Eric Medji, co-founder of Othentiks, local fruit juice producer
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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After several years working in IT and CRM consulting, Eric Medji decided to embark on a new career path in 2013. Convinced of the economic and cultural potential of African raw materials, he decided to devote himself to the agri-food industry. With the support of his family – Ghislaine and Christian Medji – he founded Othentiks, a Beninese company dedicated to producing natural fruit juices from African soil. His goal is clear: to demonstrate that Africa can not only transform… +Josephine Okot: founder of Victoria Seeds, producer and distributor of high-quality seeds
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Born in northern Uganda, Josephine Okot grew up witnessing the heavy burden women carried in agriculture and the barriers they faced : limited access to education, credit, and markets. These experiences inspired her to dedicate her life to transforming the country’s agricultural sector. In 2004, she founded Victoria Seeds Limited with the ambition to provide smallholder farmers with quality seeds. After being denied loans by commercial banks, she secured financing through a USAID-backed loan guarantee. What began with five employees… +Insights from the EDFI and CSAF conferences: uniting finance and technical assistance to tackle global challenges
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
In a world marked by geopolitical upheavals, persistent economic instability, and growing pressure to finance sustainable solutions, the question of access to finance for agricultural enterprises has taken on renewed importance. The discussions held on the 2 October during the EDFI (European Development Finance Institutions) Management Company Corporate Day 2025 and on the 1-2 October at the Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF) Convening highlighted a shared conviction: development finance can only be effective when built upon a solid foundation… +Unfair trading practices in agri-food supply chains: update and outlook for non-EU suppliers
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Over the past months, COLEAD, through its programmes FFM+ and AGRINFO, has been actively contributing to ensuring fairness in global supply chains, including those in ACP countries, by addressing Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs). This news provides an update on the legislative state of play and on COLEAD’s activities related to this important issue. What are UTPs? The stark imbalances between small and large operators in the agricultural and food supply chain can lead to UTPs in business-to-business relationships where farmers… +Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale – Conference report
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Please find the report of the conference “Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale” which took place in Brussels (11-13 March 2025) financed by the European Commission under the DeSIRA initiative. To effectively contribute to desirable agrifood systems transformation in this time of poly-crisis, investments in R&I are more than ever required and need to be done in partnership. The R&I orientation for food systems transformation was discussed with a focus on innovative approaches such as agroecology,… +Integrating gender for inclusive growth – COLEAD strengthens its commitment to equality and empowerment
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
More than 150 participants joined COLEAD’s webinar “Integrating Gender for Inclusive Growth” last month, an interactive session focused on the central role of gender equality in building sustainable and resilient agri-food systems. The event, opened by COLEAD chairman Stephen Mintah and General Delegate Jeremy Knops, explored practical approaches to mainstream gender at all levels: individual, organisational, and systemic. International expert Kerry Kyd (South Africa) delivered a dynamic presentation on gender-related risks and opportunities in operations, encouraging participants to reflect on… +Digital technology serving agricultural training: COLEAD’s participation in MoodleMoot Nigeria
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Held in Abuja, MoodleMoot Nigeria brought together the African Moodle community — educators, researchers, developers, EdTech actors, and institutions — to share best practices and strengthen the quality of online education and training across the continent. The conference focused on how digital technologies and innovation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) can transform learning, foster inclusion, and build more resilient education systems. Moodlemoot Nigeria serves as a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange, aiming to: promote inclusive access to quality… +New EAT–Lancet Commission: healthy, sustainable and just food systems for the post-2030 era
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Six years after its first publication, the EAT–Lancet Commission on Healthy, Sustainable and Just Food Systems returns with a renewed vision in a world that has been profoundly transformed: geopolitical instability, soaring food prices, and the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges highlight once again that food systems lie at the heart of global balance — food security, human health, environmental sustainability, social justice, and resilience. While current systems have managed to feed the world’s population in caloric… +Learning integrated pest management: the example of the Dominican Republic
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
This training session, held in Baní (Dominican Republic), focused on “Developing a crop protection strategy centred on the mango and banana sectors.” Organised with the support of the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, the initiative aimed to strengthen local capacities in integrated pest management (IPM) and promote sustainable, competitive agricultural practices. A participatory and inclusive training The session brought together a wide range of stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including production managers, technical supervisors, exporters, agronomists, plant health and… +Supporting partner countries in achieving compliance with EU organic standards: the case of Zimbabwe
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the FFM+ programme, COLEAD recently supported the Rusitu Valley Fruit Growers and Marketing Trust (RVGMT) and the Pineapple Growers Agricultural Cooperative Society Limited (PGACSL) in aligning their Quality Management System (QMS) and Internal Control System (ICS) with the new EU Organic Regulation (EU 2018/848). This revision of the European framework introduces stricter requirements for group certification, traceability, and transparency, which are essential for maintaining access to EU organic markets. The assignment involved close collaboration with the RVGMT… +