Jovia Kisaakye (Uganda) : Turning waste into value for farmers and communities
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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Jovia Kisaakye is the Founder and CEO of Ecobed Biotech, a Ugandan biotechnology enterprise transforming agricultural and food waste into practical, market-driven solutions. Her work focuses on addressing everyday challenges faced by farmers while creating new value from under-utilised resources. At Ecobed Biotech, spoilt milk is converted into a powerful and effective organic mosquito repellent skincare lotion and creams that offer 12-hour long protection against mosquito bites. In parallel, the company transforms everyday food waste into organic fertilizers and animal… +Gordon Shallow (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines): from science to entrepreneurship, cultivating sustainable solutions for caribbean agriculture
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Gordon Shallow is a phytopathologist and entrepreneur from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, whose work combines scientific expertise with practical solutions to strengthen food security and sustainable agriculture. With over fifteen years in plant health and soil science, his career reflects both dedication and innovation in addressing real challenges faced by farmers. Gordon’s interest in agriculture began in secondary school through Agricultural Science, where he was recognised by the Caribbean Examinations Council for his outstanding application of crop and animal… +Engaging with CSAF investors: understanding fruit and vegetable value chains through the example of avocado in East Africa
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
On 26 March 2026, COLEAD organised, under the FFM+ programme, a 1.5-hour technical webinar in collaboration with the Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF), the leading network of impact investors financing agri-SMEs. Entitled “demystifying fruit & vegetable value chains for impact investors”, the session used the avocado value chain in East Africa to provide a concrete illustration of sector realities. The objective was to explain the specific risks associated with fruit and vegetable value chains, translate technical challenges into investment-relevant… +Structuring and strengthening a supply chain with outgrowers: example of support to Smart foods in Grenada
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the COLEAD Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, technical assistance was recently provided to SMART FOODS Caribbean to design and initiate the implementation of a structured support programme for its supplying farmers in Grenada. The intervention aimed to develop a comprehensive and practical operational framework enabling the company to secure a reliable supply of high-quality raw materials, while building sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships with local producers. It resulted in the development of a full set of… +Strengthening Thanthwe farms’ marketing positioning (Malawi): targeted support to drive strategic growth
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of its continued support to agribusinesses, COLEAD, through the FFM+ programme, provided follow-up technical assistance to Thanthwe Farms Ltd (Malawi), building on a previous intervention focused on market intelligence and strategic guidance. In 2025, the initial phase identified key areas for improvement to enhance the company’s competitiveness in national, regional and international markets. Priorities included strengthening brand positioning, improving marketing visibility, and developing more structured commercial tools, particularly for regional markets such as South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique.… +Collecting and structuring data to meet sustainability reporting requirements: the example of LECOFRUIT in Madagascar
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the Fit for Market Plus programme, post-training support was provided to the Malagasy company LECOFRUIT, following the collective training “optimising data collection and management to strengthen organisational performance”. This support aimed to help translate training outcomes into practice by strengthening the company’s data collection, management and analysis systems. The objective was to better structure internal information, particularly to meet growing sustainability and reporting requirements (GRI, EcoVadis). A structured and collaborative approach The mission followed a progressive approach… +Strengthening dialogue with African embassies on EU regulations: highlighting upcoming challenges for agri-food exports
- 25/03/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the AGRINFO programme, COLEAD organised a dynamic exchange with African embassies in Brussels on 17 March 2026 on key regulatory issues affecting the agri-food trade “Update on Key EU Regulations for African Agri-food Exports”. AGRINFO aims to support low- and middle-income countries, in anticipating and preparing for all changes to EU rules. The event, bringing together 12 African embassies, gave in-depth insights into policy areas such as pesticide residues, mineral oil hydrocarbons, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence… +CPM-20 in Rome: contributing to global phytosanitary discussions
- 25/03/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
From 9 to 13 March 2026, COLEAD participated in the 20th Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), held at FAO headquarters in Rome. The event brought together the global phytosanitary community to discuss plant health, international standards, innovation, and safe trade. On 10 March, during the poster session, Thomas Lopes presented research carried out by COLEAD’s Research & Innovation Brokerage team on hot water phytosanitary treatment for controlling fruit flies in West African mango exports. This contribution is… +Launch of a new MOOC dedicated to helping agri-entrepreneurs adapt to climate change
- 25/03/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
In March, the COLEAD Training Department launched a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) entitled “agri-entrepreneurs facing climate change: innovating, adapting, financing solutions.” This initiative reflects COLEAD’s commitment to strengthening the capacities of agri-food stakeholders in response to the growing challenges posed by climate change. Developed under the FFM+ programme, this course offers a practical perspective on how climate change affects agricultural businesses, with a focus on solutions that enable innovation, adaptation, and enhanced resilience of agri-food systems. It is… +Looking back at fruit logistica 2026: key trends in sustainability, innovation and market opportunities
- 25/03/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
The COLEAD took part last February in the international trade fair Fruit Logistica as part of its FFM+ and AGRINFO programmes. At Fruit Logistica 2026, several structuring trends emerged, confirming the ongoing transformation of the fruit and vegetable sector. Sustainability, logistics, technological innovation and market dynamics are shaping current priorities. Sustainability remains central but is shifting towards concrete implementation. Stakeholders highlighted the complexity of existing frameworks and the need for clearer standards capable of demonstrating tangible results, particularly in terms… +