Creating opportunities for the “missing middle” of the private sector

Benin, Cotonou. Since 9 September 2024, 39 experts from 15 countries have been meeting at the Azalai Hotel. An overwhelming 438 proposals reached the Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains project on 18 August 2024 from the third call, seeking innovative concept notes for the cocoa, cashew, livestock, and maize value chains in ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) countries. For one week, 55 of the best 194 proposals will now be selected by an Evaluation Committee. The objective of the Matching Grant Fund is to promote innovations from partners to make agricultural value chains more climate resilient, to promote sustainable growth, productivity, and profitability as well as to mobilise financial resources from the private sector and strengthen ownership.

At the opening of the workshop, Mr. Sylvestre Fandohan, Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture in Benin and Focal Point for the Consultative International Cashew Council (CICC) in the Ministry, welcomed the numerous experts and praised the good cooperation with the German government. Mr Jeremie Dovoedo, from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, also attended the opening. Magnus Schmid, Head of the Agri-Business Facility (ABF), pointed out “that global warming is leading to extreme weather events in many places. The livelihoods of future generations and food security are at risk”, he said. “We need resilient agricultural value chains and committed processing companies from the missing middle of the private sector”, he concluded.

The Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains is co-financed by the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), the Organisation for African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Matching Grant Fund is implemented by two projects of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). These are the Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS Region (MOVE) project and the Agri-Business Facility (ABF) project.