Shamba Centre for Food & Climate

👏 Many thanks to David Nabarro for his shout-out to the Shamba Centre for Food & Climate during the launch of the new recommendations from the Kofi Annan Commission on Food Security. In our work, we are bringing together Parliamentarians, civil society and government ministries and multilateral organizations to transform food systems in Africa. And we agree with David, it is the time for constructive engagement by different parts of society. As the new report makes clear, ending hunger will require shifts in governance at all levels - from local to global. Christine Campeau | Heba Aly | Elhadj As Sy | Ayooshee Dookhee | Francine Picard | Florence LASBENNES | Corinne Momal-Vanian | Kofi Annan Foundation | CARE | UN Charter Reform Coalition | The Rockefeller Foundation

"We've got 6 years to achieve the SDGs. We have no choice but to mobilise large-scale institutional capital in Africa and outside the continent. So the next generation of blended finance transactions will be the "unicorns" of blended finance." 🎙️ Watch the interview with Aakif Merchant, Director of Engagement and Capacity Building, and Head of Africa at Convergence Blended Finance, on the potential of blended finance as an innovative approach to mobilise private capital. #BlendedFinance #SDGs #developmentfinance #sustainablefinance Global Donor Platform for Rural Development FAO International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Mitrova Proparco Songbae Lee Pioneers Post Impact Investing Hub Environmental Finance https://lnkd.in/eFEhP7dm

📢 Call for proposals! We are seeking qualified organisations to assess the progress and impact of commitments made under the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge (ZHP). The ZHP is a global initiative that mobilises private sector commitments to end hunger and achieve SDG 2 (zero hunger). It emphasises translating financial commitments into impactful investments that address food insecurity, foster sustainable agricultural practices, and build resilient food systems. Project focus ✅ This reporting exercise will track the conversion of pledged amounts—of at least USD 1 million per commitment—into tangible investments that have been made during the 2023/2024 period. Project scope ⏩ design efficient workflows, ⏩ engage stakeholders to define impact measurement principles, ⏩ collect and analyse relevant data, ⏩ produce actionable insights 📅 Project timeline: February – October 2025 📩 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eMRFGBkF Application deadline: 14 February 2025 Interested? Send your proposal to info@shambacentre.org. #CallforProposals

📢 We are excited to co-organise the final high-level webinar of the #RoadToKampala series by the Zero Hunger Coalition. This session will focus on implementing the ambitious targets set last January in Kampala, where 55 African Union member states endorsed the new Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2035. 🎙️ Shamba's Co-Founder and Director of Partnerships, Francine Picard, will moderate this insightful discussion. 🗓️ 6 February online ⏰ 2 pm CET / 4 pm EAT / 8 am EST  🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eCSbjUSc  🗣️ English & French interpretation E-see you there! Dr Hamady Diop Dora Siliya Ibrahim Mayaki Tim Robertson CAADP CAADP African Union African Union Commission The World Bank SDG2 Advocacy Hub UN Food Systems Coordination Hub The Consortium of African Youth in Agriculture and Climate Change (CAYACC) Panafrican Farmers Organisation #CAADPkampala25 #Agenda2063 #CAADP #SDG2 #EndHunger #EndMalnutrition #RoadToKampala #FoodSystemTransformation #FoosSystems

📢 Anti-competitive behaviour has consequences! 👏 We are delighted to see that the Competition & Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) in Malawi has taken action against 9 fertiliser companies and 2 poultry feed manufacturers for engaging in excessive pricing and 'unconscionable' conduct. According to the interim order, the companies are prevented from increasing prices and hoarding the supplies until a final decision is made. At least one of the companies had been found by the Malawi Bureau of Standards to be supplying fertiliser that lacked crucial nutrients and was therefore substandard. 🔺 Strong competition institutions are essential for protecting consumers - in this case farmers - against anti-competitive behaviour and ensuring that the rules of the market are fair for everyone. Chilufya Sampa | Kamal El Harty | Arthur Mahuma | Simon Roberts | Heike Fickel | Reena Das Nair | Namhla Landani | Willard Mwemba | COMESA Competition Commission | The African Market Observatory (AMO) https://lnkd.in/eCXdzqXJ

The accelerating pace of climate change - with the World Meteorological Organization declaring 2024 the hottest year on record - underscores the urgent need for African countries to adapt their agriculture practices and strengthen their regional markets. ⚠️ The example of maize in 2024 The weather phenomena El Niño caused resulted in much lower rainfalls in Southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, etc) yet much higher average rainfall in Eastern Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania). Result: The impact on production has been significant - with sharp drops in production in Southern Africa and bumper harvests in Eastern Africa. In well functioning markets, the surplus in one country should supply the demand in countries with lower production. Yet, this has not happened. 👀 Rather, extreme price differences over small distances - that do not reflect import costs - indicate likely market manipulation. 🔺 In the case of Malawi, this resulted in an estimated 60% price overcharge What do we need? 1️⃣ Stronger competition authorities that can tackle anti-competitive practices. 2️⃣ Regional cooperation between competition authorities with a regional approach to monitoring markets. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/dmStbBFB Chilufya Sampa | Carin Smaller | Kamal El Harty | Simon Roberts | Heike Fickel | Arthur Mahuma | Reena Das Nair | Willard Mwemba | Ninette Kaari Mwarania, MKIM | The African Market Observatory (AMO) | Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED)

