WE4F is pleased to announce a new partnership with AlphaMundi Foundation!
In order to scale water-energy-food (WEF) innovations and increase sustainable agricultural productivity, we need to focus on creating appropriated finance models to improve access to finance for SME’s. Through this critical intervention, end-users, like smallholder farmers and SMEs, will be able to access climate-friendly innovative solutions. Alpha Mundi Foundation, which operates in financing SMEs for better sustainable economic development, on a peer level with WE4F on this issue. The partnership between AlphaMundi and the East Africa Regional Innovation Hub will focus on climate finance for East African SMEs and their innovative solutions in the WEF nexus.
Overcoming challenges of climate change by financially supporting smart innovations
Agriculture has the potential to achieve broad economic transformation in Africa. Emphasizes need to be put on the development of inclusive agribusinesses by increasing productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers, while reducing hunger and poverty. Nevertheless, in many countries in East Africa, agriculture is at a subsistence level due to a complex web of inter-related challenges ranging from low productivity, use of outdated technologies, climate change, lack of access to finance and markets, poor infrastructure and a weak enabling environment for innovative solutions in the WEF nexus.
By making use the East African entrepreneurial energy, supporting smart innovations can play a key role in overcoming these challenges and contributing to food security and sustainable rural economic development. Among others with the right financing, SMEs will be able to develop their innovative and climate-friendly technologies, elaborate sustainable business plans, and disseminate innovative solutions in the East African region.
Together with the AlphaMundi Foundation, WE4F will provide technical support to East African SMEs operating in the WEF nexus, strengthing and upscaling innovations for more productive and ecologically-sustainable food production. In partnership with not only the AlphaMundi Foundation, but also the AlphaMundi Group, WE4F will work with SMEs to provide technical assistance and result-based financing projects for sustained growth and increased impact. All while overcoming barriers to future investment and business growth.
It is through partnerships, like with AlphaMundi Foundation, that we can succeed in leveraging private investment and effectively tackle the social and environmental challenges we are facing in the food and agriculture sector.
– Lucie Pluschke, WE4F Hub Manager in East Africa, GIZ
We are thrilled to launch this new partnership with the WE4F team and build on the progress we’ve made in East Africa to date through the Powering Agriculture Investment Alliance.
– Christine Roddy, Executive Director, AlphaMundi Foundation
The partnership builds on the Foundation’s success with the Powering Agricultural Investment Alliance to catalyze private sector financing for businesses providing clean energy solutions that increase agricultural productivity and value in emerging markets.
GIZ, through WE4F, and AlphaMundi Foundation look forward to their partnership fostering sustainable innovative solutions in the WEF Nexus in East Africa.
