Mr Georgios Badaro, Managing Director (MD), Nestlé Ghana Limited has said the company’s ambition of making cocoa more profitable for farmers, eliminating child labour, ensuring quality, and improving the transparency of its supply chain is on course.
That ambition under Nestlé Cocoa Plan (NCP), he explained is to meet the global targets including; climate action, decent work and economic growth, women empowerment, ensuring quality education, and building partnership under the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr Badaro, who spoke to journalists after paying a working visit to some farms at Ayisikrom, in the Suhum District of the Eastern Region, commended the farmers and said it is through their hard work and strong partnership with stakeholders that the NCP programme continues to chalk success.
The visit offered Mr Badaro the opportunity to discuss issues including traceability and alternative livelihood projects with farmers and purchasing clerk.
The NCP, introduced in Ghana in 2015, was being implemented in Ashanti, Ahafo, Central and Eastern Regions by ECOM Ghana and Beyond Beans, to promote good agricultural practices, support elimination of Child labour, using the child labour monitoring and remediation system, prevention of deforestation by cocoa farmers, tree tenure, payment of fair prices through premium and additional livelihood initiatives for farmers.
Mr. Badaro said the programme continued to improve the livelihoods of farmers and their families, enable Nestlé to achieve its aim of sourcing quality beans for production and contributing to nature preservation.
He stated that the programme is important for the company, consumers, farmers, and community and that it is inspiring to see the work done by the farmers on daily basis.
“It is a win-win situation we delight consumers because we know we offer excellent quality, we know that when the livelihood of the farmers and their communities are sustainable then they would continue and even expand over time to ensure quality supply,”
“I always knew it was hard work, but after this visit, I know now that it is not just about dedicating time but knowing what to do, how to cut, and where to cut, I am really inspired by what we are doing to help,” he said.
Mr Daniel Nyarko, Nestlé Cocoa Plan Manager for Ghana said NCP has been a response to the sustainability of cocoa and has operated under three pillars namely better farming, better lives, and better cocoa.
He noted that through NCP support cocoa yield per hector is increasing due to the improved farming practices adopted by farmers.
“With the support of our partners the NCP has six central nurseries and 30 community nurseries that raise multipurpose trees and cocoa seedlings, over two million cocoa plantlets and over 238,000 multi-purpose trees including; shade trees have been distributed to rejuvenate the farms and protect the plantlets,” he said.
Mr Nyarko said the programme is successful in organizing and sustaining Village Savings and Loans Associations to improve the saving culture and financial inclusion of farmers.
Ms. Deborah Kwablah, the Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Manager, Nestlé Ghana said the programme was addressing the temptation of the farmers having to give out their cocoa farms for other undesirable activities.
She commended the farmers under the NCP for the diligence and the hard work they put into producing certified cocoa beans.
Ms. Ana Herrera, the Head of Investor Management, ECOM Ghana, and a member of the West Africa Sustainability Team said they would continue to offer best practices to farmers to boost yield and ensure quality.
Mr. Joseph Danso, a cocoa and cabbage farmer in the Suhum District commended the companies for their support, explaining that he has purchased a tricycle from the proceeds from the cabbage production since he was introduced to the cultivation of alternative crops and encourage other farmers to consider alternative crops to boost their income when cocoa is not in season.
The site of a rice farm plagued by drought in the Volta Region.
The Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB) has revealed that rice production in the Volta Region of Ghana faces bleak consequences this year due to ongoing drought conditions which are disrupting production in some parts of the Region.
According to the body, farmers in the Akatsi North and South districts in the Volta Region have been gravely affected by poor rainfall patterns and are likely to lose their entire output for the 2021/2022 season.
“In Ketu South alone, over 700 hectares of rice have been lost to the drought. “The problem covers several areas including Kpoglu, Avalavi, Klenomadi and Avie in Ketu North, Akatsi in Akatsi South, Tongu Districts, Afadzato South District and Hohoe Municipal areas,” the President said.
This comes as a blow to the sector, which is an attempt to wean the country off rice importation by achieving self-sufficiency in production by 2025.
As if that is not enough, the affected farmers will have to wait till next year before they can earn some income.
Speaking to the reporter, President of GRIB Nana Agyei Ayeh II said some members of the farmers reached out to him to ascertain the situation and find a solution to the looming danger.
The President, together with some of the officials of the John A. Kufuor Foundation paid a working visit to the farms, and on their observation, several hectares of rice under cultivation are lost due to climate change and low levels of rainfall in these communities.
The woes of the farmers are further exacerbated by the huge investments they have already made in land preparation, seeds, and fertilizer.
