Agribusiness

Our Programmes

Agribusiness

Low levels of productivity and poorly integrated value chains greatly limit Africa’s ability to feed itself. And yet in sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture accounts for 32% of GDP and employs 65% of the workforce. The potential for agriculture to reduce food insecurity and poverty on the continent is not to be underestimated. At the AECF, we believe small and growing businesses hold the key to driving agricultural transformation and building resilience among smallholder communities. By providing catalytic funding and technical support to these enterprises, we work to boost productivity and improve the lives of smallholder farmers in Africa.

Since 2009, our agribusiness work has supported 328 companies across 23 countries in over 40 value chains. Through this portfolio, we have committed US$147.5 million and leveraged US$392 million, benefiting over 20 million rural and marginalized communities. We have supported a diverse range of enterprises, including improved seed varieties and livestock vaccines, the introduction of new farming systems and agribusiness models, and the provision of financial, media, and information services and technologies.

Ongoing Programmes

Women ADAPT in Benin and Burkina Faso

Women ADAPT is a two-year program funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and implemented by AECF in Benin and Burkina Faso.

The programme aims to strengthen the climate resilience of women-led enterprises, cooperatives, microfinance institutions, and smallholder farmers operating in agricultural value chains.

Investing in Women in Benin and Burkina Faso

Investing in Women in Benin and Burkina Faso (IIW-B&BF) is a six-year gender-transformative and economic-inclusion programme funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to improve women entrepreneurs’ participation and economic resilience in a greener economy.

Southern Africa Poultry Initiative Grand Challenge (SAPI)

The Southern Africa Poultry Initiative (SAPI) is a flagship programme designed to drive inclusive and sustainable growth in the region’s poultry sector. The programme is anchored within the Food Action Alliance (FAA) and led by AGRA. SAPI is supported by a coalition of partners, including AECF.

Seed for Impact - Tanzania Window

The Seed for Impact Programme (SIP) – Tanzania Window funded by the Government of Sweden seeks to address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers (SHFs) in accessing seeds of improved and high-yielding climate-resilient crop varieties.

Seed for Impact

Seed for Impact (SIP) is co-funded by AGRA and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), the programme aims to break the cycle of low productivity and poverty among smallholder farmers by expanding access to quality seeds.

Finance for Inclusive Growth in Somalia

The Finance for Inclusive Growth in Somalia (FIG-Somalia) is an EU-Funded pilot programme component under the European Union’s Inclusive Local and Economic Development (ILED) programme.

Investing in Women in South Sudan

The Investing in Women in South Sudan (IIW-SS) is a gender equality and economic inclusion programme that responds to the continuing poverty, food insecurity, and climate vulnerability that these small-scale farmers.

Investing in Women in Nigeria

The Investing in Women in Nigeria (IIW-Nigeria) programme seeks to transform the roles of women operating in various agricultural value chains in Kano State, Nigeria, to increase incomes, improve climate resilience and transform livelihoods.

Agribusiness in Africa Window

The Agribusiness in Africa Window (AAW) consists of Round 1 that came to a close in 2020 and Round 2 came to a close in 2022.

The Tanzania Agribusiness Window

The Tanzania Agribusiness Window (TZAW) was established to support agricultural businesses in Tanzania to support smallholder farmers to increase their productivity and income.

General Window

The first of AECF’s investment programmes running from 2011, the General Window invested nearly $30m in a wide range of companies across Africa.

African Agribusiness Window

AECF’s flagship agribusiness programme was developed from the success of the preceding General Window and launched in 2012.

Research into Business

The investment programme Research into Business was created as part of a broader UK aid intervention to support the transition of innovative ideas from research into successful commercial enterprises.

Zimbabwe Agribusiness Window

South Sudan Window

In order to bring the market systems approach to more frontier markets, AECF implemented a small investment window in South Sudan funded by the UK taxpayer.

Post Conflict Window

In response to the start of the South Sudan Window, Sida funded the Post Conflict Window – a programme that sought to provide private sector solutions to countries emerging from longer term conflict. It provided $12.6m in grants to 19 companies in Somaliland, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the DRC, covering a wide range of value chains.