English - EMRC

EMRC’s Economic Missions:
Establishing new partnerships
between Africa and Israel
Africa’s recent economic development
emphasises the continent’s potential for
sustainable business partnerships. EMRC takes
concrete actions to build new bridges between
business leaders from the North and South. In
2007, EMRC has led two Senior Management
Economic Missions for African business leaders
and government representatives to Israel.
Several partnerships as result of these missions
have prompted EMRC to organise a third Senior
Management Economic Mission Africa-Israel
in 2008.
Scheduled to take place from 13 to 17
April 2008, the third Economic Mission
Africa-Israel will provide participants
with intensive exchange possibilities on
latest business developments and technologies
in agro-industry and agriculture. Israel
is a worldwide leader in agricultural innovation.
Due to a long experience in these sectors,
the country plays a major role in the worldwide
supply of innovative water and environmental
technologies. Consequently, the most advanced
irrigation, solar and water generating electricity
technologies as well as the world’s biggest desalinisation
centre can be found in the country.
A concrete initiative as outcome of one of EM-
RC’s Economic Missions to Israel has already
been established in the Province of Katanga
in DRC. Following the visit to Israel, H.E. Mr
Katumbi, Governor of Katanga, invited EMRC
to led a delegation of agricultural experts and
business leaders from Israel to Katanga. This
working visit enabled an in-depth analysis of
EMRC’s upcoming Economic
Mission Africa-Israel will
aim to create further successful
partnerships in the field of agriculture
and agro-industry
business opportunities as well as personal contacts
to high-rank officials and private sector
business leaders. In a follow-up visit of officials
and entrepreneurs from Katanga to Israel, the
Israeli government decided to finance and execute
feasibility studies in Katanga’s fishing and
farming sectors. EMRC manages, accompanies
and coordinates the
project development for the involved partners.
EMRC’s upcoming Economic Mission Africa-Israel
will aim to create further successful
partnerships in the field of agriculture and agroindustry.
The five day programme represents an
excellent opportunity for African business leaders
to expand their business network and to gain
direct insight in latest agribusiness technology
developments.
EMRC will guide participants to targeted
one-to-one business meetings as well as
to field visits to greenhouses, drip-irrigation
systems, solar energy plants, dairy
and poultry farms as well as aquaculture
sites and biotechnology applications in
agriculture. A concluding visit will be dedicated
to the Holy Sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Africa’s private sector not only shows potential,
but also offers concrete business opportunities.
EMRC’s targeted Economic Missions help to
transform these opportunities in sustainable
success stories. ■
”
EMRC’s Business Development Services:
Opening up new business opportunities
have clearly discovered new business opportunities
for my producers in the Eu-
I
ropean market”, says Mamadou Dijte, CEO
of the Senegalese fruits and vegetable trader
Agral-Export.
During a five-day trip to Spain, he has met major
fruits and vegetable trading companies in
Barcelona and Valencia. In pre-arranged business
meetings, Djite gained first-hand insight
in the European market conditions for Senegalese
fruit and vegetables. “Even though I
have only spoken to trading companies based
in Spain”, explains Djite, “their international
outreach can also allow me to enter the Central
and Eastern European market.” And the
prospects for getting into business are good:
Senegalese fruits and vegetables are an ideal
bridge during the season gap between the European
and South American production.
EMRC has been the driving force behind these
business match-makings. As part of its Business
Development Services for EMRC members,
the EMRC team analysed European fruits
and vegetable markets in order to identify the
best partners for Agral-Export to take a firm
step into the European market. In a second
stage, EMRC organised and guided the fiveday
trip to Spain to enable a personal exchange
between Agral-Export and Spanish traders. The
success of these meetings can be measured by
several received partnership proposals. “To be
honest”, Djite confirms. “I have received too
many proposals to be able to keep up with all
of them.”
EMRC accompanies the development of these
partnership proposals and advices Agral-Export
on market access regulations and certification
procedures for its fruits and vegetables.
EMRC’s specific Business Development Services
(BDS) provide members of the EMRC
network with networking activities, market
access analysis as well as lobbying, project
funding and public relations consultancy.
Agral-Export’s expanded business contacts
François Kacen from EMRC (centre), co-ordinating the
encounter with Mamadou Djite and Spanish traders
are one practical result of EMRC’s mission to
promote economic relations between business
leaders from Africa and the North.
“We will have to change some of our processes
and produced varieties”, concludes Djite
after his discovery of business opportunities
in Europe’s fruits and vegetable market. “But
I can now see a big potential for my Senegalese
producers in the European market.” ■
10 - DIALOGUES - EMRC