However, the provisional production figures by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) indicate that about 973, 000 metric tonnes of rice were produced in Ghana in 2020. But, this figure could be hard to match in 2021 if the current situation persists.
Nana Agyei Ayeh II revealed that the existing dam structure which was built to harvest water to irrigate the farmlands is in a dire state of disrepair, leaving farmers at the mercy of the harsh weather conditions.
“We cannot continue with rain-fed agriculture. As you can see, this year, farmers have lost their investments simply because the rains failed them.
We would like to appeal to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide dugouts for these areas. These will aid in water conservations for the purposes of irrigation in such times like what we facing now” he added.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is planning to electronically pay all its farmers to stimulate the digital economy and also ensure the security of funds, a Deputy Chief Executive Officer at COCOBOD, Dr. Emmanuel Opoku has said.
The move which is expected to be piloted at the coming cocoa season and fully rolled out subsequently will mean that no farmer would receive cash for any of the beans sold to COCOBOD.
According to Dr. Opoku, COCOBOD has received several reports about attacks on farmers leading to some losing huge capital and being thrown out of business as a result.
He told a gathering at a Cocoa Value Chain Investment Meeting that, the benefit of the electronic transaction is enormous and COCOBOD would rely on a private partnership to execute.
“Let us assume we are doing 1 million tonnes of cocoa; the price of 1 million tonnes is about GH¢10.5 billion; with 80 percent of this, we would have to issue cash to pay the farmers. We hear of so many criminal activities, armed robbery, and others in the community.
Local buyers are suffering and, in some cases, lives are lost as a result, we are developing a system to change the mode of payment. We are going to electronically pay the farmers; we are moving into a system where the entire GH¢10.5 billion is going to be electronically transacted to the farmers. This would bring some new energy into mobile and other electronic transactions nationwide,” Dr. Opoku said.
Country Director of World Cocoa Foundation, Betty Annan, and the Anglophone Africa Lead, Oswell Kahonde have made a strong case that, the earlier the nation goes digital with the payment of farmers the better for the sectors resilience.
According to them, the sector is critical for the nation’s economy as it employs 2 million people and contributes to 19 percent of all exports. For them, digital payments can help make the sector more efficient, transparent, and secure for companies and people alike.
They argue that with digital payments, instead of giving cash to purchasing clerks, Local Buying Companies (LBCs) can transfer money directly to farmers’ wallets the moment a purchasing clerk digitally records the receipt of their cocoa. This can reduce the LBC’s interest costs by 10 percent or more.
They believe this also offers the opportunity to track their money all the way to the farmer and cuts down the opportunities for theft or the misuse of funds. Also, the move towards digital payments can make it easier for local banks and microfinance institutions to lend to farmers by creating digital, analyzable records, they say.
Already, COCOBOD has encouraged LBCs to start paying their farmers digitally. Several LBCs have begun doing so, and as a result, have seen interest savings and fewer robberies.
The responsible digitization of payments across the agricultural sector is one of the key areas the government wants to focus on in its Cash-Lite Roadmap. This policy initiative calls on key public and private sector players to work together to accelerate the shift from cash to digital payments, including across the cocoa sector.
The Market-Oriented Agriculture Programme in North-Western Ghana (MOAP-NW), has trained a total of 85 seed producers and seed inspectors on quality seed production and regulations in Wa.
The week-long training, in partnership with the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), is to enable the production of the right quality improved certified seed to be used by farmers.
Dr Zakaria Issahaku, the Technical Advisor, delivering a speech on behalf of Mr Bashiru Fuseini, the Deputy Head of MOAP-NW said the training is focused on quality seed production, procedures and quality assurance and regulations because of the important role seed played in the development of agriculture in the country.
This, he said, was a key factor in MOAP North-West’s drive to improve quality production in the agricultural sector.
“Together with our partners in the seed sector, there has been a tremendous increase in the production and availability of foundation seeds and certified seeds”, Dr Zakaria said.
“Since 2017, foundation seed production has increased by almost 672 per cent while certified seed for farmer’s production has increased by almost 456 per cent”, he added.
Dr Zakaria further added that if the seed is improved in quality and quantity, it would reduce importation, thereby, boosting the local economy.
“There is the opportunity for job creation, especially for women and youth, in the seed sector”, he pointed out.
Mr Emmanuel Sasu Yeboah, the Upper West Regional Director of the Food and Agriculture, noted that the training is very essential, as it had supported the government’s agenda of Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) and had a prime focus in the seed sector.
