The Let’s Talk Agriculture Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the Let’s Talk Agriculture Podcast, we sit down with Marc Donaldson to explore the realities behind the current cocoa price surge. Is it truly a crisis, or is it a long-overdue market correction that finally ensures fair pricing for farmers?

Marc unpacks the key factors driving this price increase and whether these shifts are sustainable in the long run. With manufacturers seeking cocoa alternatives to offset costs, we examine whether these substitutes could reshape the industry or remain niche options.

The conversation also highlights a critical challenge—how can the chocolate industry strike a balance between fair pricing for farmers and affordability for consumers?

As innovation brings new possibilities like lab-grown cocoa, we explore whether these advancements will disrupt traditional cocoa markets or complement them.

At Let’s Talk Agriculture LLC, we are committed to driving meaningful conversations that bridge industry gaps and support sustainable solutions for agribusinesses. This discussion underscores the importance of clear communication and strategic positioning in navigating shifts within the global agriculture sector.

Tune in for an insightful discussion on the future of cocoa and the evolving chocolate industry.

Securing investment for your agribusiness isn’t just about having a great product or service—it’s about positioning yourself as an investable business. In this episode of the Let’s Talk Agriculture Podcast, we break down exactly what investors look for and how you can build a strong brand, establish credibility, and prepare for funding the right way.

 

You’ll learn:

• The key factors investors consider before funding agribusinesses
•  Why branding matters and how it impacts investor decisions
•  How to build credibility through media exposure, customer success stories, and thought leadership
• The steps to becoming investor-ready—from knowing your numbers to refining your pitch
• The best ways to approach and engage with investors for long-term success

 

Whether you're actively seeking investment or just preparing for future opportunities, this episode will help you position your agribusiness for growth and funding success.

 

At Let’s Talk Agriculture LLC, we help agribusinesses develop strategic communication, branding, and thought leadership to gain visibility and attract the right investors.

Want to make your agribusiness investable? Let’s talk!

 

🎧 Tune in now!

 

 

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:00:41] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show, where we share the happenings, the trends and the opportunities in the agriculture sector. Now in today's episode, we will dive into poultry farming. A thriving business opportunity in Nigeria and, of course, across Africa. So while many [00:01:00] young people are super eager to jump into this lucrative field, it is crucial to understand some of the challenges that are involved, including the health issues, the And even mortality rates.

[00:01:14] Sharon Idahosa: So joining me today is Goldbold Chukwuebuka, a young entrepreneur who is excelling in the poultry industry and still experiencing the downside associated with poultry farming. Now we will uncover the essential knowledge every aspiring poultry farmer should have in order to succeed and sustain their business.

[00:01:36] Sharon Idahosa: Now, thank you so much for joining today, Chukwuebuka. I would really, really love to hear about your journey into the poetry, uh, into poetry farming. Please say hello to our guests, uh, audience rather. Thank you.

[00:01:49] Godbold Chukwuebuka: So, hello. By the way, my name is Godbold Chukwuebuka, not Chukwuebuka.

[00:01:53] Sharon Idahosa: Oh my, my apologies, my

[00:01:56] Godbold Chukwuebuka: apologies.

[00:01:57] Godbold Chukwuebuka: Godbold, Godbold, Godbold [00:02:00] Chukwemeka.

[00:02:04] Sharon Idahosa: Ah, thank you. And to think that I was actually singing with the name before and, and now I missed it. My apologies for

[00:02:13] Godbold Chukwuebuka: this. Thank you.

[00:02:14] Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure to have you here. So please tell us your journey to go farming.

[00:02:18] Godbold Chukwuebuka: So basically, it all started while I was in university. That was my 300 level, about entering second semester, 3 11 20 18.

[00:02:27] Godbold Chukwuebuka: Entering about entering 400 level. So we had this program in our school then with Central Bank of Nigeria under CDC, Southeast Entrepreneurship Development Center. So they came to empower We the students, about entering year, they came to empower us based on agribusiness and management, because that was what I studied.

[00:02:46] Godbold Chukwuebuka: The school. I studied agribusiness and management. So it was a three month program, was a three month program. The. It's going to go aspect of it is a second one to the practical aspect of it and th

