New iCRA coalition for thriving agri-food business partnerships in Benin

December 12, 2022

iCRA signs partnership agreement with RAD ONG and Africa Green Corporation 

With the Netherlands Embassy in Benin as host and under the watchful eye of Mr. Antonie de Kemp, Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy, iCRA Netherlands and RAD ONG and Africa Green Corporation from Benin formalized their long-term ambitions for service provision to the agri-food sector in Benin through the signing of a partnership agreement.  

Great agricultural potential in Benin 

Benin is an agricultural country par excellence, with great potential for sustainable economic development and rural employment. For the agri-food sector in Benin to thrive, more effective and efficient cooperation between chain parties is paramount. Hence the need for more professionals with the right interprofessional and people skills to steer and manage thriving business partnerships.  

Centre of excellence for agri-professionals 

Wageningen based iCRA and the Beninese organisations RAD ONG and Africa Green Corporation are therefore joining forces with the ambition to become the centre of excellence in Benin in delivering  train-the-trainer and advisory services on partnership facilitation and practice-based learning to professionals active in agribusiness and agricultural education institutions. 

According to Mariette Gross, Executive Director of iCRA, this is a logical step in the development of the organization: “We want to be close to the field, to our customers and that requires on-the-spot service delivery by partners with the same drive for quality and impact”.  

Christophe Kinha, Executive Director of RAD ONG has high expectations of the iCRA Benin coalition: “By working with iCRA and Africa Green Corporation, we bring together the best of both worlds: iCRA’s nearly 40 years of international experience in training & coaching and practice-based learning and our network and in-depth knowledge of the local agri-food context”.  

Finally, Laurent Glin, General Director of Africa Green Corporation, stressed the importance of actively involving the private sector in the further development of agricultural education. “As iCRA Benin Coalition, we want our training and coaching to contribute to the development of a community of future proof agri-food professionals, with the right inter-professional skills to work in rapidly changing conditions”.  

The iCRA Benin partnership agreement entails among others the development and execution of a joint three year strategy development of local representation and networking, co-implementation of acquired projects and assignments and the development of a local iCRA community of agri-food and agricultural education professionals. 

The iCRA Benin coalition is a clear expression of the power of partnerships. As the Benin proverb says: a robe made of three threads lasts.