Valorial committed to strengthening food security through innovation in Kenya!

Valorial has been commissioned by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to implement the Farm’Innov cooperation and technical assistance project in Kenya. The aim of the project is to support innovation and competitiveness in the Kenyan agricultural and agri-food sectors, and to strengthen the sharing of experience between Kenyan institutional and private players and those in Western France, who are members of the Valorial ecosystem. Building a lasting partnership around these issues is a key priority for France and Kenya. A memorandum of understanding to this effect was co-signed on 17 January, 2024 in Nairobi. It officially launches the Farm’Innov project after several months of discussions and project structuring!

Farm’Innov: project management entrusted to Valorial

A memorandum of understanding was signed on 17 January, 2024 in Nairobi between France and Kenya, represented by the French Ambassador to Kenya, the Principal Secretary of the Kenyan National Treasury and Economic Planning and the Deputy Director of Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to support innovation and competitiveness in the Kenyan agricultural and agri-food sectors and strengthen the sharing of experience between France and Kenya.
The 1st operational application of this memorandum of understanding: AFD has entrusted Valorial with the entire management of the mission, financed by the French Treasury. The 2-year project has 2 major components:

– Supporting the private sector and strengthening partnerships
An acceleration programme will be set up to support around twenty local companies in their growth and transformation, with the aim of developing products for the Kenyan market and for export. A dozen days of monitoring and sharing expertise will also be organised to provide the private sector as a whole with information on topics of interest.
– Sharing experience and expertise between the 2 countries and strengthening cooperation
To strengthen the sharing of experience and expertise on innovation and improving performance in the agricultural and agri-food sectors in France and Kenya, 6 discovery and experience-sharing missions will be organised in France, then in Kenya, and will also be aimed at Kenyan institutional players.

Mobilising the entire Valorial ecosystem and a VIE based in Kenya

To roll out this project, Valorial will be mobilising its entire ecosystem. Its in-house expertise will be complemented by the arrival of Adèle Guérin as a International Volunteer in Company (VIE). Based in Nairobi, she will act as Valorial’s operational relay on the ground from March onwards, liaising with all the players in the country.

“An agri-development engineer specialising in issues in the South, and after several experiences in rural development in the Philippines, Tunisia, Brazil and the Caribbean, it is with passion and determination that I commit myself to Valorial’s Farm’Innov project in Kenya. It is an honour for me to put my skills and experience at the service of the Kenyan private sector, which plays a major role in the country’s development and food security, and to contribute to the creation of partnerships between Kenyan SMEs and those of the French West, in a win-win situation.
Adèle Guérin, VIE Farm’Innov

On the strength of its experience in managing a similar project in East Africa, Valorial is delighted to be taking on this new challenge. In 2020, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), via the French Embassy in Burundi, entrusted Valorial with the task of supporting Burundian food companies in the development of new products aimed at reducing malnutrition among the country’s young children, as part of the PAGRONUT project.

As with the Burundi project, Valorial will mobilise its community of innov’actors. Valorial’s members and partners will be asked to become fully involved in the Farm’Innov project and share their experience with the Kenyan players.