[00:00:00] Grace Njoroge: Hey, beautiful people. Indeed, that is one of my biggest pleasure, is always when I went to my [00:00:06] Sharon Idahosa: own farm. So, I think it is important to first understand what a healthy relationship with food is, for us to know what it is not. Not trying. I can relate, I can relate. Selfish. So, you could be your own farmer for years. [00:00:18] Sharon Idahosa: Who knows? [00:00:21] Grace Njoroge: Trust, trust me when I tell you there will always be challenges. There will always be risks. [00:00:26] Sharon Idahosa: Seems like we have a lot in common. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. And of course, it's your favorite girl, Sharon De La Rosa. Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. [00:00:46] Sharon Idahosa: My name is Sharon Idahosa and I am your host. Today I'm excited to bring another episode, Your Way, still on the AgriFinance series, here on the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. Joining me [00:01:00] today is one of Mexico's finest, Grace Njoroge. Hopefully I got that correctly. She is the technical director of programs. [00:01:09] Sharon Idahosa: And she will be discussing the impact of digital finance in the agriculture sector. Now they have been actively supporting smallholder farmers, you know, to easily get access to finance and we are here to get more details about it and ensure that. Those that are looking out for finance, especially women can really benefit from this. [00:01:28] Sharon Idahosa: So please guys, stay tuned and get the best out of this episode. Thank you for joining the show today. How are you doing Grace? [00:01:35] Grace Njoroge: Thank you for having me Sharon. I am doing very well. Thank you. Um, thank you for having me on the show and I'm looking forward to the discussion. [00:01:44] Sharon Idahosa: Great. Great. So tell us, how has it been so far working in, in this space? [00:01:49] Sharon Idahosa: Great. I know many people do not like, uh, or many of us that got into this space, we didn't really study agriculture or it wasn't, uh, it wasn't something we planned, [00:02:00] but then again, we found out Celsia maybe because we wanted to, we saw a problem and wanted to solve it. So I want to know what actually got you to this space. [00:02:08] Sharon Idahosa: direction while you're working in agriculture and agri finance as well. So please do share if you can. Thank you. [00:02:15] Grace Njoroge: Thank you. Thanks Sharon. So, um, I always, um, say for those who know my story is I, I got into the Um, digital space, the agricultural space. Um, um, by fluke, I studied, um, I studied, I studied bachelor's of business administration for my undergrad. [00:02:34] Grace Njoroge: Um, and I remember I was in a public university. So, um, I remember we still have the career fairs where, you know, most of the institutions that used to come for the career fairs were, um, financial institutions, the banks, the insurance companies. Some of the consultancy companies, the audit companies, etc. [00:02:51] Grace Njoroge: And so when I was graduating, I really was looking forward to working for, um, you know, that kind of institution and my, my dream did come true. I [00:03:00] joined one of the leading financial institutions, uh, banks here in Kenya. Um, and when I joined I was, you know, starry-eyed. I was very looking forward to it. Um, I got some money from my grandmother to, you know, buy a couple of, um, suits, um, you know, the, um, nice power suits because I, I thought I'd be walking in the banking hall in my power suit, in my high heels, um, you know, serving customers. [00:03:23] Grace Njoroge: 'cause this is the image we had of, um, bank stuff, um, when we were young. But then, um, shocker me when I joined, um, there was this new department that had been opened in the bank, um, the microfinance department.

