Retouch Africa International Ltd facilitated a high-level side event during the Africa Industrialization Week (AIW) 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, themed “Scaling Agro-Industrialization through the Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs): Advancing Africa’s Green Industrialization Agenda.”’,
Organized by the CAAPs Secretariat (FARA) in collaboration with Afreximbank and UNIDO, this side event spotlighted the Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs) as catalysts for sustainable growth,
resilience, and green industrialization in Africa. The session tackled key issues, including the mobilization of green finance, governance models for sustainable agro-parks, and strategies for engaging African governments,
RECs, and private sector partners.
Discussions centered around innovative financing tools such as climate bonds and carbon credits, along with the strategic importance of cross-sector collaboration.
The CAAPs vision includes the establishment of agro-industrial parks powered by green technology and infrastructure to combat food loss, youth unemployment, and value chain inefficiencies.
Expert panelists featured Dr. Janet Edeme (AU), Mr. Christian Ndikumagenge (Afreximbank), Dr. Dejene Tezera (UNIDO), Mrs. Providence Mavubi (COMESA), and Mr. Anselme Vodounhessi (CAAPs Secretariat).
The event was moderated by Dr. Douglas Ouma of Retouch Africa Consulting (RAI).
Key next steps include the mobilization of resources, innovative financing strategies, and targeted partner convenings such as the upcoming meeting in Kampala (January 2025).
The event laid the foundation for a collaborative push toward a greener, more inclusive, and industrialized Africa.
