Agro-Hub Wins Nestle CSV 2016

By Linda Asante-Agyei, GNA Special Correspondent, Courtesy Nestle SA

Abidjan, June 22, GNA - Agro-Hub, an agricultural production and marketing agency based in Buea, south-west of Cameroon, has been adjudged the winner of the 2016 Nestle's Creating Shared Value Prize Competition.

Agro Hub, which works in assisting small scale farmers gain access to sustainable markets, also provides opportunities for smallholder farmers to generate significant additional income from the production, transformation and the sale of local produce.

It has built a small, integrated factory to transform cassava into starch and gari, and sells it to its network of consumers through its own fresh food store, Agro-Mart.

At day's global forum on Creating Shared Value (CSV) by Nestle on the topic, 'Building Stronger Economies and Communities in Africa', the Chief Executive Officer of Nestle S.A, Mr Paul Bulcke, presented the CHF 300,000 prize and a certificate of recognition to Agro-Hub.

The forum, the first to be organised in Africa, which brought governments, civil society organisations and businesses from Africa and beyond discussed a range of topics affecting the continent.

The day's meeting, focused on the theme: 'Investing in Sustainable Development in Africa,' an awards ceremony as part of the Nestle's Creating Shared Value Forum.

Agro-Hub has created an efficient value chain by training and supporting farmers with inputs and capital, organising them into groups and clusters, under one co-operative.

So far, the agency has helped more than 1000 farmers to increase their productivity and income as they build long term sustainable relationships with buyers.

Mr Bulcke commended Ago Hub for its innovative ideas in assisting its people to make an ends meet.

Mr Atem Ernest Lefu Co-Founder and CEO of Agro-Hub, commended Nestle S.A for recognising the little contribution the company is making in assisting small holder farmers enhance their productivity.

'The Nestle CSV Prize would help us in establishing a modern integrated starch and gari factory to help increase the production to 10 tons per week.

Agro-Hub has successfully linked smallholder cassava farmers to markets, providing them with opportunities to generate significant and sustainable income.

Mr Kais Marzouki, Market Head for Nestlé Central and West Africa said: 'We are proud that the winner of this year's prize is from our region and will continue to enhance the livelihoods of Africans in Cameroon and beyond.'

Natural Extracts Industries, a social enterprise from Tanzania, was the runner-up also received CHF 200,000 for pioneering the sustainable extraction of vanilla in Tanzania.

The two finalists were selected from a group of 450 applicants by the Nestlé CSV Council, along with nine independent experts and nine Nestlé internal experts.

This is the fourth time that Nestlé has awarded the CSV Prize. The company would be opening the application process for the next competition in 2017, and would again be looking for innovative businesses or social enterprises in the areas of nutrition, water and rural development.

GNA