Intro: [00:00:00] Sharon Idahosa: [00:43:00] Hello beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show, where we bring you the latest trends, opportunities, and innovations in the agriculture industry. Now this episode is brought to you by Opportunity International, a nonprofit organization equipping families with the tools [00:01:00] and training that they need to build their businesses, improve harvest, provide for their families and send their children to school, and even break the cycle of poverty. Now talk about innovative financial solutions. They can help families living in extreme poverty to build sustainable livelihood. Now, if you'd like to learn more and support the work that they do, quickly visit opportunity.org. Now, this is me bringing to you the impact that they have created so far when it comes to gender financing. We already know that women face so much challenges when it comes to getting access to finance. And if you're one of those, this is the best place, you know, to, you know, learn and get access to this initiative that they've put in place for you as a woman. And of course, if you are one of those supporting women, this is the best place to go. So, I encourage you to really just check out opportunity. org to see the best [00:02:00] ways that you can benefit. So, joining me today is Tim Strong, head of agricultural financing at Opportunity. Tim has successfully led the agri finance initiatives with his team in Malawi and beyond. Hello, Tim. Thank you so much for joining the show today. How are you doing? Timothy Strong: Thank you, Sharon. I'm really excited. As I said about it being Friday, I'm looking forward to the weekend ahead. It's absolutely a pleasure to be invited to join you on the podcast today. Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure to have you. I mean Fridays just look almost the same to me anyway. So, yeah, I looked through, um, the recent feature with you and your team on Bloomberg and I must say that you have done incredibly well. I mean a great job so far. So, I mean, why don't you share with us Um, the objectives of the gender finance projects and the implementation in Malawi. I know it was Implemented in Malawi or is it beyond Africa already? But I mean, let's just have this as a case study. Timothy Strong: Very cool Sharon So, um, it's definitely been a [00:03:00] pleasure to be able to spread the good news I think you and I have some very similar perspectives in terms of the gospel of the small holder farmer Uh, for us at Opportunity, it's really been a journey for us as we've continued to really focus what we do on listening to our clients. Um, so a lot of what, uh, you referenced to in terms of the Bloomberg article and how we're innovating with generative artificial intelligence to support farmers, it all boils down to that same piece is how do we make sure that we implement human centered design. How do we become specialists and listening to the needs of the variety of clients that we have for opportunity has been, uh, as I said, a journey and we've been in operations now for over 53 years Organizationally We've been able to reach over 19. 4 million clients and 95 percent of those whom are women. And we've partnered with 130 different financial institutions across 33 countries within our overall lending book of roughly 2. 3 billion. Um, over 450 million of [00:04:00] that, uh, is financing directly the unlock. Um, so for us, we really see our mission and our mandate to really make sure that we're bringing together the right partners and the right relationships to access, uh, to really have a centered focused on X. It's really, you know, capital as an access piece for farmers, training and support networks. Um, really a lot of this, uh, builds up on that, but, um, for our team and our program. We've come together for agricultural finance around a belief in rural prosperity. How do we really see that farmers are the major driving engine of economic growth in all of the countries that we live in? And how do we make sure that they're served as such? So, when I, when I mention rural prosperity in shorts, our mandate as a program is helping farmers to grow more. And to earn more. Um, and really that becomes one of the most. So, we see that investing in agriculture is one of the most powerful actions we can take for more inclusive future, more opportunities and agriculture mean that fewer people go hungry, fewer children miss [00:05:00] school, and rural families are able to build. So, you know, that's a really ambitious goal for us as a program and as a whole. And yet, we’ve really developed our work and our portfolios because of one key fact. And it's really that many farmers here and across sub Saharan Africa still only do at 20 to 30 percent of them. So, for us, really making sure that we're supporting farmers again, on that same mandate of supporting farmers to grow more and to earn more is key. Um, but you know, for us, When we look at some of the numbers and the figures and listen to our, listen to our clients, we also see that on average, about 55 to 60 percent of all labor on all farms across Africa is conducted by women. So, if we're not really developing strategies, tactics, and mechanisms to make sure women are included in this economic growth. Then we've lost the plot, um, we've really missed the target as a whole. Um, so Sharon, I am really grateful for the time today to really share in terms of opportunities, [00:06:00] agriculture, finance, work, and our women's economic advancement strategy. Uh, my team has given me a liberty to name the strategies. So, we're calling it our GROW strategy, which is Guaranteeing Rural Opportunities for Women. It's really exciting for me to be able to share, uh, the Uh, what we're launching now after we've conducted a number of highly rigorous equity audits across our programming and our staffing, how do we really define support and targets for partners and outcomes for women? Really defining our activities and targets across all of our programmatic pillars, uh, and committing to, to partnerships with specialists. Uh, especially for areas that are outside of our, our own professional remits. So, you know, specifically looking at violence against women, how do we make sure we build partnerships? Um, so that's just kind of a briefer in terms of what we're looking at, but ultimately have a very robust, in my opinion, strategy for how do we move forward and really look at why this is important to us as an organization as a whole. So, Sharon, that's kind of the brief overview. [00:07:00] Um, I can of course talk for hours and hours and hours as I think, Sharon, you can acknowledge, um, around what we're striving to do, but we're really excited about next steps. Sharon Idahosa: Yeah, I know definitely women contribute greatly to the agricultural sector, but they still definitely face some sort of, um, barrier when it comes to accessing finance. And it's really amazing to know that, um, your team is doing something to get them involved. I mean, they contribute, I think, about 60 to 70 percent of the food that we eat, they are majorly, um, women involved in farming. But yet, we still see them getting, um, um, struggle when it comes to accessing finance. And most of the financial institutions, um, Um, I believe that they should, um, tailor some of their policies or tailor the products to the farmers directly. And I think I heard you saying