“Locally sourced quality seed are in high demand following the subsidies provided through the PFJ. Farmers in the Upper West Region are adopting the improved seeds, which create a big demand from our seed producers”, he said.
Mr Christopher Y. Akai, the Northern Regional Officer, PPRSD noted that an efficient seed certification regime thrived on the education of stakeholders, the existence of sovereign laws and regulations, stringent enforcement, and adherence to the enacted laws and regulations by stakeholders.
He said for decades now, there had been an increase in volumes in the production and certification of maize, rice and soybean, which is an indication that the seed business is growing.
Mr Akai pointed out that for a viable seed industry, seed quality is critical and equally required a strong certification scheme, noting that the seed law and regulations provided legally binding guiding principles and procedures for providing technical advisory services to stakeholders.
Alhaji Abdulai Seidu Antiku, the Vice President of the National Seed Traders Association of Ghana (NASTAG), expressed appreciation on behalf of the seed producers for the training by MOAP-NW.
Mr Antiku, a seed producer himself, assured farmers in Ghana’s North-West of quality certified seeds from the stock of seed producers in the region.
Munashetu Abudu, a Participant and a Seed Producer from Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District expressed joy for the knowledge acquired and indicated that they would apply the knowledge and skills gained to increase the quality of seed production to satisfy farmers’ needs.
MOAP NW is a GIZ-implemented project funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The project represents one of the main pillars of the EU Ghana Agriculture Programme (EUGAP) and supports the growth of agribusinesses with capacity building and technical assistance for the value chain actors working with public and private service providers for robust and successful agribusinesses.
The biggest cocoa harvest in a decade is spurring record domestic borrowing by the industry regulator of the world’s no. 2 cocoa producer.
Ghana Cocoa Board has sold 11.7 billion cedis ($2 billion) of six-month bills between January and May, the most in the five-month period since at least 2011, when Bloomberg started keeping records.
The regulator, which is the only buyer of the chocolate ingredient in Ghana, typically borrows from overseas banks but the 2020-21 production has exceeded the target, stretching the $1.3 billion syndicated loan that was raised at the beginning of the season in October. It increased bill sales to help refinance maturing obligations, said Ray Ankrah, the head of finance and administration at the agency.
Farmers harvested 965,493 metric tons by June 3, compared with a target of 900,000 tons for the whole crop year that ends in September. This places Ghana easily within the reach of the 1 million-ton mark, which was last attained in 2010-11.
Yields on the bills are falling, as traders speculate that the regulator will make more income from the bumper crop. The 1.3 billion cedis, 182-day securities issued at 17.65% on May 18, are currently trading at 15.65%.
Even though cocoa futures have dropped over this year, average prices are still 5% higher at $2,475 a ton from a year earlier.
The regulator is also planning to raise $1.5 billion through syndicated loans for the season that begins in October, Ankrah said.
The company, which he co-founded with Arif Abdullah, sells honey and beeswax as well as cashew nuts and animal feed made from cashew leaves and honey.
Until 2014, Abdulai ran a microfinance organisation that serviced small and medium-scale business owners and farmers in northern Ghana. He felt banks were not tailoring products for farmers because they viewed the sector as risky. But a year into operation, the microfinance firm collapsed due to bad debts. Farmers did not have enough harvest to pay off their loans.
Abdulai discovered rampant overgrazing, charcoal burning and bushmeat hunting were contributing to the low agricultural production. His solution was integrated beekeeping. He started the business in 2014 to not only plug a big gap in the Ghana honey market but also help save trees and encourage afforestation. Beekeeping has been shown to preserve nature, biodiversity and agriculture.
Entering the honey business The businessman did not have the money to start a new venture. He approached a carpenter who made 10 beehives based on a profit-sharing agreement that he would give him 20% of whatever the business had made at the end of the year. As for the land to put the beehives, the entrepreneur entered partnerships with local chiefs who would receive 3% of revenue.
At the end of the first year, Abdulai sold his honey to supermarkets and other retailers and after paying $500 to the carpenter, he had $2,000. He was also able to pay the chiefs.
“There’s a vast market opportunity for honey, locally and internationally. With the high cases of diabetes, people are moving away from raw sugar to honey. The global market stands at $8.7 billion and is growing at 7% per annum,” says the entrepreneur.
Tilaa no longer has to depend on the goodwill of village chiefs to keep its hives running as the firm has acquired 300 hectares of land in the Northern Region of Ghana, where it grows cashew nuts alongside beekeeping. Cashew flowers bloom during the dry season, guaranteeing nectar for the bees all year.
