Mohamed Manssouri
“My business was small, and I often struggled to provide for my family—but I was determined to make a future for myself,” Linda, Owner, Lindice Bakery, Ghana
In professional circles, the word “transformation” often signifies the ultimate goal—lives, families, and futures that are forever changed. However, this term can sometimes feel abstract. In reality, transformation is a personal story, a narrative of profound change and growth. Linda, a baker in Ghana, exemplifies this kind of transformation. Her journey began in Accra, where […]
“My goal is to elevate our company to the peak of the agro-industrial scale,” Siaka Senon, Founder, AgroServ Industrie, Burkina Faso
When asked to name one of his key strengths as a business owner, Siaka Sanon, the founder of AgroServ Industrie, Burkina Faso is quick to respond. “Patience,” he answers before adding that optimism and a steadfast vision have allowed him to navigate challenges which might have made a less resilient entrepreneur give up. “I come from […]
“The company is expanding and my brother and I can now draw a full-time salary from the enterprise. We also employ 25 members of staff in our factory,” Pablo Matute, Co-founder, Chocolate Sero Guatemala
As a tourist guide, leading regular trips to Mexico and Panama, Pablo Matute regularly had people telling him that his own country, Guatemala, had some of the best cacao in the world. “I always thought we had bad chocolate,” he admits. “As I like to challenge myself, I decided to start travelling to cacao-producing communities […]
“We work with food entrepreneurs, understand where they currently are, where they want to go, and build their skills to get there,” Kindra Halvorson, Chief Transformation Officer, TechnoServe
In this ‘MSME Champions’ interview, Kindra Halvorson of TechnoServe explains how the organization has supported 700 food entrepreneurs to build their visions of thriving business. ‘MSME Champions’ is a series of interviews capturing the expertise and experiences of individuals and institutions supporting enterprises in the missing middle of agriculture, as part of an advocacy campaign […]
“We provide a ready market for their grains, and impact farmers through inputs and trade,” Micheal Ameh, Co-founder, Hemam Synergy Limited, Nigeria
In 2015, Michael Ameh co-founded Hemam Synergy Limited in Kaduna state of Nigeria to provide small-scale farmers with the knowledge and high-quality inputs they need to grow more crops. With an expanding middle class and increasingly sophisticated dietary needs, the unmet local demand for staple crops like maize, rice and soybeans, and other processed goods […]
“When I do business, I earn something. My children are studying, I built a house, I bought a freezer, a television,” Alima Teófilo, Farmer, Mozambique
Access to finance can be life-changing for rural people. From the credit they need to grow their businesses to the insurance they need to mitigate risks and shocks, financial services are essential for small-scale farmers to drive sustainable rural development. Yet, in an increasingly fragile global environment, these services are at risk. More and more […]
Investing in Young Agripreneurs: Why and How?
FAO | IFPRI
Africa Agribusiness Dealroom Report 2023
AGRA
“It is very concerning that the frontrunners of agricultural value chains continue to wait for access to investment finance,” Hernan Manson, Head, Inclusive Agribusiness and Food Systems, International Trade Centre
In this ‘MSME Champions’ interview, Hernan Manson of the International Trade Centre talks about a unique collaborative programme that links agricultural enterprises to finance and international markets. ‘MSME Champions’ is a series of interviews capturing the expertise and experiences of individuals and institutions supporting enterprises in the missing middle of agriculture, as part of an […]