something about, um, speaking to the farmers to know what they need for you to, you know, um, set up. a [00:08:00] policy or a product that fits them. Because sometimes I don't know about your location, but I know that, um, I've heard so many farmers complain about, um, having to, um, bring their husbands, you know, get access to finance that they need to, you know, scale business. I think is, um, sorry to say, but if you ask me, I think it's ridiculous. I mean, because sometimes. And in some locations, rather here in Nigeria, uh, many of the farmers are women, right? And, um, their husbands are not involved. And when they go to the farms, most of the husbands end up collecting the, the funds that was given to them because they had to bring their husbands, you know, head of the home to get access to that finance. But I think that if there is a particular, um, product that is targeted to women and they do not need to Um, um, fill out all of those criteria or have to bring their, their, their husbands, you know, get access to finance, they will [00:09:00] be able to have access or better control of the funds that they've been given, and they will be able to scale their businesses without, um, in form of, um, challenge. So I would like to know, maybe there's some sort of, um, innovative approaches or technologies or something that have been leveraged by your organizations, you know, support women in accessing this finance without experiencing all of this barriers or something. Timothy Strong: Yeah, sure. And I, um, would love to, to dig into this deeper. And this is a topic that's very near and dear to my heart as well. Um, especially as my wife is also a woman in agriculture, as we have a small cattle farm in the Southern part of Malawi. So, um, definitely see firsthand a lot of the limitation. Um, first off, I think there are two really important points from the last five years of our overall gender strategy within our agriculture finance and a running, uh, from 2018 until now, as we're looking to revamp our approaches, um, the first and foremost is that [00:10:00] women and gender, it's not a monolith, right? So really understanding that one woman's need is not the same as the next. So, making sure, uh, as you, as you called out from the previous comment that we're listening and understanding to the varying needs of different women in agriculture. I can guarantee you that a woman who's running a multinational dairy business Central Nigeria. Her needs and, and her educational background and her capacity is extremely different from a small holder farmer in Uganda or in Rwanda. So, making sure that you're building specifically to clients' needs, uh, regardless of gender and then applying a gender lens afterwards. Um, so you know, when we looked at that and also looked at developing. Really a business case for financing rural women, uh, where we really can talk to financial institutions and many will say outright many bankers across the continent say, yeah, we know that women are better investment than their male counterparts. They repay better in general, they have a lower default [00:11:00] rate, but very, very few of these bankers could actually say by how much. How much better is a, is a, is a female farmer as a client to a bank than a male. And it really became just anecdotal and just comments. So really making sure that we can measure that on a portfolio by portfolio basis is critical. Um, when you're able to do that and really have the data on hand, that means that a financial institution can do risk adjusted pricing. And really make sure that, you know, those clients who are women within their portfolios, who are better investments and better clients can get better access to better terms. So really making sure that we have the numbers there is important for anyone within the, either the financial industry or the agriculture, I'm really proving it and, and saying it's more than just anecdotal and an observation on those two things in particular paired with making sure that we're training on farming as a family business, inclusive business, how to husbands and wives work together for access to resources, access to decisions That [00:12:00] helped move our portfolios from what was historically only 18 to 28 percent women to now, you know, we're able to really, uh, expand our financial footprints to, uh, our agricultural finance portfolio sitting. Roughly at about 56 to 61 percent fans, right? And then, and this is in two heavily male dominated sectors of agriculture and finance. Um, for us, it's also, you know, we, we already know. Oh, that agriculture growth. And we also know that women provide the majority of agriculture labor. However, Sharon, to your points, due to a lack of agency, resources, women farmers’ productivity, and incomes are significantly lower than those of men. So when we look and scan through those constraints, constraint to productivity is the ability to invest in your ag, as we also know access to finance, to be able to make those investments is particularly limited to women due to Collateral requirements, saying a typically own fewer assets and land on many financial service providers are reluctant to lend to women as they [00:13:00] view them as more risky, despite stating that women are better investments, but I think there's also some cultural norms that we have to take into account and really reflect that these do influence women's unpaid care work. Decision making and agency safety and time use all of these influence women's ability to participate in and benefit from rural income generating activities. So, it is really for us, we would say this is a marathon and not a sprint. There's a lot of things that we have to overcome in this process together to really make sure that there is equitable access, but we really do believe that offering more and equal access over control of productive resources, agricultural income. Um, we really think that our, our clients can improve their productivity leading to an increase in economic growth and a decrease in poverty and hunger. I mean, the simplest statement I can make here is that a woman is economically empowered when she has both the ability to succeed and [00:14:00] advance and the agency to make an act on decision. So There is so much research done and analytical frameworks considering power systems and resources, enabling environment, community and market level influences, and even in the household and how gender and social norms influence that. But I think what I like the most about our new growth strategy, guaranteeing rural opportunities for women is we're moving beyond the discussion of gender. Um, we've just spent five years talking about gender and, and how to really grow that. But for us, you know, making sure that we have a stronger focus explicitly on outcomes for women instead of gender, right? So, we will do the gender work as long as it results in those same outcomes within our side a lot of it is making sure that we're looking at women's economic advancement being guaranteed throughout our program, right? So, it's incredibly important for us to focus and listen to it in order to [00:15:00] actually deliver results. We also have to look at our partners and really how they're working and also look at ourselves. It's weird to look at our staff, really acknowledging that women's economic advancement is not a vertical, um, but it's actually a horizontal that cuts ac