Tilaa also manufactures animal feed made from pruned cashew leaves, which are crushed and mixed with honey to create a nutritious meal for cattle. Bee products are rich in vitamins, minerals and healthy fats and can be used to improve nutrition in animals.
The company works with a network of farmers that it trains on integrated beekeeping; it also supplies them with beehives and hybrid cashew seedlings. Later, it buys their honey. By keeping bees, local communities learn to conserve the environment. Cashew trees help replenish depleted land, are a source of food for the local communities and can be intercropped with other plants ensuring food security.
Finding funding to scale up One of the challenges Tilaa initially faced was employing the right staff. Abdulai says he has found it better to recruit people with low or no qualifications and train them. This has helped him navigate the disconnect between academia and the field.
To scale up, the entrepreneur has been a beneficiary of various accelerator programmes, which have equipped him with the skills to manage a start-up as well as provided key funding for growth. In 2018, Abdulai was part of the Ghana Innovation Hub, which helped him acquire seed funding of $50,000 from a US investor. A pitch at the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre in 2019 saw him receive $27,100 as well as help in verifying his products with the Ghana Standards Authority. He’s also been part of an accelerator in Nairobi, where he obtained $5,000.
The businessman regrets not doing these accelerator programmes at the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey. He maintains they would have made it easier to learn about the industry and improve his managerial skills.
Differentiating from the competition While there are several local and international honey brands in Ghana, the beekeeping sector is still in its infancy. Tilaa prides itself on providing a purely organic product that supports conservation. Some farmers and marketers add sugar to their honey or sweeten water fed to bees, resulting in an inferior product. “Most honey has a sugar content of 55% while Tilaa honey has 45%. Imported brands from China can have up to 65% sugar content,” says Abdulai.
Pollution is also a significant concern owing to heavy agrochemical use as these chemicals find their way into the honey. Farm chemicals have also been known to affect the bee population. Tilaa overcomes this by sourcing honey from remote parts of Ghana where agrochemical use is limited.
By focusing on beekeeping as a strategic business, Tilaa has established a foothold as a brand in the Ghana market where most honey producers are individual farmers who are not well organised from farm to market or have not been trained in handling bees. Other competitors are non-governmental organisations whose aim is not profit but rather limiting tree felling.
To stay profitable, Tilaa is considering the construction of a bee house with a controlled environment, allowing honey harvesting throughout the rainy season. Traditionally, honey harvesting is seasonal. “It’s difficult to harvest honey when it rains. The honey has high water content and ferments easily, resulting in a poor quality product,” Abdulai explains.
The company also plans to obtain its organic honey export certification to venture into the global market.
The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana has called on the Registrar Generals Department to waive filing fees for Agribusinesses that are struggling in the system, most importantly those whose businesses have dwindled as the results of the Covid-19.
Recently, the Registrar General gave a reminder that the institution would delete companies that fail to file returns on June 30th. Of this development that the CEO of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, Anthony Morrison has urged the high office to be considerate towards the agribusinesses.
The Registrar-General, Jemima Oware, speaking on the second virtual forum of the #CitiBusinessFestival on Citi TV last Tuesday said companies that fail to file their returns by the end of June 2021, risk having their names struck out of the list of businesses in Ghana.
She said about 200,000 companies have since 2011 failed to file their annual returns and financial statements despite several notices and reminders. The Registrar said the deletion process will start in July 2021.
“Since 2011 when we introduced the new e-registrar software, I have over 200,000 businesses that have not filed their annual returns basically because some of them think they’ve not done business, COVID-19 has come among others. We gave extensions for people to file annual returns, and we extended it to almost one year, and we allowed businesses to hold Annual General Meetings virtually. We gave all these dispensations, but now the time is up. By the end of June 30, we are going to start another round of penalties,” she said.
Speaking on Business Focus on TV3, Anthony Morrison, the CEO of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana urged the Registrar General to be considerate of the agribusinesses that have flouted to file their returns.
He bemoaned that the economic situation coupling with the pandemic has made it difficult for agribusinesses to thrive. He called on the Registrar General to waive the filing fees for the struggling agribusinesses so they could be able to sustain their operation in this hard time.
The economic relationship between Ghana and Italy has soared to new heights in recent years. From the major role that Italian energy giant Eni is playing in the development of Ghana’s hydrocarbon resources to the efforts of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) to increase economic exchanges between the two countries, it is clear that Italy-Ghana economic cooperation is at its strongest in history.
