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… +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… +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… +Market access for fresh citrus, juice, essential oils and peel valorisation – new sector study now available
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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… +Strengthening the resilience of the ginger value chain in Nigeria: the strength of a structured partnership between public and private actors
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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… +Pilot plot, fruit value chain: how a living laboratory is transforming agricultural practices in Nigeria
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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… +Nigeria: strengthening the SPS quality management system through capacity development of the national plant protection organisation (NAQS)
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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… +Tanzania: integrating the management of gender dynamics at the heart of horticultural companies
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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… +