[00:00:00] Sharon Idahosa: Hey, beautiful people. Indeed, that is one of my biggest pleasure, is always when I went to my own farm. So, I think it is important to first understand what a healthy relationship with food is, for us to know what it is not. Not trying. I can relate, I can relate. Selfish. So, you could be your own farmer priest.

[00:00:19] Sharon Idahosa: Who knows? Trust, trust me when I tell you there will always be challenges. There will always be risks. Seems like we have a lot in common. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. And of course, it's your favorite girl, Sharon Idahosa.

[00:00:44] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. I want to appreciate all of my listeners for being patient with me for the past two months. I mean, I really appreciate your support. So I had to go on a short break to welcome my little princess to the world. And I'm back now to, you know, bring fresh [00:01:00] episodes your way. So if this is your first time listening to the podcast, my name is Sharon Idahosa.

[00:01:06] Sharon Idahosa: And I am the founder of Let's Talk Agriculture Limited, a public relations and communications firm specializing in agriculture. Now, Let's Talk Agriculture handles everything about your agriculture business. So if you're ready to build your brand, kindly get in touch with us at hello at letstalkagriculture.com

[00:01:25] Sharon Idahosa: The website and email link will be available. So today my message is simple. I want to share with you all the impact of podcasting on your agriculture communication. So yes, you are an agricultural business founder and you run your own business, or you are an entrepreneur looking to connect and share your message with a wider audience.

[00:01:49] Sharon Idahosa: Podcasting is one of the best ways you can do that. Now in agricultural communication, podcasting has emerged as a powerful tool or a medium to, you [00:02:00] know, share valuable insights, engage your audience and establish leadership and even showcase your business. You know, it allows you to freely connect and give to your target audience.

[00:02:12] Sharon Idahosa: Making a mark in their lives, positioning your expertise right in front of them and becoming a go to person when they decide to buy. You see now podcasting can do a whole lot and in not just communicating your brand message or connecting with your target audience, it can also set you up for life. Now here are some of the key reasons.

[00:02:34] Sharon Idahosa: Podcasting matters for your agriculture communication. Number one is that it helps you reach a global audience. Now, podcasting helps you to connect with more than just your target audience. You get to connect with farmers, researchers, industry professionals, Consumers and a lot more it doesn't just limit you to just your target audience It helps you to connect with more people more people [00:03:00] from across the globe get to listen and hear about you about your brand So leveraging podcasting will help you connect to a global audience Another one is that it helps you to build credibility now credibility is something that You need as a business owner, it is something that you need for your business.

[00:03:17] Sharon Idahosa: So one of the best things that podcasting can do for you is to help build credibility. And that's one thing, like I said, that you need. Now, through podcasts, you get to share your insights, industry trends, engage with industry experts via your podcast. And this will help you to position yourself as a A trusted authority in the field.

[00:03:37] Sharon Idahosa: Now, let's talk agriculture limited is a public relations and communications film, but yes, we have the let's talk agriculture podcast. And very soon you're pushing out the let's talk agriculture TV show. Now, podcasting has helped us to, you know, connect with the various and many, many, many stakeholders across the globe.

[00:03:56] Sharon Idahosa: We've connected with so many stakeholders, so many [00:04:00] businesses, and we've given opportunities to a whole lot of them. So, you know. Composition themselves as an authority. Now we have succeeded in positioning ourselves as an authority in the agriculture sector. So this is the best way for you to build credibility.

[00:04:14] Sharon Idahosa: And it's one of the ways for you to enhance your brand. So do well to leverage podcasting for your business. Now, the third one is it helps you to drive engagement. Now, podcasting in agriculture is not just about. Spreading information. It's about fostering a community one episode at a time. Right? So in the world of podcasting, you get to freely converse with your audience.

[00:04:40] Sharon Idahosa: You get feedbacks and you build a community. Community is very important and podcasting will help you to do that. So when you start a podcast, it definitely help you to build a strong business, and I believe you want that. So what will tell key others about podcasting? Five years to get, you can get there in less than five years because you have [00:05:00] played your card differently and that's podcast.

[00:05:03] Sharon Idahosa: So I hope that you learn from this short episode and very profound message. Learn from this episode and take your business to the next step. Learn to communicate your agricultural message through the podcast. So if you like to launch. Your podcast will elevate your podcasting skills, but you're not sure on how to go about it.

[00:05:25] Sharon Idahosa: I can definitely help you. I train young professionals and executives looking to improve their communication skills and become professionals when it comes to podcasting. So if you like to learn or get started, visit coachli.co/sharonidahosa. I'll drop the link in the transcript, or you can also visit sharonidahosa.com.

[00:05:46] Sharon Idahosa: Now, stay tuned for another episode from the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. My name is Sharon Idahosa and I am your host. Do well to subscribe to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast. We are available on Apple, on [00:06:00] Spotify, on so many platforms that you can think of. Do well to subscribe and follow us on our social media channels.

[00:06:07] Sharon Idahosa: We're on LinkedIn, we're on Facebook, and we're on Instagram. If you're ready to build your brand, make your agriculture business look more attractive, do well to visit letstalkagriculture.com. We have so much in store for you and I'm sure you don't want to miss it. Do well to subscribe and follow us. Once again, do enjoy your day.