Italy’s approach to partnership with Ghana is unique, with an emphasis on technology and skills development. Technology is important because it is what Italy exports most, to Ghana and the rest of the world. Indeed, Italian technology is much sought after, not only for its level of quality, reliability, and flexibility but also because Italian suppliers’ approach is to make sure that end-users are fully prepared to make the most out of the technology they buy and are happy with it.
Training, the second aspect of the approach, is in fact a pillar of the Italian way to build relationships; it is based on Italian expertise and know-how, deeply rooted in decades of experience at the highest levels as a manufacturing country and as a leading exporter that is used to being confronted with very different conditions worldwide.
A priority area for Italy’s bilateral cooperation is the agribusiness sector. This is no surprise, as Italy is well known internationally for being a top performer in industrial technology, especially in the agro-food industry. In addition to introducing its world-leading technologies to the local agribusiness sector, Italy is running several training activities in Ghana that aim at building skills and growing local technical capacity.
For example, the Italian Trade Agency has carried out the LabInnova project, a technical and managerial training program to empower Ghanaian agro-businesses to increase their export activity, particularly in the EU and Italian markets. ITA is currently also arranging the participation of a Ghanaian delegation in Macfrut, which is a major agribusiness trade and industry event in Italy.
Other training activities are run by other Italian organizations. Each has its own special distinctive features, but all share the same drive to build a culture of quality and distinction.
Among the training and skills development programs worth highlighting is Eni’s Okuafo Pa project. Eni is a major energy company that seeks to contribute to the socio-economic development of the countries where it operates, following its dual-flag model, which means it can grow only if the country where it operates can benefit from its activity and growth. “In line with the UN 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, we want to contribute to the economic development of Ghana, starting with agri-business that is able to have a short-term and broad-scale impact,” says Mauro Martufi, CEO of Okuafo Pa. “Accordingly, with the Government of Ghana, we have started the Okuafo Pa project in Kyeramasu, Dormaa East, with the aim of improving know-how, enhancing productivity, contributing to emissions reduction, and facilitating access to credit to increase mechanization and digitalization in agri-business.”
The Okuafo Pa training center, established in 2019, is fully powered by renewable energy and trains 800 people per year. With the support of KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), the center trains people in practical and managerial agri-business practices, including smart climate agriculture. The target beneficiaries are people between 18 and 40 years old who want to improve their economic conditions, attain better livelihoods, and contribute to the socio-economic development of the country through agri-business. The beneficiaries, 50% of whom are women, are selected by an independent committee on the principles of fairness, equality, and repeatability.
The first 800 trainees graduated in November 2020. About 50 graduates have found new jobs, and the remaining 750 are incorporating more than 60 new cooperatives along the value chains of tomatoes, cocoa, cashew, maize, and poultry. Ten percent of the new cooperatives are already in the harvesting phase of their production.
Post-training assistance is a critical component of the project to ensure the training given to beneficiaries bears fruits. According to Mr. Martufi, Okuafo Pa offers its trainees a “job placement platform” and an “incubator” to support new business initiatives. The incubator will soon feature a dedicated micro-credit facility developed by the Italian Bank of Development (Cassa Depositi e Presiti) and local banks.
The objectives of the project, Mr. Martufi says, are to provide the labour market with a skilled workforce and also develop local, sustainable value chains for strategic products that support national food security (e.g. poultry, tomatoes, and maize) and the country’s industrial agenda (e.g. cocoa and cashew). “If conditions are satisfied, the project could be replicated in other areas of Ghana to reach a wider number of beneficiaries. We estimate that 5,000 people per year can benefit from the direct and indirect effects of the project,” he adds.
Another Italian training initiative is the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centres of Excellence being constructed by De Lorenzo, an Italian company, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. De Lorenzo is a specialized manufacturer and supplier of technical and vocational training solutions, and its projects for Ghana are turnkey solutions, made up of the construction and equipment, as well as the connected services, such as installation, commissioning, and training of trainers.
De Lorenzo believes that the quality of any TVET program and its products is dependent on the quality and quantity of personnel available to the program. Since competitive TVET systems need vocational teachers, trainers, instructors, and specialists of high calibre, one full month’s training session is organized both locally and in Italy to help the trainers acquire confidence and the necessary technical training skills. The focus of this training is on the detailed use of the didactic/training equipment provided, the use of the various training manuals, as well as maintenance of the equipment.
The first TVET Centre of Excellence is located in Anyinam, in the Eastern Region, and will, among other activities, train students in food processing, focusing on transformation and value addition to various fruits such as mangoes and oranges to convert them into different finished products.
