Sandra McLeish (Jamaica): champion of climate-smart agrifood transformation
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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Sandra McLeish is a Jamaican entrepreneur, renewable-energy advocate, and founder of Agro Cold Storage Logistics Limited (ACSL) and Sankhard Company Limited—two women-led enterprises strengthening Jamaica’s food security and climate resilience. A farmer’s daughter from rural Jamaica, Sandra grew up witnessing the vulnerabilities of small-scale farmers, from climate shocks to weak supply chains. These experiences shaped her mission to build a more resilient, inclusive agricultural ecosystem. As CEO of ACSL, Sandra leads the national rollout of solar-powered cold-chain hubs to reduce… +Samuel Rigu (Kenya): transforming agricultural waste into high-quality organic fertilisers
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Samuel Rigu grew up in rural Kenya, where he witnessed farmers struggle with poor soils, low yields, and limited access to affordable fertilizers. Seeing his grandmother and neighbors face these challenges inspired his vision for an agricultural system that restores soil health while improving farmer livelihoods. In 2015, Samuel founded Safi Organics, a technology-driven company that converts crop waste into high-quality organic fertilizers. As CEO, he leads efforts to scale solutions that address soil degradation, an urgent challenge in Africa,… +COLEAD is called to embark on a major transformation: becoming an international movement by 2030 to accelerate the transition towards sustainable, competitive and inclusive agri-food systems
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
The COLEAD 2025 Consultative Committee met on 10 December. Held annually, it brings together the organisation’s Board of Directors, strategic partners and senior management team. This year’s meeting was dedicated to presenting the results of the participatory process to develop COLEAD’s 2030 Strategy, launched more than a year ago. The process has actively engaged all stakeholders across COLEAD’s field of action, including members, staff, programme partner beneficiaries, as well as technical and financial partners. The strategic recommendations presented were widely… +Strengthening science–business partnerships to transform agri-food systems – lessons from the AU–EU dialogues on research and innovation
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Two recent events held alongside the African Union–European Union Senior Officials Meeting within the framework of the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation (HLPD-STI) in Brussels highlighted a key challenge: the need to better connect research, innovation and economic actors in order to accelerate the sustainable transformation of agri-food systems. On 21 October 2025, an event dedicated to the role of AU–EU research and innovation strategies in shaping Africa’s food future brought together policymakers, researchers and private-sector representatives.… +Climate-resilient business models: UN Women and COLEAD’s commitment alongside women entrepreneurs
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
The collaboration between UN Women and COLEAD aims to support women entrepreneurs and business leaders from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), as well as from other regions worldwide. In this context, the South–South online series was designed and implemented through the FFM+ programme, to foster cooperation and knowledge sharing, strengthen entrepreneurial skills, improve market access and encourage networking among women leaders. The sixth session of the series, dedicated to climate-resilient business models for women entrepreneurs, took place on… +EU intends to strengthen Import Controls, new task force for efficient import controls
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of its commitment to a fairer, more competitive, and attractive EU farming sector—aligned with the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food for 2025–2029—the European Commission intends to intensify official controls on food imports from non-EU countries. The focus will be on food safety, pesticide use, and animal welfare. Already, the 2026 EU audit work programme reveals that 51% of the 159 planned agri-food chain controls will target non-EU countries exporting to the EU, against 33% in 2025. In… +New EU rules on bisphenol A and per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in food packaging: AGRINFO webinars
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
The AGRINFO programme recently organised a series of webinars to raise awareness of changes to European Union (EU) rules on Bisphenol A (BPA), other bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives, as well as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging. The webinars focused on the practical implications of these new rules for businesses and institutions in AGRINFO partner countries whose packaged products – when exported to the EU – need to comply with the EU legislation, including on food contact… +ABIM 2025: direct access to emerging biocontrol technologies and meetings with manufacturers and partners
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
COLEAD participated in the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM), held from 20 to 22 October in Basel, Switzerland. Organised by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA), ABIM is widely recognised as the leading global event for the biocontrol sector. The 2025 edition brought together 170 exhibitors and more than 2,000 participants from 65 countries, providing a unique platform to exchange on innovation, market trends and regulatory developments in sustainable agriculture. For COLEAD,… +Market dynamics in the fruit and vegetable sector: understanding the influence of supermarkets and large retailers
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Last November, COLEAD, in partnership with the OECD, organised the 11th session of the OECD–COLEAD series on the fruit and vegetable sector, focusing on market dynamics and the growing influence of supermarkets and large retailers on consumption trends and price formation. The session brought together public decision-makers, international experts and economic actors from across the sector. Launched jointly by COLEAD and the OECD, this series of sessions aims to create a structured and informed space for dialogue on the major… +Looking back at COP30 in Belém: there will be no effective climate action without transforming food systems
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
COP30, held in Belém in the Brazilian Amazon, marked a turning point by clearly placing food systems at the heart of climate negotiations. At a time of intensifying climate shocks, and with agriculture employing the majority of Africa’s workforce, African countries spoke with a strong and unified voice to highlight the urgent need to transform agricultural systems towards greater resilience, equity and sustainability. A major signal was the announcement of new financial commitments in support of smallholder farmers, who remain… +