Powering Agrifood Value Chains is the name of REEEP's latest enterprise Portfolio, and is part of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Agrifood Pathway.
The REEEP Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Agrifood Pathway stems from REEEP's recognition of the critical need for investment in agricultural value chains in developing countries. The agriculture sector is hugely important for ensuring food security for rapidly growing populations, and providing economic security for numerous people participating in the various stages of agricultural value chains, from farm to table.
Food-producing agriculture (agrifood) value chains can and must undergo innovation to increase efficiency and yields, enhance variety, and meet the new dietary demands of the growing middle-classes worldwide. To do so sustainably they must reduce waste and pollution, better manage and conserve water resources, and ensure that local prosperity is improved.
Energy will power the sweeping developments in agriculture that will occur over the coming decades, and while the potential for improving economic and human prosperity is great, so too is the potential for exacerbating climate change – if that energy is derived from fossil fuels.
The new agricultural revolution must be clean – powered by renewable energy and energy efficient systems. Specific renewable energy and efficiency solutions aimed at developing country agrifood value chains, particularly at the SME level, face myriad challenges of the sort that have also been faced by renewables and efficiency in developed countries: high upfront and investment costs, comparatively (to some other investment types) long payback periods, misunderstood or mistrusted novel technologies, lack of standards and quality assurance track records, and non-existent or outmoded financing availability (both in terms of investment as well as consumer finance).
To meet this challenge, REEEP is bringing over a decade of experience working with clean energy projects in the developing world; specialised research and analysis into the water-energy-food nexus and agrifood value chains in key countries; an innovative new monitoring, evaluation and learning framework; and an investment accelerator cooperation with proven partner CTI PFAN.
The 2015-2017 Powering Agrifood Value Chains Portfolio is here.
Welcome to the future of agrifood.