The Centre will have a food processing laboratory with the capacity to process 100 kg/h of fresh fruit products. This laboratory can process raw materials for the preparation of concentrated products such as juice and jam. Through this line, it is feasible to practically develop a small but complete fruit production cycle until the final packing solution. The main focus areas are fruit handling line; fruit preparation line; packing line and pasteurization batch; drying production.
The laboratory allows 30 students per class, who study in different working areas. It is structured to provide the teacher different learning solutions so that students can be divided into different groups of four or five, where each group will be allocated to a specific working area. A similar food processing line will be set up in Akumadan.
Through the TVET Centres of Excellence, De Lorenzo aims to support the government of Ghana’s efforts to develop technical and vocational skills relevant for the 21st century, creating prosperity and equal opportunity for both male and female learners.
UPSA–E4Impact MBA in Entrepreneurship. In yet another example of the importance of training in Italy’s approach to cooperation, UPSA (University of Professional Studies Accra), the Catholic University of Milan, and E4Impact have joined forces to offer in Ghana the Global MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
UPSA is an acclaimed public university in Ghana and one of the region’s leaders in combining academic studies with professional certification. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan, on the other hand, is the largest private university in the European Union, with over 40,000 students, 1,650 faculty members, 5 campuses, 78-degree programs, and 79 research centers. E4Impact is the spin-off of the Catholic University of Milan aimed at growing entrepreneurs in Africa. On behalf of Università Cattolica, E4Impact manages 17 MBA programs in entrepreneurship in Africa, with over 2,000 entrepreneurs accelerated through such programs since 2010.
To offer the MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Ghana, the two organizations have developed together a training and acceleration program uniquely designed to support Ghanaian entrepreneurs to start and grow their business in the country and beyond. The partners have selected faculty, business experts, and mentors from Ghana, Italy, and the United States, and the programme is fully recognized by the National Accreditation Board.
The MBA is uniquely designed to support active and aspiring entrepreneurs in boosting their businesses. Its distinctive features include the following: • It combines excellent training with business acceleration services; • All training is designed to transfer tools necessary for entrepreneurs to grow their business; • Business acceleration services include: access to investors, coaching, networking, trips to Italy; • The MBA also gives entrepreneurs access to a network of professionals who can further support participants; • The MBA offers all participants and alumni access to a B2B platform to do business across Africa; • The best entrepreneurs doing the MBA have the chance to interact with Italian businesses to go international; • The best 3 entrepreneurs across Africa win a monetary prize; • The MBA adopts a flexible program that combines face training, online work, and networking; and • The MBA offers two degrees, one from the UPSA and the other from the Università Cattolica.
Anybody who holds a first degree in any discipline and who has a business or a project to start a business can apply for the MBA.
As of today, the MBA has graduated 2,000 entrepreneurs across Africa. Among these graduates, 87% increase their sales; 85% start yet another business; 81% increase their turnover, and 31% access funds within 1 year after completing the MBA.
In Ghana, the MBA has already trained more than 150 entrepreneurs. These include Bola Ray, founder of Excellence in Broadcasting and Starr Radio; Stephen Eku, founder of Emigoh, the company manufacturing Yommi Yogurt; Amin Sulley Abubakar, founder of ZaaCoal, Africa’s largest organic charcoal plant; and Bobie Osei Ansah, founder of Farmer’s Hope, Ghana’s largest organic fertilizer producer.
Today, UPSA and E4Impact are offering 2 scholarships for the next edition of the MBA to Ghanaian companies participating in the Ghana-Italy Agribusiness Digital Lab project, https://ghana-italy.digital.ice.it. It is a unique opportunity to benefit from highly qualified training and mentorship for entrepreneurs with innovative ideas in the agro-food industry.
Land conservation in Lesotho. The African projects will seek to address land degradation in a bid to strengthen resilience and livelihoods.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today welcomed approval from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for five FAO-led projects in eight countries, totaling more than $46.6 million in funding. The decision was made during the 60th GEF Council Meeting and the 30th Least Developed Countries Fund Council Meeting.
The latest projects will address critical environmental challenges – such as land degradation, biodiversity loss, unsustainable fishing, and climate change – that threaten the food security and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in Asia and Africa.
They will be implemented in partnership with and co-financed by the governments of Cambodia, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Lesotho, Malaysia, Senegal, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
“These projects are especially welcome after the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “It is vital that we take action now to restore the natural systems on land and water that we rely on to achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.”
