Solidaridad and UC Berkeley to host annual workshop on supply chain innovation

Solidaridad North America and the University of California, Berkeley will host the fourth annual workshop on Innovation in Agrifood Supply Chains. The two-day workshop will be held in Berkeley, California on 10 and 11 April 2019. The emphasis this year is on finance, profitability and sustainability.

For more information on the programme and registrations, visit the programme website.

Liquorers cupping coffee bean samples in Kenya

UC Berkeley, in collaboration with Solidaridad North America, has designed a comprehensive workshop that will examine the dynamics of a rapidly evolving food sector. Through presentations, discussions and practical case studies, the programme will equip upcoming leaders of the industry to address challenges and unlock opportunities for innovation in agrifood supply chains.

The two-day event is designed to be a collaborative workshop, where participants, practitioners and leaders of the agrifood sector closely interact with leading thinkers and specialists from the private sector, academia, civil society and government.

Dr David Zilberman

The programme will be led by Dr David Zilberman, professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Berkeley and recipient of the 2019 Wolf Prize in Agriculture. The programme features a line-up of speakers from an incredible variety of organizations globally.

Mandla Nkomo, Solidaridad’s managing director for Southern Africa, will be speaking on innovations in African supply chains and on the role of finance in bringing those innovations into being.

Mandla Nkomo (second from left) examining coffee beans on a coffee farm in Kenya

Nkomo commented that “African supply chains must, in the next few decades, navigate a matrix of issues that relate to domestic imperatives, global demands and find an equilibrium that is responsive, inclusive and sustainable. This is by no means an easy quest. But with the help of technology, both biotech and digital technologies, Africa must be able to respond effectively to growing populations, rapid urbanization, climate change and increased global food demand.”

Alfons Weersink, professor at the University of Guelph, will speak about the role of information technology in agriculture, while Howard Yana-Shapiro, chief agricultural officer of Mars Inc., will discuss the potential of new genomics in the sector. Glenn Yago, founder and senior fellow of Financial Innovations Labs, will discuss means to creatively finance innovation.

Dr Tom Reardon, professor at Michigan State University, will focus on transitions in agriculture and developments in global supply chain design. Tricia William, senior manager for Strategy & Learning at the Mastercard Foundation, will focus on the role of civil society organizations in building robust global supply chains. Sebastian Teunissen, managing director for Solidaridad North America, will lead a panel on sustainability.

Learn more about the speakers and programme agenda here.

Sebastian Teunissen, Managing Director, Solidaridad North America

This event will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Solidaridad, a leader in agricultural sustainability and a pioneer in working with supply chains to achieve meaningful improvements in the lives of smallholder producers around the world.

The workshop event is targeted at emerging and senior leaders, scholars, policy makers and professionals associated with the agrifood industry. Members of the non-profit and public sectors who are engaged with the field will also greatly benefit from the programme. A certificate of completion from the University of California, Berkeley, will also be provided at the end of the programme.

Register now to guarantee your place. Seating is limited in order to ensure maximum interaction between participants and speakers.

Learn more about sustainability in North America

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