Impact, progress, partnerships 20ANNUAL1 REPORT8 Impact, progress, partnerships Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa Project Lead Graphic Design & Layout Waiganjo Njoroge Joseph Waciira Head Office - Kenya West End Towers, 4th Floor, Kanjata Road Editorial Team P.O. Box 66773-00800, Nairobi, Kenya Photo Credits Esther Daud-Nyandieka, Joseph Tel: +254 (20) 3675 000, +254 703 033 000 Mark Irungu / AGRA & Shutterstock Waciira, Laetitia Ouoba, Mark Irungu, Web: www.agra.org Ng’endo Machua & Waiganjo Njoroge Printing Cover Photo Eco Media Limited Image by: Mark Irungu Caption: Chautundu, a Village Based Advisor in Kagera, Tanzania in his maize farm. He serves 50 farmers, 22 of whom have adopted hybrid maize varieties doubling their yield. Contents Chairman’s Statement The AGRA Way 04 45 Message from the President 2018 Highlights 06 57 2018 Review Our Leadership 12 71 2018 By the Numbers Our Team 14 74 Kofi Annan: A Tribute 2018 Financials 16 76 Progress at Country Level 2018 Partners 21 82 PAGE 04 Impact, progress, partnerships Chairman’s statement Our journey so far In 2013, I took over the position of opened up for their produce and soil in our lifetime? AGRA is now working Chair of the Board of AGRA from fertility enhanced. With agriculture with businesses to find new ways to Kofi Annan, who sadly passed away becoming a viable business, we have take a range of innovative financial and last August. Kofi Annan was a great seen improvements in the livelihoods technology products to farmers. man and an inspirational leader. His of many smallholder farmers and the vision for a modern African agriculture private sector becoming increasingly Of course, despite the progress we inspired us to embrace the potential engaged. As an institution, AGRA has have made, we still face challenges of the African farmer to lift himself/ mobilised resources to finance its work; ahead. In fact, our success has defined herself out of poverty and propel our but more importantly, we have used new challenges. Farmers need better, economies along a path to prosperity. those resources to leverage increased more functional and more predictable He will be much missed, but his legacy investments in the sector. markets, while our public sector system will live on for generations to come. is struggling to stay on top of a fast- One of the things I am most excited growing private sector. Probably the I have been on the AGRA Board since about is AGRA’s contribution to two biggest challenges that will define its inception in 2006. This involvement the seed sector. To date, we have how we do business in the next decade started with the initiative that became supported over 110 seed companies to are youth unemployment and climate AGRA back in 2003 when I joined the produce around 800,000 MT of seeds. change. Seventy-seven per cent of the Board of the Rockefeller Foundation. Similarly, we have helped to grow continent’s population is under 35, and Since the beginning, my conviction the fertilizer industry, with the agro- less than three in every ten graduates that we will succeed in achieving full dealership model popularized by AGRA are able to find jobs. Meanwhile the food sufficiency in Africa by 2030 has reducing the distance to the farmer devastating effects of climate change never wavered. As I approach the end from 60km in 2006 to 10km today. In threaten to reverse the gains we have of my tenure at AGRA, this conviction some countries, such as Kenya, this made. So, it is clear we have some is stronger than ever. Taking stock of figure is as low as 4km. At the same serious thinking to do. our progress to date, I am delighted time, the average yield on the continent to report that the journey so far has has also been increasing. However, while these challenges may been one of impressive results, positive seem daunting, they do not scare me impacts and fruitful collaborations. Probably the most rewarding part of because we have the means and the Since its founding in 2006, AGRA and my work at AGRA has been leveraging will to tackle them. For a start, we are its coalition of partners have driven fast-growing technological innovations the most educated generation in our major innovations in the development to help transform people’s lives in history. Across Africa, education has of agricultural technologies, with over Africa. Who knew, 10 years ago, that evolved significantly. When I was a boy 15 million farmers accessing seeds using drones to deliver services to in Zambia, back in the 1960s, there of improved crop varieties, markets smallholder farmers would be a reality were just two secondary schools in the PAGE 05 entire country. Today, in Zambia and generations, will we overcome the where agriculture is prosperous and many other African countries, there challenges we face. rural lives are comfortable. Where is free primary