Kosmos Innovation Center Ghana’s Post

Happning now in Harare🌱 As the official opening of the #SADCIndustrialisationWeek, the President of Zimbabwe highlighted the pivotal role of agribusiness in advancing the region's development. He stressed the significance of #innovationhubs and #agroindustrialparks in producing a wide range of products for domestic and export markets. Additionally, the President underscored the integration of regional value chains with global networks and the utilization of #crossborderresources. He emphasized the need to strengthen institutions and enhance skills development to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. The vision includes encouraging #privatesector participation and the commercialization of #innovative products, especially those developed by the younger generation. This strategy aims to shift from sector-driven to investment-driven approaches, ultimately fostering #knowledgebasedeconomies. Providing #resposivefinancing regime to support industrialisation in the SADC region. #SADCIndustrialisationWeek #Agribusiness #Innovation #EconomicDevelopment #Zimbabwe #GlobalValueChains #PrivateSector #YouthInnovation #KnowledgeEconomy 🌍💼🌾

Ghana to Boost Farmers' Adoption of Digital Technologies. The Science and Technology Policy Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Ghana has released the findings of a study aimed at enhancing farmers' uptake of digital technologies. The study, titled "Enhancing Farmers' Uptake of Digital Technologies through Empirical Research, Innovation, and Policy Intervention", surveyed 1,040 farmers across nine regions of Ghana. The findings were disseminated and validated at a workshop attended by stakeholders from the government, private sector, ICT companies, farmers, and research institutions. Professor Paul P. Bosu, Director-General of the CSIR, emphasized that the project aligns with the council's vision of using innovative science and technologies to promote socio-economic development, particularly in the agricultural sector. He urged farmers to adopt the technologies developed by the CSIR to improve productivity. The outcomes of the workshop are expected to guide policymakers in adapting or formulating national policies, help ICT4Ag companies develop and deliver quality, secure, and impactful digital solutions to farmers, and improve farmers' understanding of the impact of ICT on their operations and productivity. #Agritech #Tech #Africa #Innovation #Ghana

THREE AFRICAN COUNTRIES LEADING AGRIFOODTECH INVESTMENTS Amidst economic challenges in recent years, international investors are showing unwavering interest in Africa’s startup ecosystem. Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt in particular are leading in agrifoodtech investment. These countries are at the forefront of transforming agriculture through innovative solutions. In 2022, these three countries together raised 86% ($546.8 million) of the total $636 million funding for agrifoodtech in Africa. So, how did they achieve this remarkable feat? Let’s find out the strategies and factors that contributed to their success. The “Big Three” pushed faster in terms of startup and funding. This is partly a result of their large economies, but there’s more to it than that. According to AgFunder’s Report, in the last decade, Kenya, Egypt, and Nigeria have collectively secured over $1.3 billion in funding for agrifoodtech projects. In 2022 specifically, these three countries accounted for over 86% of the total financing in Africa. To read the complete article click on the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/ecYtYfdp #agritech #agrifoodtech #agritechnology

Africa Investment Forum Launch of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Alliance Session. African Development Bank Group-Africa is the only region in the world where GDP from primary agriculture is higher than that of agribusiness thus there's export of a lot of jobs. For example, cashews are produced in Cote d’Ivoire but are shipped to Asia for processing and reshipped to Africa for sale, but ½ of worlds cahew nuts are grown in Africa but less than 10% are processed in Africa which exports jobs and profits. The SAPZs will provide an enabling environment which can remove barriers to entry for private sector to do value addition by constructing infrastructure in highly productive agricultural zones. $890m worth of projects have been done which is to be scaled to $1.1b. The Alliance has brought together adverse players like Development Financial Institutions, public sector, private sectors, technical assistance providers, development partners to provide finance along the entire value chain from project preparation, technical assistance, equity, grant and debt financing sustainably and inclusively. #AfricaInvestmentForum #aif23 #morocco

Africa Investment Forum Launch of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Alliance Session Advisor to president African Development Bank Group-SAPZs will address farm level yield and productivity to ensure food sufficiency in Africa, over $3b investment commitment from funding partners like African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), UNIDO, ARISE IIP, International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) with several others in pipeline. SAPZs is a strategic tool for expansion of agricultural value chains, agritech advancement, enhancement of infrastructure and logistics, development of innovative co financing mechanisms, success stories from Morocco 🇲🇦 leveraging anchor investors and integration of production, processing, logistics. SAPZ is unique spatial model to achieve structural transformation and rural development to agro industrialization to address uneven economic geography due to rural under development, rural urban migration, agribusiness clusters in peri-urban areas will catalyze growth of secondary cities. SAPZ is to mobilise private sector partnership through finance, skills, knowledge, experience of anchor investors, design engineering companies, zone tenants, construction companies, access to basic infrastructure, training through collaboration. Global food sector is worth $20.3 trillion bigger than tech, automotive, steel and $1.2 trillion in Africa by 2030 which needs to be tapped into.   The design of SAPZ has considered diversity in development perspective from Morocco🇲🇦, Vietnam🇻🇳, China🇨🇳. Vietnam has over 380 agro parks thus every African country needs to have an agro processing zone. #AfricaInvestmentForum #aif23 #morocco

