78 Food Systems Leaders graduate from AGRA’s Center for African Leaders in Agriculture
Today marks the graduation of 78 future leaders in the food systems from AGRA’s (www.AGRA.org) Center for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) program. African Management Institute (AMI) and Policy Link are partners in the implementation of the center, which is an AGRA-led project.
Following a 16-month collaborative, hands-on, and customized experience designed for senior and rising leaders in Africa’s agriculture sector, the 78 leaders—selected from the public, private, and civil society sectors—were given certificates designating their status as leaders in Africa’s Food Security and Sustainability.
AGRA President Dr. Agnes Kalibata emphasized during her speech at the graduation ceremony how crucial it is to manage post-harvest losses in agriculture. She underlined the necessity of creative fixes and calculated measures to reduce post-harvest losses, a problem that still impedes the expansion and resilience of the agricultural sector throughout the African continent.
“Among CALA grads, 50% are seeking solutions for losses incurred after harvest. If we could salvage some of the food that is lost on the fields, we wouldn’t have to claim that 300 million people in Africa go hungry. Dr. Kalibata stated, “We will save a lot of money on the production side and change the narrative if we work to solve post-harvest losses by 40%.
The graduates, who have been refining their leadership abilities and gaining information to address urgent issues affecting the agricultural environment for the course of the program, found resonance in her speech. The goal of the CALA program is to develop and empower the next generation of agricultural leaders by giving participants the knowledge and abilities necessary to influence constructive change in the industry.
The program has given the delegates the practical leadership skills necessary for the successful implementation of national flagship initiatives while enhancing cross-sector collaboration among the public, private, and civil society sectors. It is intended for leaders who are driving and directly implementing agriculture initiatives at the country level.
The 76 people were chosen from more than 1,000 applications, and they stand for the most innovative agricultural leaders on the continent. Of them, 45% are from government organizations in the eight countries, 26% are from the commercial sector, and 29% are from civil society.
“You have the chance to play a crucial role in ensuring that the transformation of food systems is based on the realities of local communities by coordinating your nation’s national priorities with regional priorities as leaders in your respective organizations and fields.” Regional Head of AGRA for East and Southern Africa, Prof. Jean Jacques Muhinda.
The departing delegates now continue their education and cooperation by joining the inaugural class of 80 delegates in the esteemed CALA alumni community.
AGRA is the initiative’s principal sponsor, and CALA is implemented in partnership with the African Management Institute (AMI), USAID’s Policy LINK, and other lead implementation and learning partners. The coaching component of the leadership program was created and implemented under the direction of Policy LINK. Go to https://apo-opa.co/3RxPCke to find out more about the Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture.
