COVID-19 and investments in agriculture: Challenges and opportunities for transforming food systems in Africa
02/07/2020

Date: 2 Jul 2020, 10:30 11:45 (CEST Time)
Funding and investments opportunities for agrifood SMEs are scarce in Africa, due to the perceived risks of the agricultural sector, coupled with the lack of capacity of financial institutions and private investors to assess profitable business opportunities within agribusiness markets.
The new pandemic threat from COVID-19 is making these challenges even more pronounced and financial markets are likely to further decrease confidence and limit credit opportunities for agri-food SMEs. In addition, disruptions to the MFI sector could lead to reduce food security through damaging economic resilience in the short to medium term; decrease agricultural output in the upcoming production seasons; and lower the potential for microfinance to support economic growth. The pandemic imposes the agri-food industry to rethink its modus operandi, creating opportunities for private investments to pursue a transformation of food systems towards an economic, social and environmental sustainability.
The webinar is intended to serve as a roundtable among different actors from the supply and demand side for financial services, who will interact and mutually share their perceived bottlenecks, experiences and innovative practices to cope, respond and react to the pandemic.
Speakers:
- Massimo Pera, Agribusiness Officer, SP4 (moderator)
- Rod Bassett, Director, Agriculture & Dairy - United Green, UK
- Vincent Marangu, Director Co-operatives Banking Division - Co-operative Bank, Kenya
- Margaret Komen, Director, MACE Foods Ltd, Kenya
- Lade Araba, Managing Director, Africa – Convergence
Join via Zoom here
Meeting ID: 961 9914 3677
Password: 651560
Date: 2 Jul 2020, 10:30 11:45 (CEST TIME)
For more information contact [email protected]
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