MedaWeek Barcelona 2022
16th, 17th and 18th November 2022
Casa Llotja de Mar, Barcelona
The Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders (MedaWeek Barcelona) is nowadays the iconic conference dedicated to promoting the Mediterranean region worldwide. This event endorses the key economic sectors and the cultural values of this region through a wide variety of forums. MedaWeek Barcelona serves as the main meeting point for voicing the interests of the private sector in the socio-economic development of the Mediterranean countries.
Commission Conjointe du CIAN "RSE & ODD" et "Ethique & Conformité" Directive européenne sur le devoir de vigilance : impacts sur les entreprises présentes en Afrique
8 décembre 2022
Auditorium de la Fédération Nationale des Travaux Publics (FNTP), 3 rue de Berri, 75008 Paris
La commission européenne prépare une Directive sur le Devoir de vigilance qui concernera plus spécifiquement les entreprises de plus de 500 salariés et 150 M€ de chiffre d’affaires (250 salariés et 40 Millions d’€ pour certains secteurs) qui devront mettre en œuvre des plans de vigilance couvrant leurs activités et celles de leurs fournisseurs sur l’ensemble de la chaine de valeur. Ces plans visent à identifier des risques d’atteinte au respect des Droits humains et à l’environnement, à mettre en place de mesures correctrices, et à les communiquer dans le cadre de rapports spécifiques.
Ce projet en discussion n’est pas sans incidence pour les entreprises françaises et européennes qui opèrent en Afrique, compte-tenu notamment de la complexité à établir de tels plans et à en garantir la conformité et la traçabilité dans des chaines de valeur elles-mêmes en développement.
Le devoir de vigilance peut dès lors être perçu comme un risque juridique et réputationnel pour les entreprises implantées en Afrique, ou comme un vecteur de bonnes pratiques de responsabilité sociétale et un levier de gestion de ces risques et de différenciation. Mais qu'en est-il vraiment ?
Harnessing Synergies through Successful Cooperation in Africa - Workshop II: Agricultural Mechanization for Food Security in Nigeria
November 23rd, 2022, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm,
online event (via MS Teams).
Afrika-Verein (German-African Business Association), the Business Scouts for Development, the German Agribusiness Alliance and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria have the pleasure to invite you to the second workshop of the business series
Harnessing Synergies through Successful Cooperation in Africa
Workshop II: Agricultural Mechanization for Food Security in Nigeria
The Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) just announced a 100 Mio. support programme for Nigeria and underlined that one of the main focuses will be to support agricultural development.
To diversify Nigeria’s economy is also a priority of political actors in the country and the agricultural sector is high on the agenda. Even though the sector experienced considerable growth in the past years, it is still regarded as largely underdeveloped. Until now, the country is depending on food imports, including staples to feed its growing population. But, as only half of its vast agricultural land is already being used, there is large potential. By delivering inputs for agricultural mechanization, agribusiness can contribute to long lasting food security and value creation in Nigeria.
Industrialisation in Africa: Seizing Opportunities in Global Value Chains
Tuesday, 15 November 2022
12:00 14:30
Knight Frank
55 Baker StreetLondon, England, W1U 8EWUnited Kingdom
Recent global macroeconomic disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic and further escalated by Russia’s war on Ukraine has disturbed international supply chains. For African economies, strengthening local production is of paramount importance to ensure a successful and sustainable recovery from external economic shocks and strengthen the region’s economic base for the future. This calls for investment to reshape Africa’s participation in global value chains. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can work to optimise the continent’s economic potential to foster stronger regional value chains while tackling barriers to trade and investment, as unlocking intra-regional trade is central to driving Africa’s growth, creating jobs, and expanding prosperity.
