Nov 26, 2018 – Three distinguished Agricultural Investment Fellows, researching and acquiring hands-on training in agricultural investment and soil fertility, said they have received funds from the Kirchner Group to find and invest in a small and medium sized agri-business that is focused on improving soil health and water for small farmers. The search for and subsequent investment of cash into a soil or water focused agribusiness is a part of the Fellows practical training in Impact Investing; a process that also provides cash, pieces of financial and operational advice and networks opportunity for a small and medium sized agribusiness.
Disclosure about the investment is contained in a statement released by the three Fellows who, in addition to the fellowship pursue graduate degrees that are concentrated in agriculture and rural development, agricultural development, and food security, at American University, Cornell University and Tufts University in the United States. According to the statement, the investment opportunity target business in any part of the globe that meet other specific requirements including prove of revenue, and whose soil or water product or service is environmentally restorative.
The Fellows said their investment is focused on the nexus of soil and water because of the increasingly deleterious effects of soil degradation on farmers’ livelihoods, the environment, and global food security. “With support from the Kirchner Group, our investment is poised to contribute to reducing farming related soil degradation or water pollution, increase organic food production, increase farm yield and income of farmers, and help a small agribusiness to thrive”, Ambulah Mamey, one of the Fellows who studies are concentrated in agricultural development at American University, explains other additional potential impacts of their investment.
The Kirchner Fellowship is internationally revered for training distinguished students in agricultural investment and providing cash investment and other support to small agribusiness that have grown to become significant players in the food industry in Africa, USA, and other parts of the world. Tomato Jos, a tomatoes processing business in Nigeria, Kuli Kuli, a moringa processing business in the US but with supply chain channels in Africa, and The Lucky Iron Fish, a company that produces iron fish which reduces iron deficiency anemia, are few of the companies associated with the fellowship as portfolio companies.
In June of this year the Kirchner Fellowship announced the selection of Ambulah Mamey (American University), Emery Brown (Tuffs University) and Charles Higgenbotham (Cornell University) as the three finalists of the 2018/2019 Kirchner Food Fellows. The Group said the three students were selected from among several other applicants from universities in America, Mexico, and Canada because of their outstanding academic performance, proven leadership capabilities, foundational and/or mid-level entrepreneurial knowledge, as well as their passion and demonstrated commitment to working in the Agricultural sector to address global food insecurity and poverty.
The Fellowship is led by renowned individuals including the President and CEO of the Noble Research Institute, the immediate past president of Mexico, Vincente Foxx, and former secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama.
SOURCE: https://frontpageafricaonline.com