Heifer International’s Africa Head Calls for Collaborative Innovation and Funding to Strengthen Food Systems at World Food Forum

By The Inspirer.

ROME, October 18, 2024 — Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President for Africa Programs at Heifer International, made a strong appeal at the World Food Forum in Rome for global leaders, innovators, and the private sector to prioritize innovation, collaborative funding, and partnerships in developing resilient and inclusive food systems across Africa.

Speaking on the panel ‘From Start-Up to Scale: Pathways to Zero Hunger,’ Ms. Ifedi emphasized that coordinated efforts among development organizations, innovators, and financial backers are essential to scaling solutions that address Africa’s agricultural challenges and unlock its potential. The forum, organized by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), gathered global agrifood stakeholders under the theme ‘Good Food for All, for Today and Tomorrow’ from October 14-18.

Drawing on Heifer International’s extensive experience with smallholder farmers, Ms. Ifedi highlighted the organization’s role in promoting sustainable agriculture for over 80 years globally and 50 years in Africa. “We’ve become innovation brokers,” she said, explaining Heifer’s approach of introducing, refining, and scaling solutions in resource-limited areas. “This model helps communities adapt innovations through feedback, which allows us to refine and grow impactful solutions.”

Ms. Ifedi underscored the need for a connected ecosystem to foster impactful, scalable innovations in agriculture. “We cannot innovate in silos. The entire ecosystem needs to connect,” she explained. “Collaboration is key, especially in environments where resources are limited, to leverage individual strengths and bridge gaps in knowledge, funding, and technology.”

She further highlighted a gap between local and global innovators, noting that while local innovators understand their contexts well, they may lack the technological resources necessary for larger-scale impact. Conversely, global innovators often have advanced technical knowledge but lack local insight. Effective agricultural innovation, she argued, depends on uniting these complementary perspectives.

Ms. Ifedi also stressed the importance of adaptive, cooperative funding models to support agricultural innovation. She cited Heifer’s partnership with agritech start-up Hello Tractor, a past winner of Heifer’s Agriculture, Youth, and Technology (AYuTe) Africa NextGen competition, as an example. Through catalytic financing from Heifer, Hello Tractor has attracted significant commercial capital, allowing it to scale mechanization services for farmers across Africa. “Catalytic investment fills gaps where commercial capital doesn’t reach, especially in the last mile,” she added.

The AYuTe Africa NextGen initiative, launched in 2021, identifies and supports young African entrepreneurs focused on agritech solutions. Each year, the AYuTe Africa Challenge awards grants and provides mentorship to top innovators tackling smallholder farmers’ unique challenges.

Expressing appreciation for FAO’s role in promoting cooperation in the agricultural sector, Ms. Ifedi concluded, “We hope to see a more collaborative ecosystem where stakeholders leverage each other’s knowledge and expertise as we work toward agricultural transformation.”

Since its founding in 1944, Heifer International has worked with over 46 million people worldwide to end hunger and poverty sustainably. Operating in 19 countries, including several across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, Heifer focuses on building resilient local economies and securing livelihoods for smallholder farmers and food producers.