Mark Kofi Fynn is CAADP Advisor Agribusiness, at the African Union Commission (AUC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mark joined the AUC in June 2015, on secondment from GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation). Before joining the AUC, he worked as a seconded Agricultural Policy Advisor at the Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture, from 2006 to 2015. Prior to this, Mark also worked as a Sustainable Development Officer for the East Midlands Regional Assembly in Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
Mark's areas of specialization, built over a period of about 16 years, include agricultural policy and value chain development, agricultural finance, and the nexus between agriculture and climate change. He holds a BSc in Agriculture with specialization in Economics, an MBA in Finance (with a focus on agricultural finance) from the University of Ghana, and an MSc in Environmental Change and Management (with Economics) from the University of Oxford, UK.
Mr. Mark Kofi Fynn
@John: Thank you for raising the important issue of involvement of local community actors for successful implementation of agri-PPPs
@Joy: A shared understanding among partners in agri-PPPs - of objectives, roles and outcomes - is indeed key
@Jean: Yes, a key objective of agri-PPPs could be to incentivise and/or create the environment for private actors to invest, make profit and contribute to development outcomes.
@Leon: Yes, the importantce of having the right policy, regulatory, and institutional environment for effective implementation of agri-PPPs cannot be overemphasized. I also share the view that even if the very poor are not targeted by agri-PPPs, there are indirect benefits they could accrue to them.
Mr. Mark Kofi Fynn
@Noel: Thank you. Prioritizing key value chains and addressing cross-cutting infrastructural issues are indeed critical, and are emphasized in the 2014 Malabo Declaration as well.
Mr. Mark Kofi Fynn
Thank you for the interesting and insightful comments so far.
@ Emile: Thank you for highlighting the importance of improving the investment climate in a country as one of the key reforms necessary to promote agri-PPPs. On the point about protecting smallholders and sharing risks fairly, you indicate that the focus should be on getting farmers organized. Beyond strenghening farmers organizations/groups, are there other measures that could protect the interest of smallholders as partners in agri-PPPs?
@Olabisi: Thank you for underscoring the importance of having clearly defined roles and responbilities for the different partners in an agri-PPP. Perhaps, you could share a bit more about the Nigerian e-wallet fertilizer programme that you referred to.
@Getaneh: I think you bring an intesrting dimension of agri-PPPs as an instrument for financial inclusion/enhanced access to finance by the rural poor. Would you have specifc examples on this to share?
@Jessica: Great insights - having clear criteria of engagement; respecting local culture and development needs; tailoring institutional arrangements for specifc projects; having clear objectives and indicators, etc - all very pertinent considerations for effective design and implementation of agri-PPPs. On the point about considering a wide range of investors, as part of the policy reforms that may be needed, could you elaborate a bit more?
@Yves: Mobilization/organization of producers; collective action, long-term capacity development, etc, are indeed key considerations to be made in the design and implementation of effective agri-PPPs. Thank you
@Tozie: I like the regional dimension of agri-PPPs that you bring into the discussion. The gains from economies of scale, especially in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), are quite obvious. Would you have an example on such regional agri-PPPs to share?
Let's have more insights on the topic as we conclude this consultations on 19th June!