Sustainable Agriculture for a Food-Secure Future in Africa
Agripreneurs build, organize, and manage their businesses with a focus on the agriculture sector. As agriculture forms a large portion of many African countries’ GDP, agripreneurship is emerging as a fast-growing field. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), agripreneurs are key drivers of sustainable food supply management in Africa, playing a crucial role in tackling food insecurity across the continent.
Africa continues to face significant challenges in food security due to climate change, conflict, and global health issues. According to the World Hunger Index, over 20% of Africans experience chronic hunger, compared with 10% globally. Agripreneurs like 2023 Fellowship Alumni Elie Dipama and Temangweni Zane are leading the charge to combat this crisis by using smart and sustainable agricultural practices in their communities.
Promoting Smart Agriculture in Burkina Faso
2023 Fellowship Alumnus Elie Dipama co-founded Green Field Consortium, leading a passionate team dedicated to transforming Burkina Faso’s agricultural landscape to combat food insecurity and improve livelihoods. Green Field Consortium strives to promote innovative and sustainable agriculture and make healthy agricultural products accessible. They work with small farmers and agripreneurs by providing consultancy for creating and managing agricultural and agri-food businesses, trading of agricultural and agri-food products, and training and support.
His Leadership in Business Institute at Purdue University – one of the leading universities in agriculture – enabled him to get a feel for the realities of the field. Visits to the University’s research centers and networking with other young entrepreneurs reinforced his belief that a motivated leader can excel and make a difference in people’s lives.
Looking forward, he plans to train internally displaced persons in production systems to guarantee nutrition and a source of income. He is currently developing a platform called “Koob Assist,” which will provide remote support to young people wishing to begin farming using sustainable production systems. The platform will offer real-time agricultural insights, market trends, weather forecasts, and tailored recommendations for farm management in the most spoken local languages. With it, farmers will gain access to valuable knowledge, leading to increased productivity and sustainable practices.
Tackling Food Insecurity One Seedling at a Time
2023 Fellowship Alumna Temangweni Zane is working to fight food insecurity in Eswatini as the founder of Agrolife Nursery. Temangweni conducted market research into the causes of food insecurity and found that an insufficient and inconsistent supply of vegetable seedlings causes a reduction in vegetable production and an increase in vegetable imports. Although agriculture is considered the backbone of Eswatini’s economy, she discovered that the country imported $900,000 worth of vegetables in 2021. To address this issue, Agrolife Nursery implemented the use of hybrid seeds and proper management practices to produce high-quality seedlings. These seedlings lead to consistent vegetable production and reduce import dependency in Eswatini.
The company further equips youth and aspiring farmers with basic farming and business management skills. Moreover, Agrolife Nursery collaborates with non-profit organizations to donate seedlings to people in need to ensure that everyone in the community has access to food.
The Fellowship gave Temangweni the opportunity and means to make significant changes in her field. During her Fellowship, she visited GrowLocal Sharing Gardens, a network of gardeners across Lafayette, Indiana, devoted to building, nourishing, and nurturing communities through the growth of urban gardens. She looks forward to replicating this concept in Eswatini to improve the quality of life in her community. Access to food is a basic human need, and her goal as an agripreneur is to ensure that no one in Eswatini is deprived of that right.
Both Elie and Temangweni gained lessons and experiences from their Fellowship to drive sustainable agriculture and empower their communities to combat food insecurity. Their innovative efforts demonstrate the vital role agripreneurship plays in creating a resilient and food-secure future.
Written by Caroline Pratt.
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