education and 80% of there is zero hunger on the African primary-age children are in school. A compelling vision for our rural continent and our communities communities are resilient to drought and climate Technology has also advanced. In change. Where technological my home country of Zimbabwe, I This annual report comes two years developments are used to their full have invested in a tech start-up that into AGRA’s five-year strategy, capacity; where African products has created an Uber-like platform launched across 11 countries in happily compete with global brands; for tractors. The platform enables 2017, to improve food security and and where people are farmers by farmers to link to a central database incomes for 30 million smallholder choice, not because they got left and order a tractor via SMS; the households. behind. Taking inspiration from tractor arrives within 24 hours, paid Kofi Annan, we need to continue for using mobile money, freeing the Within this strategy, AGRA is to create a compelling vision for farmer from the drudgery of the hoe. unlocking scale as a major priority. our rural communities. Because This service is particularly valued by Seeds that can increase farm yields only by creating such a vision will women farmers, as it enables them and withstand drought and flooding we prevent migration to the city to circumvent social norms that need to be in farmers’ hands – not and demonstrate to the younger otherwise hamper their ability to hire featuring in a few pilots or lining generation that they can dream big a tractor. a few pockets, but available in and aspire to a life at the sharp end abundance across the continent. of agriculture. From the day the idea to set up Our focus is to develop and expand AGRA was conceived, I have never the models – be they technologies “I would like to thank my fellow doubted our ability to deliver a or village input shops – that get Board members, AGRA staff and green revolution in Africa. In many these seeds, fertilizers and other our committed partners for their countries, it is already happening. products to farmers as quickly as dedication and support in helping However, we need to look beyond possible. We will take those things to make our strategic ambitions the sector and start thinking and that work and scale them up through a reality, and my term as Chair talking about the wider food industry. engagement with governments, the a deeply enjoyable and fulfilling We need to expand our narrow private sector and the development focus on raw materials and think community to reach millions. We will experience. While I am stepping about what Africa could actually be also continue to support and work down as the AGRA Board Chair, producing. This is the task that lies through regional partnerships and I will continue engaging with ahead for AGRA and for all those programs to achieve continental AGRA because achieving an African who care about African agriculture. and global commitments such green revolution is not a mission Only in this way will we create as the Sustainable Development one can retire from; it is a life-long enough jobs for young people and Goals (SDGs), the Comprehensive commitment. It is the battle of our build resilience to external shocks Africa Agriculture Development generation. We must win it.” and stresses. Only through a uniquely Programme (CAADP) and Africa’s African green revolution, one which Vision 2030. recognizes the need to feed people and build our economies while Through our strategy and beyond, Strive Masiyiwa, saving our environment for future we are working to shape a future Chairman of the Board PAGE 06 Impact, progress, partnerships Message from the President A year of progress In 2018, AGRA implemented the second year of its five-year strategy to increase incomes and improve the food security of millions of smallholder farmers – women, men and youth – across Africa. As reflected in the title and theme of this report, it was a year of considerable progress and deepening partnerships. Within our strategy so far, we have committed $130 million across the 11 focus countries, aiming to reach 8 million farmers directly and another 30 million indirectly. An analysis of our partner farmers shows that 85% are under the age of 50, of which 50% are below 35. This points to a younger farming population than has been previously reported, emphasizing the importance of agricultural transformation that reaches not just this generation but future generations. It also reinforces the need to incorporate youth forecasting into the design and implementation of our programs. PAGE 07 Our strategic focus is on three key and accessories, irrigation equipment delivering results. For example, in areas: policy and state capacity and animal feed ingredients, plus Tanzania, local government has to strengthen agriculture sector other technologies.