NIGERIA – Olam Agri, a leading agribusiness in food and feed in Nigeria has emerged as a Sustainability Initiative of the Year at the African Food Awards 2023 under its agribusiness’ Seeds for the Future (SFTF) initiative.
The celebrated milestone was received during the Food Awards ceremony held on June 16 in Nairobi, Kenya which was celebrating excellence and encouraging the adoption of world-class practices and technologies in Africa’s food manufacturing, retail, and service sectors.
Since its first edition in 2017, the Africa Food Awards recognizes and celebrates the best companies and individuals in Africa’s rising food manufacturing, retail, academia, and food service sector.
The Olam Agri Seeds for the Future Initiative was launched in Nigeria’s wheat value-chain social sustainability investment vehicle in 2021.
In 2022, the initiative announced an impressive first-year result of its multi-year research, seed trial, and multiplication effort. It generated optimism that Nigeria is making strides toward increasing local wheat production levels. Now a full-fledged foundation, the initiative is extending its impact to other segments
The initiative is driven by five key levers, which are supporting farmers and farming communities, enabling broader education & skill development for young people, empowering women (farmers & bakers), promoting health & nutrition, and reducing carbon emissions in business operations.
Francis Juma, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FW Africa, the organizer of the awards commended the initiative and congratulated the business for its exceptional leadership and focused investment, which aim to drive impactful economic growth across operating markets.
“After evaluation by our judging committee, Olam Agri’s sustainability investment through the Seeds for the Future Foundation met all criteria of reach, depth, and impact, and towers above the competition in the sustainability investment category and deserves to receive one of the Sustainability Initiative Award for the year 2023,” Juma said.
Speaking on the award recognition, Ashish Pande, the Country Head of Olam Agri in Nigeria, said that the company will keep scaling up investment in projects that positively impact farming communities, consumer health, the environment, and the government’s economic growth agenda.
“The Seed for the Future Foundation is a major vehicle for driving our wider investment actions. The Sustainability Initiative of the Year Award recognition underscores our impact level.”
He thanked the award organizer for the recognition reiterating that the business would not rest on its oars. He maintained that it would keep investing in strengthening the Nigerian food production and processing segments
The Africa Food Awards took place during the Africa Food Industry Week, which consists of high-level events such as the Africa Sustainability Symposium, AFMASS Food Expo, and the Africa Food Safety Summit, all held in Nairobi, Kenya.
For all the latest grains industry news from Africa, the Middle East and the World, subscribe to our weekly NEWSLETTERS, follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel
