This session will focus on how to mobilize private sector partners, from investors (financial firms) to agribusinesses (large and small), in multi-stakeholder partnerships for integrated landscape management. Engaging the private sector is a key action area within the African Landscapes Action Plan (ALAP), which, like AFR100, contributes to the African Resilient Landscapes Initiative (ARLI). Our panel will give GLF Nairobi participants the opportunity to hear directly from both the landscape partnership conveners from the civic sector, and from the private sector firms that they engaged in their landscape management initiatives.
By sharing cases from both perspectives, we can help both groups see the benefits, and acknowledge and address the challenges of working together. Through these stories we hope to help more landscape initiatives reach out successfully to private sector partners, and to motivate more private sector actors, of all sizes, to actively seek out opportunities to be engaged and supportive partners in integrated landscape management in the landscapes where they operate. We believe that those working to advance sustainable land and resource use and forest and landscape restoration in Africa can benefit from the collective experience (both successes and failures/obstacles) in engaging with the private sector in the process of collaborative landscape management.
Event DetailsMr. Edward K. Mudibo has been the Managing Director of East Africa Tea Trade Association, Limited since February, 2012. Mr. Mudibo doubles up as the Chairman of the Agricultural Industry Network and represents EATTA in the Board of the Shippers Council of East Africa.
Prior to that, Mr. Mudibo was the Principal Consultant of the Enterprise Skills Development Africa Limited and the Managing Director of KUSCCO Limited, among others, during a career spanning more than 30 years.
Mr. Mudibo is an alumnus of Nairobi School and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Kurukshetra University and M.A in Rural Economics and Cooperatives from Agra University, India.
Mr. Martin Ngare is a dynamic private sector manager in the Agribusiness sector; with over 20 years’ experience managing the coffee sector. As the current overall operations manager at the Coffee Management Services (CMS) group of companies, his work involves working with smallholder farmers in financing, marketing, organizational development and sustainability initiatives in the East Africa region. Martin earned his Masters of Business Administration from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and a bachelors in agriculture from Egerton University.
Mr. Julius Rono has 15 years working with farmers and private sector players in tea, food crops, sugarcane, dairy, beef, palm oil and cotton. He has worked with private sector, public and currently development sectors i.e. James Finlay (K) LTD, Ministry of Agriculture, Cotton Development Authority and Solidaridad.
Currently he is leading Solidaridad’s regional landscapes programme in East Africa whose key entry point is private sector engagement within multi-stakeholder platforms and integrated landscape level interventions.
Julius holds an MBA degree from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and a Bachelor of Agribusiness management from Egerton University, Kenya.
Caroline van Leenders has 20 years of experience in the field of sustainable development. She works for the Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO) which is part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. She advises and supports different programmes on sustainable topics such as energy, food, biodiversity and for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and for Infrastructure and Environment. Since the beginning of 2014 she has been running the Community of Practice Financial institutions and Natural Capital. She specialises in transition management and in facilitating the cooperation between industry, NGOs & knowledge institutes. She has a degree in Molecular Biology and in Science Philosophy and a PhD in Environmental Studies. She now has bundled her 20 years of experience in tips for sustainable development in 10 Tips for Clever Change.
Disikalala is an economist and development planner. He holds an MSc in Development Planning from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. He spent nearly 29 and half years working as an economist and development planner at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) in Botswana where he rose through the ranks finally assuming the position of Deputy Permanent Secretary, Socio-economic policy in 2008. During his time at MFDP, Disikalala was actively engaged in policy and strategy development work, progamme and project development, coordination, and management. He has also done extensive donor/aid coordination work, working with a wide array of development institutions, including IBRD, EU, UNDP and USAID. He joined the GDSA Secretariat in April 2016 as Deputy Executive Secretary.
Peter has worked with various international conservation organizations for over 8 years, including African Wildlife Foundation and the African Conservation Center, in restoration of the Kilimanjaro Landscape, which is a transboundary landscape across the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro ecosystem. His current work with the ECWMA involves conservation of wildlife, management of rangelands for the pastoral Maasai living in the area and developing tourism products to attract tourists and investors in Enduimet. Peter is guided by a belief that “together, we will see change to balance the objectives of conservation and community development in our areas endowed with vast natural resources”. He holds an MA in Geography (Natural Resources Management) from Carleton University, Ottawa – Canada.
Session co-moderator
Louis Wertz leads communications and partnership coordination for EcoAgriculture Partners. Beginning as an intern, Louis quickly took on increasing management responsibilities. Leading communications, he oversees the organization’s websites, social media, email communications, media outreach, and publication production. He coordinates the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative, including the Initiative’s web presence, media outreach and publication production. He co-organized the LPFN’s outreach campaign on Integrated Landscape Management for the Sustainable Development Goals, and has co-organized international forums, pavilions, and panels advancing food systems thought and action. In addition, he has conducted consultations for the 1000 Landscapes Project with IT, systems design and finance experts, leading design and strategy development.
Louis holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from Northwestern University and a Master’s of Science in World Heritage Studies from the Brandenburg Technical University in Cottbus, Germany, where he focused on holistic approaches for managing heritage sites. Before starting at EcoAgriculture Partners, he completed a full season of work on an organic vegetable farm and apple orchard in majestic Mendocino County, California. He received his Permaculture Design Certificate in 2018 from the Denver Permaculture Guild.
Session co-moderator
Ms. Nancy Rapando is the Regional Climate Change Specialist at Solidaridad East Africa, whose main role is to ensure commodity sectors and value chains are climate-proofed, while ensuring implemented interventions contribute towards zero net contribution to greenhouse gases. Before joining Solidaridad, Nancy worked as a programme officer in agriculture and climate change with Act!, where she worked to help civil society embrace ecosystem-based agriculture practices that enhance community resilience to climate change.
In her personal capacity, Nancy has worked with the Kenyan government under the ministry of agriculture, providing evidence for agriculture policy planning. She has broad experience working on agriculture, climate change, food security and livelihood programs for over 10 years in East Africa; in particular in Kenya and Uganda. Nancy has vast experience in agriculture and livelihood program development, developing farmer advisory (extension) systems, and value chain and market analysis using pro-poor approaches. Nancy has moderated in a number of national and international forums on aspects of agriculture and nutrition, eco-agriculture, biodiversity conservation, climate change among others. Nancy holds a MSc in Agriculture, BSc in Agriculture education and extension and is now pursuing her PhD on climate change and adaptation. She also holds several certificates in areas of market access, food safety, value chains, integrated crop management and land use from Wageningen University, Makerere University and ACTS, among others.
