Empowering women entrepreneurs: successful launch of the South-South online series. On 19 February 2025, COLEAD and UN Women launched their initiative dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP)
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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On 19 February 2025, COLEAD and UN Women launched the first session of the South-South Online Series, an initiative dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs in Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific (ACP) and beyond. Designed to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, skills development and market access, the series provides a dynamic platform for business leaders to connect and progress. This series is created and organised as part of the Fit For Market Plus programme. A promising start: strong participation and significant impact… +Jeanette Marcelle inspires us—And you?
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Handmade by Jeanette transforms Trinidad and Tobago’s culinary traditions into sustainable opportunities. In Trinidad and Tobago’s agri-food landscape, Jeanette Marcelle, also known as Chef Marcelle, stands out as a visionary and dedicated entrepreneur. As the founder and CEO of Handmade by Jeanette, she embodies resilience, innovation, and social impact through her brand, which promotes healthy, sustainable, and locally rooted food products. From culinary passion to purpose-driven entrepreneurship Jeanette Marcelle’s journey is anything but conventional. Initially pursuing a career in early… +Khalifa Thiam inspires us and you?
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Founder of JOULEU in Senegal, a producer and distributor with a strong social impact on young people. In the world of African agribusiness, some players are pioneers in combining innovation, sustainability and social commitment. Khalifa Thiam, founder of JOULEU, embodies this ambition. Through his company, he is working towards a more resilient, inclusive and connected agriculture, responding to the challenges of market access, sustainable production and modernisation of the horticulture sector in Senegal and the sub-region. JOULEU: A link between… +Innovation – Reducing diseases, improving soil health and nutrient management through the integration of indigenous vegetables intercropped with tomatoes and cabbage
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Research trial demonstration day at GART (Zambia) On 10 January 2025, the Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART) successfully hosted a Research Trial Demonstration Day at its research farm in Chisamba, Zambia. The event showcased the progress of trials conducted under COLEAD’s Fit For Market Plus programme in partnership with GART. The primary objective of this research is to explore the potential benefits of integrating underutilised crops, such as Cleome and Amaranthus, into established tomato and cabbage production systems. These… +Digital innovation in collaboration with the Ugandan Avocado Association. Scientific article published by COLEAD
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
A recent scientific article highlights the results of a digital technology pilot project carried out in collaboration with the Uganda Avocado Association. This project, funded by the FFM+ programme, aims to support the development of the Hass avocado sector in Uganda and more broadly in the East African region. This publication represents a significant step forward in the promotion and dissemination of knowledge on sustainable agriculture. Read the full article: Characterising avocado production systems for Ugandan exports: the need for… +Digital technology to empower trainers: BigBlueButton provides an optimised environment for online teaching
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Unprecedented series of e-meetings: more than 100 experts already on board in January 2025 The COLEAD Training Department has embarked on a major transformation in 2025 with the launch of a series of innovative information sessions, available in English and French. These sessions aim to strengthen the skills of trainers by providing them with concrete tools to enrich their teaching practice and to fully exploit the potential of digital technology in distance learning. The first session, dedicated to BigBlueButton, marked… +Conference: Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Be ready to participate in the conference ‘Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale’, which will be held in Brussels, Belgium, on March 11, 12, and 13, 2025. The aims of the conference are (i) to share results and lessons on the contribution of R&I projects to agrifood systems transitions, (ii) to identify key enablers and hurdles to achieve impact at scale through innovation, (iii) explore future contributions of R&I for agrifood systems transitions, innovation systems and… +Sustainable agricultural practices in Zimbabwe: the case of Greenstone Foods and Mdusoutpost
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of a mission to strengthen sustainable agricultural practices in Zimbabwe, Greenstone Foods and Mdusoutpost have received targeted technical support to implement GLOBALG.A.P. standards through the FFM+ programme. This post-training support enables them to structure their activities with a view to certification and access to international markets. Mdusoutpost: laying the foundations for future exports Mdusoutpost is a farm specialising in the production of tomatoes, onions and cabbages. Looking to enter the UK and EU markets with snow peas and… +Empowering women entrepreneurs – example through coaching of 4 micro-enterprises in Casamance, Sénégal
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
COLEAD is supporting four women-led micro-enterprises in Casamance, Sénégal, as part of the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) programme. This initiative illustrates COLEAD’s commitment to the economic empowerment of women in the agricultural sector. Concrete support for better financial management Between October and November 2024, a coaching mission was carried out to help these businesses apply the knowledge acquired during the “Accounting and Financial Management” training in December 2023. This support enabled the entrepreneurs to assess the profitability of their… +Access to finance: COLEAD offers resources tailored to the context and needs of agri-MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises)
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Stay tuned in 2025 for in-depth and useful knowledge to understand access to finance and how to actually get it Access to finance remains one of the biggest challenges for micro, small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While the sector accounts for nearly 49% of employment and 17% of GDP, the lack of adequate finance hinders productivity, rural development and food security. Yet agricultural MSMEs play a driving role in economic growth and poverty reduction.… +