🌾 How can innovative agri-tech solutions redefine Africa’s food systems and economy? This was the question on my mind as I stood before a room of innovators, partners, and—most importantly—the youth at the second edition of the Agricultural Innovation for Africa Conference, led by Kosmos Innovation Center Ghana. I had the privilege of representing the International Trade Centre (ITC). When I was considered a youth, we talked about global warming. Now, we are living through the realities of climate change —facing droughts in the north while floods hit Accra. Agriculture has always been the backbone of Ghana’s economy, employing 40% of the population. While the challenges are evolving, so too are the solutions. Startups have always risen to meet these challenges, and today, traceability is our next frontier. In a global market, products we cannot trace simply won’t sell. This goes beyond compliance; it’s about protecting our farmers, our economy, and our future. But innovation is already happening. In the Netherlands Trust Fund 5 cohort just mentioning a few companies and what there do: - Grow For Me: pioneering crowdfunding for agricultural financing, - AkoFresh ™️: cutting post-harvest loss with solar-powered cold storage, - ignitia: delivering hyper-local weather forecasts, - Sabon Sake: championing soil health and carbon sequestration, - Farmerline Group: connecting with farmers in local languages on feature phones and applying traceability to their produce. The Agricultural Innovation for Africa Conference is about more than discussions—it’s about action, collaboration, and leadership. We must shift from being food import-dependent to becoming food-exporting nations. And the youth? They must lead this movement. It’s a matter of job creation, food security, and wealth generation. The International Trade Centre remains committed to this mission, standing by our belief in Transforming Trade, Changing Lives. Tech Entrepreneurship in Africa have cohorts of AgriTechs and leading firms across Africa. Reach out to find more! ⏳ The time is now. Let’s rise, take action, and together revolutionize the future of agriculture in Africa. #AgricultureInnovation #Traceability #KosmosInnovationCentre #AfricaRising #YouthInAgriculture #ITC #NTFV

With the global agricultural sector poised for unprecedented growth towards $11.3 trillion by next year, and as Europe and Nigeria further strengthen their economic and B2B ties, the webinar "Agri-Future: Harnessing Disruption to Drive Innovation and Growth in Europe-Nigeria Investment and Trade," we will dive into discussions on: ·       Leveraging disruptions in technologies and Innovative business and financial opportunities. ·       EBRD membership benefits for Nigeria's agricultural sector. ·       Agribusiness project investment priorities. ·       Revolutionary plant-based solutions for bio-plastic and bio-rubber production. Join me and our esteemed speakers, Jelena Erker from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Noah Vladimir Hirsch Trembovolsky, Co-Founder/CEO of ETB Global, as we explore the vast opportunities for disruption, collaboration, and mutual benefit. Don't miss the opportunity to share knowledge, and drive growth and innovation for sustainability agri-future! Date: July 31st, 1:00 pm WAT Register to participate; see details in the comment section. #AgriFuture #Europe #Nigeria #Investment #Trade #Innovation #Growth #Sustainability

More hopeful about Nigeria after the Circular Economy Strategy Week. Listening to presentations from the plenary to the workstreams: 1. E-waste 2. Waste to Energy 3. Waste Management 4. Agriculture Nigeria is sitting on investment opportunities and industries worth trillions of Naira. The real challenge is how do we unlock them? I am a firm believer that Nigeria is a nation waiting to bloom! It was evident as I shared outcomes of the Agriculture Workstream which I facilitated along with Freek van Eijk. I am excited at the blue ocean opportunities in that sector! According to one of the international guests "Everywhere I turn in Nigeria, I see problems that are opportunities for those who will solve them. There are so many opportunities here why aren't Nigerians focusing on them?" Thanks to the Circular Business Platform and CEIP | Circular Economy Innovation Partnership under the leadership of Dr. Natalie Beinisch for making this happen. Shout out to Jonathan Ikeolumba FCCA, PMP, Tolulope Omoyeni and other members of the CEIP team. It's time for us to focus on solving our problems! Or what do you think? Scientia Partners #agribusiness #circularity #venturebuilding #Entrepreneurship #womeninbusiness

President African Union-Despite Africa’s wealth, there’s little value addition through export of raw materials thus the need to diversify into more manufactured goods by building infrastructure to support value chains. Despite the challenges, several opportunities exist to develop industries, bring about greater economic integration, free zones, trade zones, rising middle class, agriculture potential, renewable energy potential, health care and automotive industry. #AfricaInvestmentForum #aif23 #morocco

💡Did You Know? If Africa had met the 2006 Abuja Declaration's goal of increasing fertilizer application from 20 kg to 50 kg per hectare between 2010 and 2020, our continent's food production could have soared by 209%, drastically slashing hunger and malnourishment rates, compared to the mere 24% increase observed. This staggering statistic underscores not just a missed opportunity, but a clarion call to action. The question now is, how do we move forward and harness such potential for transformative growth? Enter the dynamic African startup ecosystem 🚀, poised to address the complex challenges of food sovereignty head-on. From precision farming technologies to blockchain for supply chain transparency, startups are revolutionizing our agricultural landscape, promising a future where Africa is not just self-sufficient but a global leader in sustainable agriculture. 💰 The recent commitment of $30 billion by development partners to enhance food production is a monumental vote of confidence in what we can achieve together. This investment opens a golden door for startups to collaborate with governments and development partners, focusing on infrastructure, energy, roads, and storage—key elements to ensure agriculture's success. Here are some startups already working towards this future— Terraa, ReelFruit, Releaf (YC W19), ORDA, Afribon. 🌱🔗 This journey is about more than just meeting immediate food production needs. It's about embracing innovation, overcoming challenges, and laying the groundwork for a sustainable economic future where Africa feeds itself and the world. Let's seize this moment to transform our continent's agricultural landscape. The time for African startups to lead the charge towards food sovereignty and sustainable development is now! 👉 Join the conversation: How can African startups further contribute to achieving food sovereignty? What innovations do you think hold the most promise? Share your thoughts in the comment below. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g33FeFuG https://lnkd.in/gQMBRt3v. Content source: Brookings Image source: World Hunger Index 2021, Statista. #FoodSovereignty #AgriculturalInnovation #StartupEcosystem #AfricaAgriTech #SustainableDevelopment #Bantaba2024 #AfricanAgriculture #Startups #Innovation #AfricanEconomy