group ♦ John Amimo, AFRACA SECRETARIAT ♦ Sam NDONGA, MBA, Samawati Capital Partners ♦ Conor Brosnan & Michael Thompson, Small Foundation We hope you will take a look and let us know what you think: impact.smallfoundation.ie #SFImpactReport #ImpactReport #ImpactInvesting #ImpactNetworks Liz Wilson Gwendolyn Beeman Sam Whelan-Curtin Next Generation Foresight Practitioners 60 Decibels AL for Agribusiness Network AMEA (Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance) Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs Advancing Women in Investing Circle Generation Uganda Agribusiness Alliance Ltd. Warc Africa Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN) Regen Organics Open Capital London Africa Network Jobtech Alliance Invest in Africa - Kenya EFAfrica Group Ltd

We’re thrilled to invite you to the launch of the game-changing SACCO tool! Created in partnership with A Glimmer of Hope, Self Help Africa, SCOPEinsight, and backed by AMEA (Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance), this tool is set to transform the way we assess Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs). These SACCOs are the unsung heroes of financial services in rural areas, stepping in where traditional banks fall short. By empowering these cooperatives, we’re not just providing financial services—we’re fueling income generation and tackling poverty head-on. Why Should You Join? 👉 Discover the essential elements for evaluating SACCO professionalism. 👉 Learn from real-world pilots of the SACCO tool—hear the lessons and insights straight from the field. 👉 Experience a live demo of the Business Intelligence Platform designed for the SACCO tool. 👉 Be inspired by how this tool can drive impact and benefit a wide range of stakeholders. Webinar: 🗓️ Date: August 27th, 2024 ⏰ Time: 14:00 CET / 15:00 EAT ⏳ Duration: 1 hour Ready to be part of something impactful? Click here: https://lnkd.in/g2_6ezA3 to confirm your attendance and secure your spot! We can’t wait to see you there! #SACCO #financialinclusion #microfinance #cooperatives #ruraldevelopment #webinar #socialimpact #financialempowerment #innovation #povertyalleviation #businessintelligence #digitaltransformation #communitydevelopment

We are excited to announce a new multi-year partnership with AMEA (Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance). Over the next three years, our partnership will focus on establishing local networks in Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, and India; enhancing AMEA’s learning and data collection capabilities; and developing more strategic approaches to dialogue and action. We believe that strengthening AMEA’s effectiveness will improve the quality of #BDS delivered to #agriSMEs and scale more sustainable delivery models in these markets, resulting in inclusive and sustainable growth. #impactnetworks #Africannetworks Conor Brosnan Liz Wilson Thomas Caffrey Osvald Karina Wong Sally Walkerman Aoife Kenna Mark Blackett Filipe Di Matteo

https://lnkd.in/eu4BxwB6