By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Another feather has been added to the highly decorated cap of Olam Agri, a leading agribusiness in food, feed and fibre in Nigeria.
The organisation, on June 16, 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya, won the Sustainability Initiative of the Year Award for its Seeds for the Future (SFTF) initiative at the African Food Awards 2023.
The scheme was introduced in 2021 as Olam Agri in Nigeria’s wheat value-chain social sustainability investment vehicle.
It is driven by five key levers: 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.
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.
Congratulating Olam for the win, the chief executive of FW Africa, the organisers of the event, Mr Francis Juma, said the brand has demonstrated exceptional leadership and focused investment aimed at driving 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,” he said.
The Africa Food Awards recognises and celebrates the best companies and individuals in Africa’s rising food manufacturing, retail, academia, and food service sector.
The awards celebrate excellence and encourage adopting world-class practices and technologies in Africa’s food manufacturing, retail, and service sectors.
On his part, the Country Head of Olam Agri in Nigeria, Mr Ashish Pande, submitted that, “We will keep scaling up investment in projects that positively impact farming communities, consumer health, the environment, and 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 organisers for the recognition reiterating that the business would not rest on its oars, assuring that the company will keep investing in strengthening the Nigerian food production and processing segments.
Adedapo Adesanya