[00:06:25] Sharon Idahosa: Signing off, Sharon Idahosa.

[00:00:00] Sharon Idahosa: Hey, beautiful people. Indeed, that is one of my biggest pleasure, is always when I went to my own farm. So, I think it is important to first understand what a healthy relationship with food is, for us to know what it is not. Not trying. I can relate, I can relate. Selfish. So, you could be your own farmer for years. [00:00:21] Sharon Idahosa: Trust. Trust me when I tell you there will always be challenges. There will always be risks. Seems like we have a lot in common. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. And of course, it's your favorite girl, Sharon Idar Russak. [00:00:42] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the final episode of our technology series. It's really been an amazing time discussing with agri technology brands with innovative solutions. for the advancement of the agriculture sector. But before we dive into today's topic, I would like you to [00:01:00] try out EOS data crop monitoring if you are a farmer, or you can contact EOS data sales team if you are interested in the custom agri tech product. [00:01:10] Sharon Idahosa: So today we want to take a deep dive into how AI power satellite imagery is playing a very crucial role in the agricultural industry today. So to get this episode started, join me. Welcome my guest for today, Lydia Lelychenko, Account Executive at EOS Data Analytics. Hello Lydia, how are you doing today? [00:01:31] Lidiia Lelechenko: Hi, Sharon. It is my pleasure to meet you. Hi, everyone, the audience. So yeah, I'm very excited to be the part of the podcast today to share some insight on the remote sensing and agriculture. Yeah. Thank you. [00:01:49] Sharon Idahosa: Great. Thank you so much for joining. I'm sure that this is going to be an insightful episode for our listeners out there. [00:01:56] Sharon Idahosa: I've seen this, um, topic to be a very interesting [00:02:00] one, and I, I really hope that our young people as well and all the businesses can also benefit from this episode. So thank you so much for joining again. So talking about how AI paths are like imagery and how it is transforming the agriculture industry.

[00:00:00] INTRO [00:00:44] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to another episode of our technology series, where we explore the innovative solutions, trends and advancement that are shaping the future of farming and agribusiness. This episode is brought to you by Let's Talk Agriculture; An industry specific public relations and communications firm specializing in agriculture. [00:01:06] Sharon Idahosa: So if you're an agriculture business looking to build your brand, establish total leadership, host industry events, or train your employees on leadership, communication, and more, then quickly visit letstalkagriculture. com to get started. So in today's episode, we want to look at some of the strategies to increase the productivity of farmers. [00:01:28] Sharon Idahosa: And we have the best person right here to share his insights with us. So friends join me. Welcome Ibrahim Maigari, the CEO of Rise Africa, a remarkable player, revolutionizing agriculture through technology. Thank you so much for joining the show today. How are you doing? [00:01:47] Ibrahim Maigari: I'm doing fine, Sharon. Thank you. [00:01:49] Sharon Idahosa: Thank you. It's a pleasure to have you. Hopefully I got your name correctly. [00:01:53] Ibrahim Maigari: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, perfect, perfect. I was looking out for that, but you got it right. [00:01:59] Sharon Idahosa: Thank you. So I would just really like to know a little bit more about you. I mean, I'm sure my audience would like to, you know, want to hear a little bit about you. [00:02:09] Sharon Idahosa: I mean, I didn't give a really thorough introduction. So please tell us a little bit about you. What's your journey like in the agriculture industry? [00:02:16] Ibrahim Maigari: So thank you once again Sharon for having me. I, I sincerely commend you for the beautiful work you're doing and spotlighting the activities of many players in the agricultural space. [00:02:29] Ibrahim Maigari: I think we need more. So yeah, um, my name is Ibrahim. Um, I've been a lawyer for, this is my decade as a lawyer, but, uh, my journey into technology, uh, started about, um, I've been involved in starting managing. Co-founding of technology startups in Nigeria. Um, our journey in technology started with, uh, with animal identification and management system.

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:00:42] Sharon Idahosa: Hey, beautiful people. Welcome to the technology series, where we explore the innovative solutions and trends

[00:00:48] Sharon Idahosa: that are shaping the future of farming and agribusiness. I'm excited to bring the first episode of the technology series your way, because today we will be hearing from an [00:01:00] agritech startup making waves in the poultry farming industry. And believe me when I say you don't want to miss this one. So sit tight

[00:01:07] Sharon Idahosa: and enjoy this podcast interview. Meanwhile, if you haven't checked out the brand management offering, let's talk agriculture has in store for you, then you should really go see it because there is something for you as an agri SME, as an agri MSME and as a business. So do well to visit letstalkagriculture.com

[00:01:28] Sharon Idahosa: to get started. Now back to today's episode, we are going to be looking at the significance of decreasing feed costs and improving productivity in poultry farming. Now our poultry farmers in Nigeria are faced with high cost of feed that is leading to business closure and increase in the price of eggs.