Navigating the African DFI’s Funding Landscape
Thursday, 24 November 2022
08:00 10:00
DLA Piper
61 Katherine StreetSandton, GP, 2196 South Africa
Development finance institutions play a significant role in African markets where high risk perception and underdeveloped financial markets dampen investor appetite. DFIs have a developmental mandate but they retain a fiduciary responsibility towards their shareholders, usually governments. In this landscape, the lines have become somewhat blurred with DFI’s financing projects where private sector could fund. The DFI’s now compete for projects based on their term sheet in the market instead of creating projects. Each DFI has a different mandate, and these are specific to their operations and appetite. Grant funding is not typically offered and there is very small scope for technical assistance and concessional funding. DFI’s use patient capital and quasi equity although they are often capped at low levels.
Invest in Botswana
13th of December 2022
Start at:09:30
The Hague , The Netherlands
Have you ever considered doing business with or investing in Botswana? The Netherlands-African Business Council in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in the Benelux invites you to attend ‘Invest in Botswana’ on the 13th December 2022. Botswana was ranked 6th in Africa on the Ease of Doing Business list of the World Bank. The country has a high sovereign credit rating and is well-placed in the top-5 of countries with the highest GDP on the continent. Furthermore, Botswana, with its population of 2.4 million, is considered one of the most politically stable countries on the continent.
During this event, interested companies will learn more about business opportunities in Botswana, as well as the incentives for companies that want to set up in ‘Special Economic Zones.’
Investment opportunities in food and water
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
9:00 AM 10:45 AM
B-Open Nordics Office
27 HammarbybackenStockholm, Stockholms län, 120 30 Sweden
Welcome to SWEACC Investment Cluster breakfast event
Agribusiness is very important in Africa, depending on the country 65-90% of the population is involved in some kind of agribusiness. Some of the challenges you can find in East Africa for water and food security have a relationship to climate change (extreme weather) but also conflict, and lately the Covid pandemic. Recently we can also see global price shocks that affect both Europe and Africa. There is volatility in commodity markets, increases in energy and fertilizer prices, trade disruptions, and more. These problems also create issues for security when you must create new supply chains and partnerships.
There are acute problems with famine, water supplies, and food security even in stable markets. Not access to innovation, new technology, and in some cases valid pharmaceuticals and veterinarian medicine creates problems, and opportunities.
There are room for new partnerships and joint ventures, strictly private but also public-private partnerships, so-called PPP. We will listen to MTI Investment and some of their experiences in East Africa but also hear about possible partnerships available for Swedish companies in East Africa.
Welcome to discuss investment opportunities in food and water.
Implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
08 - 09 November 2022
Online or Villa Schifanoia - Florence, Italy
A roundtable organised in partnership between the EUI and UNCTAD
UNCTAD and the Global Governance Programme at the European University Institute (EUI) have developed a research and capacity-building programme to assist policy makers and the private sector on specific operationally-important international economic law and policy areas. This programme has been instrumental in supporting the WTO least Developed Countries (LDC) group to the Nairobi Decision on preferential rules of origin for LDCs, holding a series of high-level round tables on rules of origin, and most recently, exploring new approaches to trade facilitation for West African countries.
Most recently, many LDCs and developing countries have entered mega-regional free trade areas such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Regional Economic Partnership Agreements (RCEP). There are wide expectations of economic prosperity arising from these mega-regional agreements that cover several disciplines encompassing trade in services, goods, and investment in e-commerce and digital services. Yet the effective implementation of such agreements and the depth of effective trade liberalisation will largely determine their success.
Kenya Economic Outlook
1st November 2022
From 10.00AM To 11.00AM
Online
Following the election of William Ruto as president, what are the key issues and priorities driving the business and policy landscapes in East Africa's biggest and most dynamic economy?
9th German-African Agribusiness Forum 2023
January 23rd, 2023
Berlin, Germany
The Path to Food Sovereignty – Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture for Africa.
The agricultural sector is the backbone of many African economies and accounts for around a quarter of the continents economic output. But still, in many parts of the continent local production cannot keep up with the continued population growth.
Disruptions in the agricultural supply and value chains due to the covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine lead to surging food prices and shortages in many parts of the continent. With the prospect of deteriorating effects of climate change and ongoing weather extremes, the modernization of African agriculture and agri-food systemsseems almost inevitable.