What will be the impact of the new Trump administration on international multilateral system? Already, he has declared that he will withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization and has paused foreign aid disbursements for 90 days. This comes at a time when other countries, such as France and Germany, have also announced cuts to their development aid budgets. Yet, these cuts are happenings alongside the rise of climate crises and conflicts. 🔺 "Could aid cuts be an opportunity to reduce dependency on rich countries? Possibly in countries where hunger has been reduced. But for the poorest countries that are the most dependent on aid, the shock will be terrible." The Shamba Centre's Oshani Perera in the Tribune de Genève. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eu2E4CnK Carin Smaller | Francine Picard | Lysiane L. | Kamal El Harty | Alessandra Roversi | SDG2 Advocacy Hub

⚠️ Currently, 733 million people face hunger. If we continue on the current trajectory, hunger will be higher in 2030 than it was in 2015 when the world committed to eradicating hunger. During the German-African Agribusiness Forum Afrika-Verein der deutschen Wirtschaft (German - African Business Association) #GAAF25, under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Shamba Centre’s Research and Policy Analyst, Mali Eber Rose, presented the findings from the recent UNIDO-FAO study, Ending hunger is possible: an income-generating approach through value-addition (https://lnkd.in/dTNncK7u). The report calls for adopting an industrial policy for food systems transformation. This means making agriculture more diverse, productive and mechanized. It means focusing on low carbon transport, storage, processing, and value addition that prioritizes domestic economies. How do we reach this goal? ▶️ Improving efficiency on the farm ▶️ Investing to build and maintain infrastructure ▶️ Building the processing, distribution and retail sectors ▶️ Trade and competition policy, combined with stronger regional integration ▶️ Unlocking finance, and primarily for the 'missing middle' ▶️ Making productive use of social protection programmes to the increase appetite for risk As the African Union's Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Josefa Sacko, noted during the session, “Agriculture is not a humanitarian issue, agriculture is about business." Agreed! Let’s transform agrifood systems into a thriving economic sector that can feed the world. Carin Smaller | David Laborde | Francine Picard | Gunther Beger | Rana Fakhoury | Dejene Tezera | Hannah Grupp | Elsa Olivetti | Ali Badarneh

The adoption of the Kampala Declaration by African Heads of States and Government marks an important moment in continent’s journey toward resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems. Framed by the African Union Agenda 2063, this declaration weaves together ambitions for prosperity, equity, and ecological balance. Yet, while the objectives are clear, the weight of implementation is disproportionately placed on the shoulders of unarmed heroes – the smallholder farmers. These farmers are entrusted with the enormous responsibility of addressing food insecurity, adapting to climate change, and driving economic resilience. They are expected to deliver transformation, while lacking the resources to sustain their livelihoods. This imbalance raises a key question: Are we asking too much from those who have so little and already give so much? Read the full article by our Director of Partnerships Francine Picard https://lnkd.in/eYSGX_dB Jeremy Lissouba | Ibrahim Mayaki | Neema K. Lugangira | Lawrence Haddad CMG | Stefanos Fotiou | David Nabarro | Dora Siliya | Godfred Seidu Jasaw | CAADP CAADP | Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) | ActionAid | AGRA | CARE | Oxfam in Africa | UN Food Systems Coordination Hub | Policy LINK

2025 promises to be a big year for the Shamba Centre for Food & Climate.  As we mark the final countdown to the 2030 targets on the Sustainable Development Goals, we will deliver solutions. It will also be our year of transition when we combine policy recommendations with on the ground impact. We are under no illusion that 2025 will be a challenging year. 💪 We will continue to make our work sharper and more sincere. 💪 We will advise global leaders, including from the G7, G20, and the African Union, on nature-positive and practical ways to end hunger and malnutrition. 💪 We will work with businesses and help them serve the most excluded. 💪 We will work on creating markets for nature which will then trigger demand for sustainable solutions. Join us. Talk to us. Teach us. We want to meet you this year. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eJVeHZP9 Carin Smaller | Oshani Perera | Francine Picard | Lysiane L. | Isik Ozturk | Peris Kahure | Kamal El Harty | Vincent Gruson | Alexandra Tung | Anna Tosetto | Debora Anjos | Mali Eber Rose | Arthur Mahuma | Lié MAMINIAINA | Chilufya Sampa | Natalie Mouyal | Louise Scholtz