AgriBusiness Forum 2008

Speakers

EMRC thanks all the speakers that took part in strengthening the African private sector at the AgriBusiness Forum 2008.

Workshop: Innovation Strategy and Regional Innovation Systems

Ilan BijaouiClaudia Degli Esposti
Director
International Innovation & Business Institute

Claudia Degli Esposti
Director Head of regional marketing unit
ERVET Emilia-Romagna

Official Opening Session of the Agribusiness Forum 2008

James. G. Butler
Deputy Director General
FAO    

Franz Fischler
Chairman
Ecosocial Forum Europe     

Bart-Jan Krouwel
Managing Director - CSR
RaboBank 

Pierre Mathijsen
President
EMRC

Welcome Opening - Technical Sessions

Idit Miller
VP & Managing Director
EMRC

Session I: PPP in Agriculture as a Platform for growth and Wealth

Moderated by:
Geoffry C. Mrema
Director, Rural Infrastructure and Agro-industries Division
FAO

Nick Railston-Brown
Country Director
Technoserve, Ghana

Sean de Cleene
VP Africa Programme & Business Development
YARA International

Rustom Masalawala
Associate Director 
The Earth Institute at Columbia University

Calvin Miller
Senior Officer for Rural Finance
FAO

PPP Case: Partenring to benefit African Subsistence Farmers - the Monsanto case

Philippe Castaing
VP Corporate Affairs for Europe & Africa
Monsanto

Jennifer Ann Thomson
Professor of Microbiology
University of Cape Town 

Session II: Investing and Financing African Agro-Food Industry

Moderated by:
Charles Thijs

Managing Director
Cofip Enterprises

Part I: Responsible financing solutions to boost th agro-food industry in view of sustainable growth

Louis Bernard Ngassa-Batonga
AgriBusiness Sec. Leader for Sub-Saharan Africa
IFC

Daniel Kabassou
Director General
Credit du Sahel

Pierre van Hedel
Managing Director
Rabobank Foundation

Part II: How can donors contribute to strenghten the agroo-food sector

Kevin Cleaver
Assistant President Prog. Mgt Dvl
IFAD

Maurits de Koning
Senior Economist
Royal Tropical Institute -KIT

Christoph Langenkamp
Tast Leader Agriculture & Rural Policy
Global Donor Platform

Prabhu Pingali
Head of Agr. Policy & Statistics, Agr Dec. Prog.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Denise Wolter
Economist
OECD

Session III: Research and Innovation for a sustainable growth in agriculture: best practices and experiences learnt

Part I: Making use of local row material to replace imports and promote production of finished products in Africa - the Heineken case

Henk Knipscheer
Sr. Managing Director Global Operations
Winrock International

John Mbonu
General Manager
Serra Leone Brewery

Mark van Rijn
Manager Company & Society
Heineken International

Part II: Creating wealth and ensuring food security at grass root levels of the AgriBusiness sector in Africa - the Olam case

M.D. Ramesh
President & Regional Head S&E Africa
Olam International

Satinder M. Singh
GM & Business Head Wood Products - Olam Voice
Olam International

Session V: Alternative Partnerships for Rural Developlment

Part I: Enabling Rural Economy - using ICT and spatial data resources to build self-sustaining rural communities

Ghislain Gonzalez
Agriculture & Forestry appl. Manager
Spot Imagine, Infoterra

Walter Mayer
CEO
Progis Software

Part II: Developing 21st century agriculture in Africa - empowering agro-enterprises to enhance the economic and social wealth of communities - the Diageo case

Samuel Bello
Grains Supply Manager
Guiness Nigeria

John Harrod
Coporate Relations Director
Diageo Africa

Lawrence Maina
Agricultural Manager
East African Maltings

Part III: Making the private sector grow: innovative funds for SMEs

John Maguire
CEO
Africa Invest

Hugh Scott
CEO
Africa Enterprise Chanllenge Fund

Part IV: Addressing major health challanges in the agricultural sector: providing services communities through public private partnership prrogrammes with food producres, international agencies and NGOs

Raphael Agneroh
Manager
Agence National de Développement Rural

Bradley Buck
Director Business & Practice Expansion, Int'l Development
Land O'Lakes

Robin Landis
Programme Advisor HIV/AIDS Service
WFP

Michel Lavollay
Senior Advisor on Health - HIV, Malaria, TB
EMRC