Ini?a?ve (CGI) Annual Mee?ng.
The Food University ini?a?ve is
an?cipated to be a game-changing
approach to crea?ng sustainable
jobs and a skilled workforce across
Africa’s food value chain.
technical skills through a “learn while
you earn” curriculum.
“We are honored to be here with
President Clinton to launch this
cri?cally needed e?ort designed
to ensure that Africa’s current and
future genera?ons are equipped
with the skills, resources and
opportuni?es to successfully
par?cipate in the food and
agricultural sectors,” said Rick Li?le,
founder and CEO of ImagineNa?ons
Group. “It is es?mated that world
food consump?on will require a
from many leaders across Africa. “I
have been thrilled to par?cipate in
the dreaming and designing of Food
University,” said Dr. Ruth Oniang’o,
editor-in-chief of the African Journal
of Food, Agriculture, Nutri?on and
Development, and Chair of the Rural
Outreach Programme in Kenya. “This
innova?ve ini?a?ve will play a cri?cal
role in developing the leaders,
entrepreneurs and talent we need
for a food-secure Africa.”
Food University is the ?rstever pan African ini?a?ve that
seeks to develop a robust talent
infrastructure by matching the
supply and demand of skills,
providing applied educa?onal
The ImagineAfrica Alliance is
opportuni?es, and uni?ng the e?orts
a public-private partnership of
of the private, public and civil society
corpora?ons, academia,
sectors. Food University
NGO’s, government agencies
is an ini?a?ve of
and investors. With the
the ImagineAfrica
collec?ve interest and
Alliance. Ini?al
resources of such a group,
partners suppor?ng
coupled with the magnitude
the ImagineAfrica
of this ini?a?ve, the Alliance
Alliance and Food
hopes to unleash the huge
University include:
produc?ve and prosperityImagineNa?ons Group,
inducing poten?al of
4-H programs across
agriculture in Africa.
Africa, DuPont, USAID,
Laureate Interna?onal
For more informa?on,
Universi?es,
please visit www.
The MasterCard
imagineafricaalliance.org.
Founda?on, Nando’s
...building human capacity in the African Food chain
Peri-Peri, BXR Group,
About the ImagineAfrica Alliance
70% increase in annual agriculture
Aslan Group Africa, BridgeLeader
produc?on by 2050. With 60% of the
Network, DECA, Malawi Mangoes
The ImagineAfrica Alliance is
and the Inter-American Development world’s share of uncul?vated arable
nurturing a new genera?on of
land, Africa o?ers a real solu?on to
Bank.
Africans who are prepared to
this challenge. This commitment
succeed, engaged in decent work,
helps galvanize diverse partners
Through Food University, the
and ac?vely pursuing their dreams.
across Africa and other parts of the
ImagineAfrica Alliance plans to
Our mission is to provide workers,
world to make this vision a reality.”
provide educa?on and training
farmers, and young people with the
for one million students over the
skills, incen?ves and opportuni?es
next ten years. This new “?eld-toThe Alliance is launching pilot
they need to succeed, while also
fork” approach will help ensure a
campuses over the next two years
helping investors and commercial
skilled workforce across the food
in Mozambique, Malawi, South
operators maximize their social
value chain, including produc?on,
Africa and Tanzania. Over the next
and ?nancial returns across
manufacturing and distribu?on to
ten years, the Alliance will leverage
the agriculture and food value
support farms, industry and whole
investment, philanthropic and
ecosystem. The ImagineAfrica
communi?es. Food University will
development funds to educate a
Alliance is a unique network of
be a vibrant and growing network of million students and contribute to
African and interna?onal partners
a?liated “campuses” across Africa,
building 20 responsible agribusiness
(private, public, and civil society)
including farms, youth organiza?ons, communi?es that will have a farcommi?ed to working together
schools, universi?es and other
reaching impact by providing
toward achieving these goals.
se?ngs. Through online educa?on,
improved access to essen?al
appren?ceships and classroom
community services, including
learning, it will develop talent across health, educa?on, ?nancial services,
all disciplines related to the food
clean water and sanita?on.
value chain, from agriculture, to
business, ?nance, management,
The ImagineAfrica Alliance has built a
entrepreneurship and other
pla?orm of engagement and support
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