Innovation series – Session N°2 – Grow local: Conquering local markets

Session N°2
Grow local: Conquering local markets

21 January 2021, 12h00–14h00 (GMT)

English–French interpretation available

The second session of the Pan African Farmers Organization (PAFO)-COLEACP Innovation Series will focus on ‘Grow local: Conquering local markets’.

Key points for discussion:

• In serving local markets in value-added products, what are the main challenges encountered by business and SMEs and how can innovation help them to grow?
• Are we seeing changes by consumers towards buying local products?
• What should public and private sector investment in local processing facilities and growth look like from a business perspective?
• What are the main business development skills and capacity barriers for entrepreneurs to serve local markets, and how can they be overcome?
• What are the key drivers to capture more added-value in local markets for local businesses?
• To overcome the immediate pressures created by Covid-19, what short-term emergency financing and targeted technical assistance are needed?

We have a great panel featuring successful businesses and SMEs across various value chains in added-value products serving local markets in Africa. We will also have the perspective from research, policy and finance experts.

Contributors include:

• Escipión Oliveira Gómez, Assistant Secretary-General, Dept Sustainable Economic Transformation and Trade, Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
• Jeremy Knops, General Delegate, COLEACP
• Affiong Williams, CEO, Reelfruit, Nigeria
• Catherine Krobo Edusei, Managing Director, Eden Tree Limited, Ghana
• Komi Agbokou, President and Founder, Choco Togo
• Bertille Guèdègbé Marcos, CEO, Les Jus Tillou, Benin
• Debisi Araba, Managing Director, AGRF, Kenya
• Dimitry Van Raemdonck, AgriFI Fund Manager, Belgium

Programme: https://bit.ly/3sdto8q
Registration: https://forms.gle/DWNuV4AJABsCZiZW8