The projects approved by the GEF will assist countries and communities to adopt more sustainable and climate-resilient practices, foster regional cooperation, and enact stronger policies to conserve biodiversity and deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
They will directly benefit 441,500 people and restore over 27,000 hectares of degraded landscapes. The projects will also create 30,000 hectares of new protected areas on land and sea, and improve the management of over 765,000 hectares of landscapes and 4 million hectares of marine habitats.
Their action is designed to mitigate 6.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and move 547,393 tonnes of over-exploited fish stocks to more sustainable levels.
Among the FAO-led projects is a regional project in the Gulf of Thailand that will promote sustainable fisheries management in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
By adopting an ecosystem approach to fisheries and strengthening fisheries governance, the project will help conserve marine biodiversity and reduce the excessive exploitation of overfished fish stocks, while supporting the sustainability of fisherfolk livelihoods.
The four projects approved in Africa will address the threats of climate change and land degradation to enhance the climate resilience of communities, safeguard natural resources, and strengthen agricultural value chains to improve rural livelihoods.
Since December 2018, FAO has mobilized more than $550 million in GEF grant funding for member countries, including the latest projects, making FAO one of the top four GEF agencies globally.
Sorting, processing, and packaging are critical stages in agro-industrial production, requiring the best available technological systems and products supplied by the most specialized and experienced companies in the world.
Lately, an increasing number of agro-industry companies in Ghana and in Africa are looking for solutions from Italy, as Made in Italy machinery is well known for its reliability and high standards, allowing producers to improve their performance with consistency and quality output.
To respond to such growing interest, the Italian Trade Agency in Ghana is set to bring to the country through the Ghana-Italy Agribusiness Digital Lab project, major Italian companies in sorting, processing, and packaging to exhibit their expertise to Ghanaian agribusiness operators in the food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and other agro-processing sectors.
On display, there will be technologies for sorting of ingredients and raw materials, food processing and preservation, and fresh and safe packaging of produce. Most of these technologies are turnkey and developed to suit customer needs and specifications.
Through the Digital Lab which is slated for June 22, the exhibiting Italian companies will conduct virtual B2B meetings with Ghanaian agribusiness companies under the auspices of the Italian Trade Agency. The meetings will be hosted on a dedicated portal, https://ghana-italy.digital.ice.it, where interested Ghanaian agribusiness firms can register for participation.
The following companies engaged in the business of sorting, processing, and packaging will take part in the B2B session and are ready to connect with firms along Ghana’s agribusiness value chain for mutually beneficial partnerships:
Systems for extraction – Agrenta Agrenta develops and manufactures natural flavours, vegetable extracts, and functional food ingredients to give food products an extra touch, a taste experience, or added functional benefits inspired by nature.
It designs production protocols and systems for the extraction of active ingredients from plants, herbs, and other vegetable sources, starting from laboratory to commercial scale.
Working with public institutions, research centers, and non-profit organizations, Agrenta actively promotes the development of human capital in the territories and rural communities in which it operates.
Raw materials handling-Agriflex Agriflex is an Italian manufacturing leader in raw materials handling for the food industry. The company designs manufacture and install systems for storing, conveying, dosing, and automatically controlling solid and liquid micro and macro raw materials.
It is the go-to brand for bespoke solutions for raw materials processing by producers or agro-businesses that are into value addition for products such as bread, pasta, confectionery, etc.
At Agriflex, every system is specifically designed to meet the customer’s needs, from the initial concept to design, manufacturing and installation.
De Lorenzo S.p.A. De Lorenzo is a 51-year-old leading Italian company in the design, development, and production of technical and vocational training equipment in various fields including food technology.
Thanks to its wide experience gained over the years, De Lorenzo is able to provide suitable solutions through the supply of small-scale food plants designed to provide knowledge and expertise on food processing technology related to fruit, vegetables, and milk.
Clients and users are able to observe a complete production cycle and work on a wide range of machines through the hands-on practice of individual operations such as washing, mixing, separating, extracting, etc.
Studio Tecnico Appiani srl Studio Tecnico Appiani is an Italian company with more than 20 years of worldwide experience specializing in the engineering, supply, and turnkey manufacture of hydrothermal processing plants for the main cereals, mainly focused on parboiled rice, with almost 5 technologies in its portfolio.
The company has installed parboiling plants worldwide, including in Thailand, Bangladesh, India, China, Africa, and South America.
Thanks to the growth of the international market and the increasing demanding for new processes, the company has studied new lines for the production of quick-cooking rice, precooked cereals, and pulses lines to reduce the final cooking time of the products, saving household time.
Tropical Food Machinery SRL Unipersonale Tropical Food Machinery (TFM) designs and manufactures complete plants for fruit and tomato processing. It develops a range of “turn-key” lines, from receiving to filling, with a capacity ranging from 200 kg/h to 50 t/h, for large industries and for small producers and cooperatives.
