Western Africa

Impact Stories

Marthe Montcho: Blogging for social change

Marthe Montcho started her blog, L’Agriculture au féminin or Women in Farming, in October 2013. Despite initially knowing very little about blogging, she quickly became a success as the blog grew in popularity. Montcho’s desire to fill what she saw as an information gap and empower female farmers, particularly in her home country of Benin, led to her winning the Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo), organised by CTA in 2014.

Better seed to fight climate change in West Africa

Farmers need all the support they can get to fight the adverse impacts of climate change and extreme weather conditions that are becoming more frequent. Outputs of maize and groundnut – two key crops for West African food security – could be greatly increased by better farmer access to improved seed, supported by good agricultural practices. Varieties developed by research institutes offer higher yields and stronger resistance to challenges related to climate change, such as drought.

Rural finance key to agricultural development

Rural and agricultural finance are key drivers to developing agriculture in West Africa, to feed a growing population and curb rising food import bills. The International Conference on Improving Agricultural Finance, a two-day event held in Abuja, Nigeria, explored effective strategies for developing financial instruments and policies to boost agricultural production and value chains.

Agri-Food Forum looks to the future

The 2015 Caribbean Pacific Agri-Food Forum, held in Barbados, focused on many of CTA’s priority interventions for the regions. There was a strong emphasis on impact. In Africa, CTA has been encouraging greater intra-regional trade, and we played a prominent role in two important conferences in Equatorial Guinea and Rwanda.

Strengthening resilience, greening the desert

An African alliance to combat desertification is improving food security, through tree planting and farmer-managed natural regeneration. Across Africa, the threats of desertification and land degradation are always present, especially in the Sahel and the southern edge of the Sahara. Poverty and hunger are a constant prospect. In response, farmers and communities in dryland areas are developing ways to sustainably manage.

Blog articles

'Offering ICT solutions to meet the specific needs of Ivorian farmers’

In Côte d’Ivoire, ICT4DEV, the best Ivorian start-up at Pitch AgriHack 2017, has developed mobile applications to meet the needs of local farmers.

Input loans boost farmer take-up rates for satellite-based advisory service

An alliance between CTA and the Rabobank Foundation, the foundation of a large Dutch food and agriculture bank, is helping to extend credit to small-scale producers in Uganda. The partnership is driving adoption rates of an innovative ICT4Ag scheme pioneered by CTA, steering it towards its goal of financial sustainability in the process.

in ICTUpdate

Transforming satellite data for smallholders

ICT Update spoke to Remco Dost, senior project manager at eLEAF, about the company's work, what it does with the raw data it sources from satellites and what role it is playing in the Market-led, User-owned ICT4Ag-enabled Information Service (MUIIS).

in Spore, Spore N°187 and Field report

Inclusive cassava business grows from strength to strength

Yemisi Iranloye, managing director and CEO of Psaltry International Limited, a large cassava processor based in south-west Nigeria, has built her success on an inclusive business model that places smallholder farmers at the centre of operations.

in Spore and Spore N°187

Bringing fresh fish inland in Sierra Leone

Aquaculture is creating new rural markets catering to strong demands for fish and building economic resilience in poor, food-insecure inland areas.

News

Of financiers, farm-ternships and a failed catfish farmer

After losing 700 of 1,000 catfish fingerlings in her debut fish farming enterprise, Divine-Love Akam switched to working in agriculture, a sector many investors and banks think twice about supporting.

CTA at the 2018 AYA forum

Under the theme “Technologies and Innovations for Youth in Agribusiness”, the 2018 African Youth Agripreneur Forum (AYAF) and AgriPitch Competition will be held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on 9–13 April 2018. The events, organised by the African Development (AfDB), the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and with CTA’s collaboration, are expected to attract over 400 participants from across the continent, including young agripreneurs, agribusiness leaders, investors and development partners.

Bayseddo: a digital platform to boost agriculture in Senegal

In 2016, Mamadou Sall, working with Thierno Souleymane and other young Senegalese entrepreneurs, launched Bayseddo, a networking platform for farmers and investors in Senegal, aiming to optimise agriculture through digital technology. The start-up won the CTA’s Pitch Agrihack 2017 competition, and its first results are already beginning to show.

