WWHC Global leaders debate: Scaling Food Security Impact: Opportunities of cooperation with Associations, Philanthropists, and Development Finance Institutions

Global leaders debate Scaling food security impact Opportunities of cooperation with associations, philanthropists, and development finance institutions card

The issue:

Investing in agro-industrialization is crucial for sustainable agricultural practices and building resilient food systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, significant barriers and structural power imbalances to accessing finance hinder the much-needed transformative processes. Many smallholders and small agri-businesses often lack formal registration, financial literacy, and opportunities for business education, making it difficult for them to participate in the formal financial sector. Moreover, they are often too large for micro-finance but too small for commercial loans or for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Even large agri-businesses with a greater impact in terms of food security in LMICs often struggle to attract investments due to regulatory barriers or complexities inherent in PPPs or mixed-equity joint venture agreements.

In this context, development finance institutions (DFIs), associations, and philanthropists could become essential players in bridging the investment gaps, to convene fit for purpose partnerships, and eventually to become engines to drive structural change. DFIs can mobilize critical funding through innovative financing solutions, they can de-risk investments through bespoke guarantee schemes and act, with the support of private sector associations, as facilitators of cross-sector and transnational collaboration. Philanthropists can potentially supplement financial impact, emphasizing social and environmental outcomes, and bring a community-centered perspective. With their unique ability to take risks and support early-stage innovations, they can also play a key role in catalyzing and scaling transformative initiatives.

Objectives:

This session will explore how associations, philanthropists, and DFIs can drive transformative change in global food security. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the panel aims to outline a clear path towards scaling systemic impact within agro-food systems by identifying bottlenecks, exploring solutions and helping capitalize on investment opportunities.

Key guiding questions:

What impactful innovative financing solutions can DFIs, associations, and philanthropists offer to overcome the challenges agri-businesses face in accessing finance in LMICs?
How can transformative food security initiatives and early-stage innovations be better scaled and supported in accessing markets?
How can the public and private sectors collaborate more effectively to bridge investment gaps and drive structural change in cross-border agro-food systems?

Expected outcomes:

Understanding the role of innovative financing solutions and how they can be applied to overcome barriers faced by agri-businesses.
Highlighting successful models and identifying new opportunities and modalities for collaboration, to scale investments in agro-food systems.
Outlining strategies and developing actionable recommendations for scaling transformative initiatives and supporting early-stage innovations within the agro-food sector.

Session format and structure:

The session will be a Davos-style panel discussion featuring high-level participants from associations, philanthropists, and DFIs, providing diverse perspectives on driving food security initiatives. Panellists will share insights, and best practices, discuss successful financing models, and explore other multifaceted strategies for overcoming financial barriers and scaling innovative solutions. The session will offer a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange to advance food security initiatives and support the growth of resilient agro-food systems.

Moderator

Ms. Fiona Muthoni Naringwa, Business Journalist and Host, Rwanda Broadcasting Agency 

Fiona Muthoni Naringwa is an enthusiastic journalist and adept moderator, recognized for her exceptional skills as one of Rwanda's leading business journalists. She currently hosts a weekly business program on Rwanda Broadcasting Agency and she served as a senior producer and anchor on CNBC Africa's flagship market show, Power Lunch East Africa for 6 years.

Speakers

Ms. Amany Asfour, President, Africa Business Council

Dr. Amany Asfour is graduated from Faculty of Medicine – Cairo University and had her master’s degree & M.D. degree in Pediatrics in her academic career, she is a Lecturer of Pediatrics at the National Research Center of Egypt. She joined the private sector since she was a student at the Faculty of Medicine. Within few years she was also able to establish a company for medical equipment with more than 30 brands of medical equipment. Currently she is the President – Africa Business Council; President – African Alliance for Women Empowerment; President – BPW International; President – EBWA, among other influential positions.

Her interests are not limited to the medical field, as she has realised a passion for Economic Women Empowerment & Young Women Entrepreneurship Promotion. As a result, she established the Egyptian Businesswomen Association in 1995 with the objectives of promoting young generations of Women Entrepreneurs & giving guidance to women business owners of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. The organization also supports the mainstream of feminine gender in the Global Market. From her belief that financial independence gives the Power of Choice & Voice, she directed her activities towards Economic Empowerment of Women, Capacity Building, Development of Human Resources & to stress on equal opportunity for girls, Youth and women for education & training and promotion of Women and Youth in Science and Technology .and building partnerships with their colleagues in Africa, Asia, Europe and all over the world.

Mr. Mandla Nkomo, Chief Executive Officer, Partners in Food Solutions

Mandla Nkomo is the Partners in Food Solutions CEO . Mandla, who is originally from Zimbabwe and has lived and worked across Africa, most recently worked with CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded agricultural research organization. He has served as chief growth officer for the CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy Initiative, which has over 80 global scientists and a budget of over $50 million in the last three years. Additionally, he has served in leadership roles for Solidaridad, AbavuniConsolidated, and Technoserve. Prior to that, Mandla worked in private sector agribusiness for many years.

Mr. Baybars Altuntas, Chair, World Business Angels Investment Forum

Baybars Altuntas is former Senior Advisor of the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) for the Elite Program, Executive Chairman of the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) – an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) chaired by the Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Council Member of the Inclusive Capitalism – founded and chaired by Lynn Forester de Rothschild and operates under the moral guidance of Pope Francis.
The only entrepreneur to be granted a personal audience with President Obama at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship in Washington DC. Awarded as JCI Ambassador, following Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations.
Recipient of the European Trade Association of Business Angels (EBAN) award for the Best Individual in Europe Globally Engaging with the Global Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in 2014 (Ireland), 2015 (Netherlands), 2016 (Portugal), 2017 (Spain) and 2018 (Bulgaria).

A co-author of Planet Entrepreneur: The World Entrepreneurship Forum's Guide to Business Success Around the World, published by Wiley (2013). Author of Off the Bus, Into a Supercar! How I Became a Top TV Star and Celebrated Investor, published by Balboa Press (2014) and translated into Chinese, Croatian, Albanian, and Macedonian.
Star of the Turkish version of the television show Dragons’ Den / Sharks Tank. Profiled by leading international media such as CNN International, Bloomberg, BBC.

Ms. Alice Usanase, Head of Capital Mobilisation and Partnerships, Africa Finance Corporation

Lead, Europe, Middle East & Francophone Africa at Africa Finance Corporation.
Alice Usanase is an accomplished investment executive with over a decade of expertise in identifying and developing over $1 billion in investment opportunities in frontier markets. As the Head of Country Relations and Equity Mobilization at Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Alice has spearheaded efforts to raise over $600 million in new capital, doubled the organization’s membership base, and transformed AFC from a West African representation into a Pan-African entity. She also designed innovative financial structures that significantly expanded and diversified AFC’s investor base, including multilateral organizations, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds. Prior to AFC, Alice managed an $88 million investment climate program at the IFC, enhancing energy and mining sectors in Africa. At the World Bank Group, she implemented regional industrialization and export policy programs in East Africa. Alice is a 2024 WEF Young Global Leader and co-authored a pivotal publication titled "Infrastructure Financing in SSA: Best Practices from 10 Years in the Field.