Sustainable Investments in Agriculture - Registration of Interest

Overview

The Sustainable Investments in Agriculture (SIA) programme is results oriented, and is designed to equip participants with the practical skills required to support responsible and sustainable agricultural investments. It is designed for executives in the public and private sectors, who are ready to make significant investments into the sector or are currently managing huge agricultural projects.

Background

There remains a mismatch between the nutritional needs of Africa’s ever growing population, the vast opportunities available in the agricultural sector and our capability to leverage on them. Poor resource management, high costs of production, poor farming techniques and low budgetary allocations have continued to slow the growth of the agricultural sector. In order for us to unleash the potential of agriculture to provide solutions to the fundamental challenges of food insecurity and poverty, we must be ready to develop innovative solutions and increase the levels of investments into the sector.

As opportunities in the sector become increasingly attractive, private and public sector players need to become innovative in providing sustainable solutions, understand the legal and fiscal frameworks needed to support significant investments into the sector, and leverage on the advantages of collaborative partnerships such as shared expertise, pooling of resources and risk mitigation. Well-structured and managed agricultural projects have the potential to generate benefits to the individual, to the communities and to the regions, which can only be achieved through a significant investment of resources.

For Who?

This programme is designed for investors from both the public and private sectors who are keen on acquiring the skills and knowledge to enable them to manage and implement huge agricultural investments.

It is ideal for individual and corporate investors, farmer organizations and cooperatives, county executives and public sector officials, financiers, research institutes, NGOs and multinational corporations.

Key Benefits

Attending this programme will:

• Expose you to the most advanced agricultural working methods and to the investment opportunities that exist in the sector, and equip you with the necessary skills and tools to exploit them;
• Give you a better understanding of the dynamics of agricultural investments;
• Equip you with practical skills to manage resources and drive you to develop and implement actionable plans over the next year;
• Provide you with an opportunity to engage in rich dialogue with other key decision makers, local and international industry experts.

Areas of Focus

Areas of focus include:

• An introduction to sustainable agricultural investment
• Value chain analysis – dairy, fruits & horticulture, cereals &pulses and meats value chains
• Agricultural investment opportunities and the implications for sustainable development
• Planning and management of agricultural projects
• Developing robust legal and fiscal frameworks for agricultural projects
• Managing conflicts: focus on land rights and tenure security
• Financial modelling and financial management
• Understanding and negotiation of equitable investment contracts
• Monitoring and evaluation of agricultural investments
• Managing resources and environmental and social impacts
• Strategic planning and development of SMART Action Plans

Israel Farms to Visit

Farms to visit in Israel include:

• Commercial apiary
• Commercial dairy farms
• Mechanised horticultural farms
• Improved seed factory
• Greenhouse technologies
• Israel – Kenya export linkages office
• Mechanized poultry farms
• Commercial beef farms
• Post harvest management
• Water irrigation systems

Programme Delivery

Module I will be delivered through a series of highly interactive classroom sessions, facilitated by experts within the sector and highly qualified faculty.

Module II will involve a 5 day intensive exploratory tour of Israel, a major exporter of fresh produce and a world leader in agricultural technologies. It will involve study tours to a variety of well-established farms in Israel and participation in key lectures in established agricultural universities.

Costs

Module I and II : USD 4500

• 3 day class work sessions at SBS;
• Meals and refreshments at SBS for the 3 days;
• Return flights to Israel and return airport transfers;
• Visas for participants;
• Series of lectures in Agricultural Universities in Israel;
• 6 nights’ accommodation on half board basis; (Dinner and breakfast)
• Transportation to and from tour sites;
• Travel Insurance;
• All taxes for included services

* Excludes: Any other costs not included above

Contact

For more information on the programme, write to Mercy on agribusiness@strathmore.edu or mkendi@strathmore.edu or call +254 (0) 723 362 319 for more information.