Press release
March 28, 2018
1
The Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), together with the Africa Rice Center
(AfricaRice) and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, has
launched a new project that will foster youth entrepreneurship, strengthen
market ties, and enhance livelihoods in the rice sectors of Mali and Senegal.
In addition to 1,000 new jobs
targeted, the project aims to increase revenues for up to 2,500 smallholder
farmers in its two-year lifetime. More than 15,000 rural youth will be targeted
via ICT channels with information on opportunities for entrepreneurship in the
sector.
The project, titled EMPRICE
(Promoting youth entrepreneurship and job creation in the West African rice value
chain), was launched today in Bamako, Mali.
“The targeting of young
entrepreneurs and the institutions that support them is a strategic focus for
CTA. This new project is one example of where we are giving entrepreneurs
opportunities to leverage access to finance and markets; showcase best
practices and innovative business models; and create pathways to the creation
of job opportunities,” said Michael Hailu, CTA Director.
Youth employment remains a
critical concern and priority for West African governments. The project will
capitalise on a dynamic workforce to drive innovation and boost the rice sector
which constitutes the largest supplier of calories in the region.
According to Simon Winter,
Executive Director of the Syngenta Foundation, “The entrepreneurial dynamism of
young people is driving local level innovations to enhance the lives of
smallholder farmers. EMPRICE will support young innovators to design successful
business strategies and bring greater efficiencies to the critical rice value
chain.”
Increasing rice production and
upgrading the rice value chain will reduce reliance on imports, increase food
security, reduce urban migration and give more of the regions’ youth valuable
employment opportunities.
An example of the challenges
faced by small-scale farmers is in accessing seed of recently released,
high-yielding, climate-smart varieties, as well as agricultural machinery for
cultivation, harvest and post-harvest operations.
“The Rice Market is now becoming
a very important one in Africa. A project such as EMPRICE creates opportunities
for rural youths through ICTs and digitalization to exploit this lucrative and
attractive market for entrepreneurship creation and youth employment,” stated
Harold Roy-Macauley, AfricaRice Director General.
For more
information or to request an interview contact:
- Toby Johnson, Team Leader Communications,
CTA, +31 (0) 6 10 88 50 80, johnson@cta.int
- Savitri Mohapatra, Head of Marketing &
Communications, AfricaRice, S.Mohapatra@cgiar.org
- Alassane Aw, Syngenta Foundation, alassane.aw@syngenta.com
About CTA
The Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint international institution
of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European
Union (EU). Its mission is to advance food security, resilience and inclusive
economic growth in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific through innovations in
sustainable agriculture. CTA operates under the framework of the Cotonou
Agreement and is funded by the EU. For more information on CTA, visit www.cta.int.
About AfricaRice
AfricaRice is a CGIAR Research
Center – part of a global research partnership for a food-secure future. It is
also an intergovernmental association of African member countries. It has been
mandated to support its member countries in developing the rice sector through
research, development and partnership activities. The Center was created in
1971 by 11 African countries. Today its membership comprises 26 countries,
covering West, Central, East and North African regions. AfricaRice headquarters
is based in Côte d’Ivoire. Staff members are located in Côte d’Ivoire as well
as in AfricaRice research stations in Benin, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria and
Senegal. For more information on AfricaRice, visit www.AfricaRice.org.
About Syngenta Foundation
The Syngenta Foundation focuses
on productivity and the inclusion of farmers in remunerative value chains. The
focus is on ‘pre-commercial’ farmers, often in semi-arid areas, who display
potential for agricultural growth. The aim is to help small farmers become more
professional growers. It is done by extending science-based know-how,
facilitating access to quality inputs, and linking smallholders to markets in
profitable ways The Foundation runs projects in Africa and Asia, and
contributes to the agricultural policy debate worldwide. It works with a wide
range of partners operationally and in thought leadership. The Foundation
engages, for example, the public sector, international organizations, think
tanks, the private sector, other foundations, social entrepreneurs, and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). As well as establishing pilot projects, the Foundation
also puts major emphasis on successful scale-up. For more information on the
Syngenta Foundation, visit www.syngentafoundation.org.
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