Hosted by the
Government of Rwanda
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The EMRC-Rabobank Project Incubator Award to spotlight original, pioneering,
innovative African agriculture projects at this year’s AgriBusiness Forum 2013.
28th August 2013, Brussels, Belgium
Pierre van Hedel, Managing Director of the Rabobank Foundation, will oversee this year’s EMRC-Rabobank Project
Incubator Award, which will spotlight some of Africa’s most inventive and groundbreaking agricultural projects, offering the
winner a cash prize of US$15,000.
In the run up to the AgriBusiness Forum 2013 and the award, Pierre van Hedel says, “I am interested in seeing good
initiatives. And every year we see more and more projects for the EMRC-Rabobank Project Incubator Award
competition, which makes it exciting and makes our commitment to the forum even more valuable.”
This year’s forum is entitled “The Agri-Food sector: A Catalyst for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Africa” co-hosted by
EMRC and Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources, in collaboration with the UN’s Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) and Rabobank Foundation, in addition to the likes of LR Group, Amiran Kenya and with the World Bank
Group’s International Finance Corporation as the forum’s Knowledge Partner.
An advocate and expert on agriculture and finance in Africa, Pierre van Hedel believes that, “It should always be a bottom
up instead of top down approach. On a practical level individual farmers and agricultural producers should combine their
products and by that combination form an asset. ”
The US$15,000 cash prize provides a much needed cash injection for the winner to further implement and grow the
business which is one of the fundamental raison-d’être of the AgriBusiness Forum; bringing the public and private
sector to drive businesses and to promote inclusive growth for Sub-Saharan Africa’s Agri-Food value chain. The
Project Incubator Award is critical as it sheds light on potentially lucrative business ideas and projects and most
importantly encourages partnership opportunities across Africa.
Previous winners have come from Uganda, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire and beyond. Without exception, their win has transformed
their projects and garnered significant interest from funders, regional experts, international media and international
organisations. As last 2012 winner, Lovin Kobusingye head of Kati Farms, clearly states one year later, “I encourage
everyone to stand up and decide now to be part of this event as soon as possible. They will have no regrets!” She adds, “It
has helped us to gain publicity as a credible company. We are now viewed as important stakeholders in the fisheries sector
and this would not have been easy to achieve without the Project Incubator Award.”
The AgriBusiness Forum will showcase the key issues currently underpinning the Agri-Food sector and discuss
expected objectives and business projections, in addition to an entire afternoon dedicated to B2B meetings (tailormade one-on-one business meetings). Some 400 professionals from across the world, representing international
agricultural experts, Government officials, multinationals, farmer and private sector associations, donor organisations,
civil society, investors and financiers representing Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas will participate to discuss on-
Hosted by the
Government of Rwanda
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
going projects, best practices and strategic policies with the aim of establishing investment and business
partnerships for the Agri-Food sector, a pivotal sector for the entire continent’s growth.
Previous winners include:
In 2012, Lovin Kobusingye head of Kati Farms, Uganda. To read more about her project, please click here.
To read about her exploits one year after her win, please click here
In 2011, Everlyne Cherobon head of Emeden Kenya. To read more about her project, please click here.
In 2010, Maria Odido head of Bee Natural, Uganda. To read more about her project, please click here.
In 2009, Mathias Adou Kouakou & Fabien Yao Zogalou COOGES, Côte d’Ivoire. To read more about their project,
please click here.
To read the full interview of Rabobank Foundation’s Managing Director, Pierre van Hedel, please click here.
Interested candidates are invited to register for the AgriBusiness Forum and to submit their business ideas, by the 15th
of September 2013 that embody the inherent entrepreneurship and innovation of the African continent. To register
for the AgriBusiness Forum 2013 please visit www.emrc.be
For more information on partnership and speaking opportunities, please contact:
Caterina Giuliano, Sr Programme Manager
Tel.: +32.2626.1514
Brussels, Belgium
cg@emrc.be
For media queries, contact Jessica Frommer,
Media and Communications Manager
(jf@emrc.be)
tel: +32.2626.1517
or Prody Mwemena
Media and Communication Officer
(pmm@emrc.be)
tel: +32.2626.1510
About EMRC
EMRC's mission is to lead the private sector in Africa to sustainable economic development and to drive regional change via partnerships.
Established in 1992 in Brussels, EMRC is a non-profit International Association composed of a network of entrepreneurs, financiers, consultants and
officials based throughout the world.
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About Rabobank Foundation
A global Dutch bank with branches in Africa, it endeavours to provide access to funds for those with innovative and sound projects and especially
those that truly make an impact on economic development and food security at the local, national or regional levels, whereby value chain partners
can be integrated.