The African market for fruit and vegetables has significantly grown over the past years. Thanks to the relationship with Italian enterprises, and via Macfrut, they have been able to discuss supply and demand issues. This is the objective of the international training program "Lab Innova - Africa subsahariana" ("Lab Innova - Sub-Saharan Africa", translator's note) promoted by the ICE Agency, in collaboration with Agency AICS, Macfrut and other local partners.
Signature of the protocol, Wednesday the 13th of February 2019.
The program will involve the participation of five African countries: namely Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, Tanzania and Angola, while offering personalized support to over 60 African companies specialized in the agrifood chain (fruit and vegetables, but also coffee, cereals, spices and legumes). The program aims at improving technical and managerial skills of such companies and will be running from February to October 2019.
Along with many representatives of the African embassies, several key figures from the sector were present on this occasion, including Giuseppe Mistretta, Plenipotentiary Minister & Director for the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, Renzo Piraccini, president of Macfrut, Alessandra Rainaldi, official of the Training Services Office of ICE Agency, and Giovanni Ottati, president of Confindustria Assafrica&Mediterraneo.
Stand of an African country during a previous edition of Macfrut
As indicated during the meeting, the African Development Bank has highlighted that agrifood represents one of the strategic assets for the growth of the continent. It is expected that Africa's GDP will grow of approximately +5% per year, while by 2030 the African GDP will be 5% of world GDP. An important role is played by fruit and vegetables, which represent the key to Africa's economic growth.
As Italy is currently the world's leading fruit and vegetable producer and a leader in technology and packaging, it could play an important role in increasing the business of African companies operating in these sectors. And the hub of this path is Macfrut, the only supply chain fair to dedicate an entire pavilion to Sub-Saharan Africa, an international partner of the 36th edition of this exhibition.
Renzo Piraccini, president of Macfrut
Lab Innova intends to contribute to the development of the partnership between EU and African companies, focusing on managerial training, innovation and technology transfer in the African agricultural and agro-industrial sector.
The project will be carried out in collaboration with professors and experts of the ICE Faculty and includes four distinct phases: a preliminary corporate check to map the needs of the participating companies, a classroom training phase in Africa on the subjects of internationalization, a study tour in Italy during Macfrut and Cibus Tec, with a program of company visits and B2B meetings with Italian companies and lastly, a final phase of individual coaching.
Contact:
Cesena Fiera
Via Dismano 3845
47522 Cesena (FC) - Italy
Tel.: +39 0547 317435
Fax: +39 0547 318431
Email: info@macfrut.com
Website: www.macfrut.com