AgDevCo

AgDevCo recently hosted its 10th Ag-Week – an opportunity for staff to meet and learn from agriculture experts from different sectors and to visit companies that operate in Africa or have links with African businesses. For the first time, the event took place outside Africa, in The Netherlands, a country with one of the largest and technologically advanced agricultural sectors in the world. It is also a key market for many of AgDevCo’s investees. 

This blog highlights the key takeaways from the Conference Day, which included four external speakers.  

Photo credit - Philemon Sithole

Because of climate change, farmers face new and rising pest pressures. Bans on dangerous active ingredients threaten the use of some chemicals, and the efficacy of other chemicals is decreasing. Although the transition towards Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices involves a higher initial cost, IPM systems are typically more efficient than conventional systems in the long term, as they provide farmers with more tools to manage a wide variety of situations. Sébastien Dekeister highlighted how Koppert, a market leader for bio solutions, continues to play a critical part in the shift towards bioproducts. Koppert conducts trials in local contexts to test and introduce biocontrol products to growers in African countries. 

Herman Verveld from HZPC, the global leader in potato breeding, explained that African potato production is expected to double due to demand from a growing population. High-yielding potato varieties adapted to local agroecologies and improved potato production support systems are needed to enhance food security by improving yields and reducing losses. A big constraint faced by potato farmers today is that the seed potato tubers (a living product) must be planted within 2-3 months, without controlled environment storage facilities. The solution to these problems is Hybrid True Potato Seeds (HTPS). Seeds instead of tubers, which can be stored for a long time under milder circumstances, are easier to handle and transport. This increases accessibility for a wider group of smallholder farmers, which cannot be reached with seed potato tubers. HZPC seeks to be part of the solution and aims to introduce its first true hybrid potato seed varieties in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia from 2027 onwards. 

Thomas Vaassen from Meridia, a specialist in field data solutions in smallholder supplied agri-commodity value chains, discussed the problems that the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is seeking to tackle. Specifically, that supply chains remain insufficiently traceable, with data lacking integrity, consistency, and plausibility. EUDR requirements bring compliance risks which can result in penalties and reputational damage, as well as supply chain disruptions. To manage these risks and do the additional necessary due diligence, companies, traders, and cooperatives need to enhance their data management systems. Meridia Verify is a tool that provides agribusinesses with access to real-time data verification and compliance validation, serving as a pre-audit and providing traders with a green light for EUDR. 

Elenoor van Es from Anthesis discussed the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), which aims to help companies disclose climate-related risks and opportunities. The TCFD framework has been incorporated in the IFRS S1 and S2 standards, which means that they are rapidly becoming part of the mandatory regulatory framework in many jurisdictions. Data availability and quality remain one of the biggest challenges of TCFD reporting. Addressing these challenges is critical for companies to effectively manage climate risks and opportunities. 

The presentations highlighted the importance of taking nature systems into account to make agricultural production more resilient to climate change. The Ag-Week Conference Day was attended by 35 delegates, including representatives of external companies as well as AgDevCo staff members. After the day of presentations, the delegates gathered for a Networking Event.