Strengthening the financial resilience of professional organisations – Example of the UNCPM in Mali
- 15/07/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
No CommentsMali’s leading agricultural umbrella organisation, the Union Nationale des Coopératives de Planteurs et Maraîchers du Mali (UNCPM), was established in 1985 to act as a liaison between the government and horticultural producers. Consisting of 17 horticultural unions and 150 cooperatives, the UNCPM now has over 15,000 producer members nationwide. As part of its development, the UNCPM has created a strategic plan to clarify and prioritise the services offered to its members. These include promoting agroecology, providing representation and building technical… +Tomato trials in northern Nigeria: encouraging early results against heat stress and Tuta absoluta
- 15/07/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Between February and July 2025, COLEAD conducted field trials in four major tomato production zones in Kano State, Nigeria, as part of the FFM+ programme. COLEAD collaborated with Bayero University Kano (BUK) and the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) on this project. The aim of this research was to identify integrated solutions to two major challenges: heat stress, which is exacerbated by climate change, and infestations of Tuta absoluta, a highly destructive pest. Solutions tested in the field: The teams… +Research & innovation: new guides for sustainable production available in our e-library
- 15/07/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
The Research and Innovation Brokerage Department (R&I) at COLEAD plays a key role in identifying, consolidating and disseminating technical knowledge for the benefit of agri-food sectors. In collaboration with the Information and Communication Department, it develops practical tools to support stakeholders in the sector towards more sustainable and competitive practices. In this context, these two departments work together to continuously review, update and enrich our technical guides so that they best meet the specific needs of value chains. The latest… +A new version of Agrinnovators.org is now available, providing a global hub for entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector
- 15/07/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
COLEAD is pleased to announce the new version of Agrinnovators.org. This new version has been developed as part of the FFM+ programme, in collaboration with PAFO, the OECD, IICA, PFO and UN Women. While the platform was previously focused mainly on African entrepreneurs, it is now open to all regions of the world, strengthening our commitment to South-South cooperation and knowledge sharing. Agrinnovators.org is a dynamic platform that connects entrepreneurs, companies, and experts to accelerate the development of sustainable solutions… +Gender: COLEAD trains its experts to fully integrate gender into their training programmes
- 15/07/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the Fit For Market Plus programme, COLEAD has just launched a new training course for trainers dedicated to ‘Strengthening facilitation and communication skills for gender mainstreaming in the agri-food sector’. This five-week programme brings together 16 carefully selected experts, supported by two educational and two technical experts. The course is directly aligned with the practical implementation of COLEAD’s Gender Strategy, which aims to embed gender equality at the heart of sustainable agri-food value chains. The objective is… +‘Voices from the Earth’: the latest news on the global poetry and song contest dedicated to women farmers this year
- 15/07/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
To celebrate the United Nations’ International Year of Women and Girls in Agriculture in 2026, COLEAD has launched ‘Voices from the Earth’, a global poetry and song contest that highlights the vital contribution of women farmers to food security and sustainable development. The theme for 2025/26 is ‘Women farmers are cultivating sustainable futures’, reflecting the priorities of the United Nations and COLEAD’s mission. Latest news: Djaïli Amadou Amal, a Cameroonian writer and patron of the first edition of the competition,… +Join the COLEAD 2030 movement. Your voice matters! 👉 2030@colead.link
- 06/05/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
For over 50 years, COLEAD has been working to strengthen sustainable, inclusive and competitive agricultural systems. In 2025, we open a new chapter in our collective history: the development of our COLEAD 2030 strategy. This process will not take place in isolation. On the contrary, it is based on a strong conviction: COLEAD’s future and the future impact of its action will be built with those who bring it to life – team, members, partners, partner-beneficiaries, institutions, practitioners, donors, experts,… +Chigozie Bashua: entrepreneur at the forefront of nut-based nutritional solutions for a thriving Africa
- 06/05/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Chigozie Bashua is the founder and CEO of The Nut Place, a Nigerian food tech company redefining how indigenous nuts can address health challenges, food insecurity, and gender inequality. With over 14 years of experience in information technology and business strategy, and a degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Chigozie has made a remarkable transition from tech to agribusiness, blending analytical expertise with a strong commitment to healthy living, local sourcing, and sustainable impact. From engineer to food… +FFM+ programme after three years: results illustrate horticulture’s progress towards a more sustainable ecosystem in OACPS member countries
- 06/05/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
In the face of a series of health, climate, economic and geopolitical crises, the resilience of the horticulture sector in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries is a strategic priority. The Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD with funding from the European Union and the OACPS, has been a driving force for change for three years, combining technical support, systemic action and innovation in the field. Designed from the outset to respond to post-COVID disruptions, FFM+ has… +Supporting the agro-ecological transition. The example of Guinea in the pineapple, vegetable and potato value chains.
- 06/05/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
In December 2024, COLEAD signed a new contract with ENABEL, the Belgian development agency, to contribute to the implementation of Intervention 1 of the project “Strengthening the resilience of the Guinean population to climate, food and economic shocks through sustainable agricultural development”. In partnership with ICRA, COLEAD is implementing a specific action entitled ‘Supporting the agro-ecological transition of the pineapple, potato and vegetable value chains in Guinea’. The aim of this action is to promote the adoption of concrete agro-ecological… +