Growing African agribusiness through peer learning

At the 2018 African Agribusiness Incubator Network (AAIN) Conference and Expo, held from 7–9 March in Dakar, Senegal, CTA held an interactive session on how the incubation of women and youth entrepreneurs in agribusiness could be supported through ICT knowledge sharing and peer learning. As one of the co-organisers, CTA also sponsored 30 participants, comprising women and youth agripreneurs, ICT entrepreneurs, and a knowledge management team.

New opportunities for Pitch AgriHack 2017

Six youth start-ups, who were each awarded with investment, promotional support, capacity building and network opportunities after winning CTA's 2017 Pitch AgriHack! initiative are looking forward to the new opportunities that 2018, and continuing support from CTA and partners, will bring.

Communiqués

Innovations in rice value chains offer increased job opportunities for rural youth

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), together with the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, has launched a new project that will foster youth entrepreneurship, strengthen market ties, and enhance livelihoods in the rice sectors of Mali and Senegal.

CTA Releases a New Guide for Young Entrepreneurs Working to Modernise Agriculture Through ICTs

A guidebook designed for young people interested in developing e-agriculture businesses in African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries is launched on 26 April 2017.

Boosting West Africa's regional grain trade through stronger market institutions and enabling policies

The level of intra-regional trade of cereals such as maize, millet, sorghum and rice is lagging way below its potential in West Africa, despite opportunities from flourishing local production and strong demand from growing urban populations. A conference on How to structure the grain trade in West Africa: which market instruments and public policy measures? will examine some of the current constraints to increased intra-regional trade in the cereals sector.

Opening Statement by Michael Hailu, Director of CTA

Opening statement delivered by Michael Hailu, Director of CTA, at the Blending4Ag conference, on Monday 7 November. The Blending4Ag conference is taking place in Brussels and is focusing on the strategic use of international and national development finance and philanthropic funds to mobilise private capital flows into agricultural value chains in developing countries.

Boosting agriculture through innovative public-private lending partnerships

The growth of small-scale agriculture in developing countries is being held back by critical underfunding. Seeking to address this challenge, an international conference will explore an innovative approach to agricultural finance – the blending of private, philanthropic and public funding to leverage greater capital flows into smallholder value chains. The Blending4Ag conference will be held in Brussels on November 7-8.

Opinion articles

Will young people be attracted to the agricultural sector if access to finance is made possible?

Will young people be attracted to the agricultural sector if access to finance is made possible? Will they be willing to involve themselves in agriculture? According to Mike Njau, the answer is yes.

Improving access to finance by farmers: what can central banks do?

The common feature of African farmers is that most of them practise small-scale subsistence farming. In the last few years, however, various interest groups started focusing on agriculture as one of the key drivers of rural development and the number of commercial farmers increased. Yet, most of them are still smallholders.

Interviews

Online platform improves the livelihood of small farmers in Ghana

Michael Ocansey, a computer science specialist, and Francis Obirikorang, a chemical engineer, developed the online platform, AgroCenta, won CTA’s 2017 Pitch AgriHack initiative, which gives youth entrepreneurs an opportunity to develop their business services and accelerate the adoption of their services. In an interview with CTA, Ocansey talks about AgroCenta – which links small-scale farmers and farmer organisations in Ghana with a big online market to improve the prices they receive for their commodities.

e-Agribusiness: A vital resource for Togo’s agriculture sector

Back in March 2015, Togolese entrepreneur Edeh Dona Etchri launched the e-Agribusiness platform to connect people and organisations across the country’s agriculture sector. It has proved a vital source of information for otherwise isolated farmers and is helping to grow the sector nationwide. The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) worked with the founder to help him expand and market his business. Today, there are around 6,000 farmers across Togo using the platform.

in Spore and Spore N°187

Halatou Dem: The promising business of processing

Thirty-two-year-old Halatou Dem has been managing the Bamako-based cereal processing company Danaya Céréales for 7 years. The Malian company – with a staff of 33 – exports its processed products to Europe, the US and throughout West Africa.

in Spore

Agribusiness: An opportunity for Africa

Jean-Michel Severino, President of Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) impact fund, and former executive director of the French development agency, AFD, explains the emergence of a new category of agricultural players in Africa: agribusiness entrepreneurs, along with their successes and challenges.

in Spore

Gilbert F. Houngbo: An optimistic perspective on rural transformation

Gilbert F. Houngbo, former Prime Minister of Togo and the new President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), outlines how he intends to lead the organisation in tackling global issues such as youth migration and gender inequality in poor, rural areas.