[00:01:51] Sharon Idahosa: I mean, we all eat eggs in Nigeria. I mean, So many people do, so this is a major challenge for us and this is a challenge [00:02:00] for many poultry farmers and even consumers. I believe that at the end of this episode we would have gotten a solution to the major challenges of our poultry, our poultry farmers are dealing with.

[00:02:13] Sharon Idahosa: I mean this podcast is to help you get, you know, solutions and that is why we are here today. But before we get started. Before we get there, join me, welcome our guests for today's show. Mfon Uwa, the founder and CEO of Yiieldy. Hopefully I got your name correctly.

[00:02:34] Mfon Uwa: Yes, you do.

[00:02:36] Sharon Idahosa: Thank you so much for joining the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast.

[00:02:39] Sharon Idahosa: How are you doing today?

[00:02:41] Mfon Uwa: I'm fine Sharon. Thank you for having me.

[00:02:44] Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure. I mean, it's really amazing to have, um, the founders of Startups. I mean, I like to see founders doing amazing things in the agriculture space. You know, so many technology coming to the picture, but yeah, we want to see how [00:03:00] that technology is really transforming the agricultural sector because the agricultural sector has so much to offer and we have to make sure that technologies play a crucial role in advancing the agricultural industry.

[00:03:14] Sharon Idahosa: So thank you for your contribution. And I'm glad to get this episode started and hear your story and what you're doing in your company. So thank you once again for joining the show today.

[00:03:24] Mfon Uwa: You're welcome, Sharon. Thank you for having me.

[00:03:27] Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure. So tell us what is the inspiration behind Yiieldy and the development of  Yiieldy Feeds app ? because I know that you're really working on launching your feeds app for poultry farmers.