The production is tailor-made to suit the customer’s needs and the improvements made on the field are integrated into the new projects.
TFM deals with the construction and commissioning of the machinery without intermediaries. This verticalization of the production guarantees control over quality and unparalleled productive speed, as well as creating a strong sense of community within the company’s workforce.
TFM offers the customer the ability to connect by electronic means and to receive assistance remotely for its plant: in this way, the company’s “vertical” style includes buyer’s assistance.
Fruits & vegetable processing—Navatta Group Navatta operates directly on the national and international markets as a manufacturer and installer of machines and plants for the processing of fruit, vegetables, and tomatoes, with a portfolio of products that make it one of the main reference companies in the sector.
The group produces, installs, and starts up lines, systems, and machines for the processing of peeled/diced/pulp tomatoes, tomato sauces and purees, tomato concentrates with fillings in all types of rigid and flexible containers, and aseptic fillings.
Navatta also delivers patented high-yield plants for the extraction of fruit purees with “cold extraction” technology, aseptic equalization systems for purees/juices, as well as the processing of vegetables through reception, preparation, cooking, grilling, and freezing.
Filling machines—Galdi Galdi is into the design and building of solutions and services including filling machines for food and beverages.
The company provides value-added solutions for the filling and packaging of milk, dairy products, fruit juices, and liquid eggs in Gable Top cartons. The Gable Top cartons guarantee the maximum attention to food safety.
The client-centered approach oriented towards continuous improvement allows Galdi to constantly expand the resources made available to the customer in order to generate greater value, both in the pre-and post-sales phases.
Packaging solutions—Agripak This Italian brand provides turnkey solutions in the engineering and manufacturing of machines for reusable and recyclable packaging for fruit, vegetables, food, and logistics.
A global brand with over 70 years of experience, Agripak sells its machinery, downstream plants, auxiliaries, and end-products solutions all over the world, expressly tailoring its high-tech solutions to any customer’s request or production need.
The company focuses strongly on customization, high-standard quality, innovation, productivity, turnkey service, and fast return on investment.
The circular economy concept is well enshrined in its operations; thus, it develops specific materials and machines to reduce the weight of the packages, allows reuse of the packages, and finally recycles them back in the production loop.
Packaging materials—Graziani Roberto e F.lli & C. Graziani Packaging is the largest Italian manufacturer of packaging materials, specialized in palletization for the logistics and export of fruits and vegetables.
For many decades, this brand has been a reliable and experienced international partner for the security of goods during transportation, working in more than 40 countries worldwide and supplying its innovative high-quality solutions that secure the shipments of fruits and vegetables all over the world.
It is the Italian reference supplier for cardboard corners in many of the major fruit and vegetable exporting countries worldwide. Its MAGIC CORNERS® is produced with a mix of the best virgin Kraft Liner papers and selected cardboard together with special glues, which allow it to attain the highest resistance on the market.
Graziani operates through a well-structured network of agents and distributors, or directly with prestigious large companies and major brands in the sector.
Packaging solutions—Ilip Ilip is a member of the ILPA Group, a European leader in the processing and transformation of plastic and bioplastic raw materials.
The company develops and makes available to retailers, foodservice and the fresh produce and food industry, its innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, in thermoformed plastic, bioplastic, and renewable and compostable materials.
The company operates three business units: Food Service Packaging, Fresh Produce Packaging, and Fresh Food Packaging.
The assortment of its fresh produce packaging includes punnets, trays, and fruit nest trays made from plastic and R-PET up to 100 percent specially designed to protect, enhance and preserve the freshness of fruit and vegetables, to meet any need in any situation.
Packaging machines—Laferpack Lafer Packaging is a leading manufacturer of horizontal packaging machines and complete automatic packaging lines, offering the very best solutions in the packaging of various agro products.
Its quest for quality is driven by its passion for the job, its desire to share knowledge, and the pride of meeting customers’ expectations.
It offers customized solutions to satisfy the needs of that person that will employ it; machines with reduced maintenance time and operating costs; and machines easy and intuitive to be programmed. The rationale behind this is to produce a modern technology that reduces energy consumption without losing sight of the needs of those who will daily use the machines that are built.
All the above companies will showcase their expertise and technologies, as well as explore potential business relationships with Ghanaian agro-related enterprises, during the Ghana-Italy Agribusiness Digital Lab on June 22. It is an opportunity not to be missed by the Ghanaian agribusiness sector.