Reviews

CTA Handbook: An ICT Agripreneurship Guide

This Handbook provides a step-by-step roadmap designed to equip aspiring ICT entrepreneurs, with the information and knowledge they need to start an ICT-based business in the agricultural sector, outlining key opportunities and challenges that will be encountered along the way. Using real-life examples, it provides strategies and pathways for averting common mistakes faced by early-stage entrepreneurs.

New directions for targeted outcomes

While reflecting on its 30-year history during its anniversary year in 2014, CTA was also busy making plans for the future. CTA's goal is to contribute to enhanced agricultural and rural development policies and inclusive value chains that promote food and nutrition security, prosperity and sustainable management of natural resources across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP).

Syndicated articles

Weather updates twice a day as apps transform farming

Every morning and afternoon, Douglas Adjei receives a phone call giving the weather forecasts at his farm in southern Ghana.

Forbes finalists impact challenge for young for-profit entrepreneurs driving positive social and environmental Impact

The Three Finalists - Chakr Innovation, Drinkwell and Farmerline - will compete live on stage at the 2017 Forbes Under 30 Summit, Oct. 2, in Boston #Under30Summit BOSTON (September 27, 2017) - Forbes announced today three finalists for its $500,000 Under 30 Impact Challenge for creative entrepreneurs, under the age of 30, [...]

UTZ and Rainforest Alliance to merge - UTZ

The Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, two of the world’s leading sustainability certification organisations, have announced on June 7, 2017 their intention to merge later this year.

Strategic discussion to strengthen agricultural cooperation between China and Nigeria

ABUJA, May 16 (Xinhua) - China and Nigeria held a strategic discussion in Abuja on Tuesday to strengthen agricultural cooperation between them.

How Digital Technology Is Changing Farming in Africa

Executive Summary The world population will reach 9.1 billion by 2050. For Africa, which is projected to be home to about 2 billion of these global citizens, farm productivity must accelerate at a faster rate than the global average to avoid continued mass hunger. Fortunately, digital technology is providing a solution.

Background articles

Aywajieune, developing online fish trading in Senegal

Aywajieune, winner of the Suguba Award for the best Senegalese start-up at Pitch AgriHack West Africa 2017, is the first platform in Senegal to connect fish sellers and buyers. Thanks to the CTA, the startup will receive support from Ernst & Young to help it develop plans for growth.

Boosting legume farming in Ghana

Despite increasing demand for soybean in Ghana, farmers are not able to make the most of increasing opportunities in the value chain as a result of poor yields. In northern Ghana, the N2Africa is helping smallholder farmers boost their yields by inoculating their seeds with rhizobium strains to increase biological nitrogen fixation. These inoculants have already boosted the yields of 1,500 farmers by 1.2 t/ha.

in Spore

Is the Internet of Things the future of farming?

In ACP countries, the use of smart ‘connected’ devices in agriculture is still at an experimental stage. Yet new projects are emerging, and global trends show how this new technology offers vital development opportunities.

in Spore and Spore N°187

Women entrepreneurs: key factors to success in agribusiness

Women around the world are overcoming barriers to establish profitable businesses in the agricultural sector. However, strong links to high-value markets, access to necessary finance and resources, and sufficient business training are essential requirements for women business leaders to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ and expand their agribusinesses to compete on an international scale.

in Spore N°186

Secondary towns – hives of activity and growth

Recognition of the importance and vitality of secondary towns is very recent. These dynamic commercial hubs provide rural areas with markets and opportunities for young people, whilst urbanisation and stronger rural-urban linkages are offering new and value added markets for farmers and entrepreneurs in fresh and processed foods.

GODAN Action webinar: Agricultural Development - Open Data and the Sustainable Development Goals

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