What are the benefits of Carbon Credits for farmers in Africa? Transcription [00:00:00] Intro [00:00:42] Sharon Idahosa: Do you know that it can actually get a whole lot easier keeping the food supply chain safe and transparent? Join over 30, 000 food, beverage, ingredient, dietary and supplement companies across global supply chain for integrated food safety, quality and sustainability services. For more information, do go to visit foodchainid.com. [00:01:03] Sharon Idahosa: And now, welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. This is our final episode of the Sustainability Series, and I'm excited to bring today's episode your way, where we're going to be looking at carbon credits, how farmers can, you know, gain financial benefits through carbon credits, and even put a premium for their product. [00:01:23] Sharon Idahosa: So join me welcome our guests for today, from two different organizations working hand in hand to ensure that farmers get the best, I mean, what they deserve across Africa and beyond. Welcome, Emily. Welcome, Vasco. Thank you so much for joining the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. [00:01:41] Sharon Idahosa: How are you doing today? [00:01:42] Emily Urban Cordeiro: Good, good. Thank you so much for having us. [00:01:45] Vasco Van Roosmalen: Doing well, thank you. And again, yes, thank you so much for having us. It's a pleasure to be here. [00:01:49] Sharon Idahosa: It's always a pleasure speaking with industry experts. I mean, I've been doing this for over three years now and interacting with industry experts also helps me to widen my horizons as well. [00:02:00] Sharon Idahosa: So I really want to appreciate you coming on the show and sharing your knowledge with me and my audience as well. So once again, Thank you. [00:02:08] Emily Urban Cordeiro: Sure. You're very welcome. Looking forward to the conversation. [00:02:10] Sharon Idahosa: Sure. So, yes, let's start with you now.So, in simple and clear terms, what is carbon credit all about? You know, how is FoodchainId involved in the voluntary market as a private entity? [00:02:25] Sharon Idahosa: Let me just know, get more idea about what carbon credit is all about. That's what we've been hearing for so long now. So maybe this is a good avenue to learn more about it. It's simple terms that [00:02:35] Emily Urban Cordeiro: yes. And actually, you know, when we think about carbon credits and what this actually means in the context of smallholders for various market players. [00:02:46] Emily Urban Cordeiro: It is actually complex to think about, you know, Vasco at ReSeed, you know, he'll, he'll explain in great, great detail, of course, how it works from their perspective. And, and I want to, I want to just zoom out for a moment and share how, how carbon credit. It is a way to essentially meet climate goals and on this conversation, we're talking about nature forestry systems, but essentially leverage the, the natural ecosystems that we have to meet our climate goals, um, globally. [00:03:21] Emily Urban Cordeiro: And then really we'll go into great detail about how this trickles down into the farmers and how the farmers themselves are the core to this, the solution and nature based. They now have all the stakeholders and this is working across geographies, across cropping systems, across cropping system types, farm sizes, various farm sizes, and we are a certification verification body. [00:03:49] Emily Urban Cordeiro: I mean, I'm. What this means in current credit is that we, our third party, ensures that all credit yields and claims are in fact according to the [00:04:00] standards and protocol that they were, were, you know, generated from. So that's a little bit of a, a little bit of a background there. [00:04:07] Sharon Idahosa: Thank you for sharing. So maybe Vasco, you want to share your own perspectives. [00:04:11] Sharon Idahosa: I mean, I'm sure everybody has like a different explanation, so maybe you want to give a little bit of an introduction on carbon credits as well. [00:04:20] Vasco Van Roosmalen: Yes, thank you, and Emily, that was really good. Um, on our side, um, we always say that the objective here are not the carbon credits themselves. Carbon credits are a tool that were developed to help drive climate finance, to help Uh, parts of our economy decarbonize or reduce their emissions. [00:04:38] Vasco Van Roosmalen: Uh, and so the idea is that you're able to quantify, uh, current emissions within those economic sectors, let's say agriculture or transport, for example, and then you can quantify and you can direct. Actions that people are taking that are helping, uh, to reduce those emissions and direct finance to those who need that additional support to reduce their emissions. [00:05:00] Vasco Van Roosmalen: And so that's also why Reseed was founded because when we look at the carbon markets of the last 20 years Uh, the university of Berkeley found that fewer than or less than one percent of all carbon credits generated up until now Have actually come from the agricultural space. And that means that we haven't been able to use this mechanism to drive finance to help farmers both to maintain their carbon stocks and to maintain their actions that are driving the sequestration and removal of carbon, as well as helping them finance what they need to do [00:05:32] Vasco Van Roosmalen: to reduce their emissions. And so that is why we found that receipt to really focus on building that bridge and helping farmers access the financing that they need so that they can stay on their lands. They can maintain their regenerative and organic practices and maintain their their activities as well. [00:05:51] Vasco Van Roosmalen: Was drive additional finance that's necessary, uh, to help them decarbonize. [00:05:55] Sharon Idahosa: Thank you for sharing. Thank you for sharing. So I got an insight into a case study where both your organizations are collaborating to supplement, um, Brazilian across, um, cocoa farming. I mean, trying to help the Brazilian cocoa farmers [00:06:11] Sharon Idahosa: with your income through carbon credits. So do you mind elaborating more on this? What role did your organizations play to support this project? Let's hear from you Vasco, please. [00:06:21] Vasco Van Roosmalen: Thank you, Sharon. So yes, so both ReSeed and FoodchainID started a partnership with a Brazilian chocolate company that's called Dengo that has a really high level of involvement in supporting their cocoa producers. [00:06:36] Vasco Van Roosmalen: Uh, to help them measure and also drive again, climate finance, carbon finance to support these farmers, most of whom are smallholder farmers. So when we looked at, at what was going on in the supply chain, over 75 percent of, uh, the farmers in these cacao supply chains of this in the chocolate industry, they are smallholder farmers, and the vast majority of them live on less than a living income. [00:07:01] Vasco Van Roosmalen: And yet, when you're looking also, uh, as in many other countries, many of these farmers actually farm in a way that they're protecting forests. Uh, so in Bahia, you have, uh, In Brazil, uh, the farmers are the response. The cocoa farmers are responsible for maintaining the last remnants of the Atlantic forest in that region of Brazil as they plant the cacao trees under the shade of the larger tree. [00:07:23] Vasco Van Roosmalen: And this way of working this way of growing and making the forest productive while protecting the forest is something that is a really beneficial to all of us as we are looking to reduce deforestation. And so we want to be able to recognize that. And so, ReSeed and foodChainID have worked together and currently we we are working with the farmers in that region to be able to recognize the fact that they are protecting this forest as well as helping them increase the amount of Um, of additional carbon that they can draw down both by improving the soils and that's what's [00:08:00] one of the identified needs by the farmers themselves is how do we increase our yields? [00:08:05] Vasco Van Roosmalen: How do we increase the product? Our productivity of our soils and the health of our souls? And that is a key factor. And that's where, where Dr. Emily is actually, uh, the expert. And so that way we are able to drive finance to these farmers. And at this point, we are able to increase these farmers income between 30 and 50 percent from their current incomes based on bringing in this carbon. [00:08:29] Vasco Van Roosmalen: Finance, which recognizes their protection activities of their carbon stocks and their shoals and forests, as well as supporting them with those additional action. And that's been a key point. And as, as we know, in the cacao sector, uh, over this, uh, the last few months, there's been a tremendous upheaval, right? [00:08:47] Vasco Van Roosmalen: With less supply, uh, prices have gone, uh, to record highs. And there is this. Definitely this instability in the supply, and we need this additional investment to those people who actually are sustaining our entire chocolate industry, which are in the vast majority are smallholder farmers, both in West Africa and in Africa, as well as in countries like Brazil.