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 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,… +
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… +
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.… +
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… +
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… +
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… +
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,… +
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… +
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… +
As part of the AGRINFO programme, COLEAD took part in the 48th Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC48), held at FAO headquarters. This major international forum for the development and adoption of food safety standards was organised this year under the theme “Together”, highlighting the importance of broad and inclusive global participation in standard-setting processes.
The event provided COLEAD with a valuable opportunity to present its programmes and expertise to delegates from more than 100 countries, while also strengthening exchanges and identifying… +
As part of the MAHEBER programme, COLEAD continues to support the sustainable strengthening of the horticultural sector in Ethiopia through complementary actions that combine improved production practices with the structuring of sustainability approaches within companies.
In Addis Ababa, a collective face-to-face training was recently organised on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the avocado value chain, with a particular focus on an emerging pest: the Persea mite (Oligonychus perseae).
In the context of rapid expansion of avocado production for both domestic… +
COLEAD is pleased to announce the official signing, in The Gambia, of the new SPRING – Sustainable Production for Resilient and Inclusive New Generations programme, funded by the European Union. This key milestone marks the successful conclusion of an extensive stakeholder consultation process carried out in late 2024 and early 2025, whose contributions were instrumental in shaping the programme’s ambition, priorities and overall structure.
SPRING aims to strengthen the contribution of The Gambian horticultural sector to economic growth, food security… +
Implemented under project STDF/PG/593, support to the Penja pepper value chain in Cameroon aimed to sustainably strengthen the application of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) best practices. At the heart of this approach was the co-development of practical tools tailored to the needs of field actors. Guides to SPS best practices, educational brochures, practical fact sheets and structured training modules were developed and rolled out throughout the project.
Three years after the project’s official closure, the results speak for themselves. Training… +
In March 2025, COLEAD signed a new contract with the French Development Agency (AFD) under the Trade Capacity Building Programme (PRCC). The programme aims to contribute to poverty reduction and to the improvement of food security and nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa by supporting the development of a fairer, safer and more sustainable agricultural sector.
The specific objective of the PRCC is to support smallholders, farmer organisations and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in maintaining and improving their access to… +
Source : HORIZONS Magazine n°4
“With the development of value chains, many professional associations and organisations are building up experience and diversifying the services they offer to their members, in particular training and the popularisation of improved agronomic practices. COLEACP needs to take this development into account. Firstly, to make sure it does not find itself in the position of competing, despite its best intentions, by offering support that these organisations already provide to companies. Secondly, because, unlike aid programmes… +
This sector analysis, achieved through the FFM+ programme, combines technical and economic approaches to provide a comprehensive overview of opportunities and requirements on the European market. This type of sector study is designed to be directly operational for COLEAD partner-beneficiaries: producers, packhouses, processors and ingredient suppliers.
It enables quick answers to very practical questions such as: what do European buyers expect for fresh citrus?
which formats and specifications are required by juice bottlers?
how can by-products (peel, essential oils) be… +
Following the major crisis triggered in 2023 by a ginger wilt outbreak that caused production losses of up to 80% in some key producing areas of Nigeria, particularly in Kaduna State, COLEAD, through the FFM+ programme, continued and strengthened its support to the sector in 2025. This new phase builds on the initial actions implemented in 2024 and aims to restore farmers’ confidence, improve the sustainability of production systems, and enhance the competitiveness of the sector.
In partnership with CBI’s… +
Reelfruit, one of Nigeria’s leading dried fruit processors, has reached a major milestone with the establishment of a one-acre demonstration plot at its Abeokuta site. Supported by COLEAD under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) program, this plot serves as a living laboratory for best agricultural practices for mango, coconut, pineapple, and banana—four key crops for the company’s processing activities.
Affiong Williams, founder of Reelfruit, explains that this initiative addresses the critical challenge of accessing quality raw materials:
“Fruit farming… +
As Nigeria’s National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO), the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) plays a central role in safeguarding plant health, preventing the introduction of pests, and certifying agricultural products for export. To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to meet international phytosanitary requirements, COLEAD, under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) programme funded by the European Union and the OACPS, implemented two consecutive training sessions aimed at improving both the organisation and the implementation of official controls.
These activities form part of… +
In December, COLEAD organised its first face-to-face training in Tanzania on managing gender dynamics in the workplace, held in Arusha as part of the FFM+ programme. This session is fully aligned with COLEAD’s Gender Strategy and Action Plan (2024–2027), which aims to systematically mainstream gender equality across all interventions and ensure equitable benefits for women and marginalised groups within agricultural value chains.
Gender is a key lever under Result 2 of the FFM+ programme, which focuses on strengthening the capacity… +
COLEAD recently successfully concluded a strategic collective training session dedicated to market access, held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in November 2025. This face-to-face training was delivered by a COLEAD expert based in West Africa, as part of the FFM Plus programme.
The main objective of the training was to strengthen the capacities of horticultural companies and producer organisations currently operating in informal or semi-informal markets, but aiming to transition towards higher-value formal, regional and international markets.
The session primarily targeted… +
Under the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, the COLEAD continues its commitment to strengthening the capacities of agri-food SMEs and supporting their sustainable access to international markets. In 2025, the COLEAD notably supported Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands Ltd (KPSI) through a pre-audit of the National Organic Program (NOP), followed by certification support. This assistance builds on earlier engagement, in particular through the completion of the Sustainability Self-Assessment (SAS). This diagnostic highlighted numerous strong sustainability practices, while also identifying areas… +
Our online agrifood partnership sessions and series organised in collaboration with our partners PAFO, IICA, PFO, OECD and UN Women and supported among other through the FFM Plus programme have featured outstanding agrifood entrepreneurs who are transforming food systems, driving innovation, and creating sustainable impact both locally and internationally.
As part of our commitment to amplify their voices and highlight their achievements, we are thrilled to celebrate the publication of 100 business profiles.
These profiles spotlight: The entrepreneurs’ business journey… +