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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by JohnPWFoster at AdHoc Media (talk | contribs) at 20:47, 14 January 2014 (Changed European Market research centre to European Marketing Research Centre). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.


European Marketing Research Centre (EMRC) is a not-for-profit international association, founded in 1992 in Brussels, Belgium. The organization exists to encourage and facilitate private sector investment in Africa to create sustainable economic development and drive regional change through international partnerships.[1] EMRC is a collective network of entrepreneurs, financiers, consultants and officials based throughout the world who share the vision that the African continent is a key region in terms of economic and social opportunity both for Africans and for international private sector investors. The organization’s strategic focus is to support economic development in Africa through partnership between African entrepreneurs and ventures and international corporations, and financial services firms. EMRC also supports intercontinental collaboration between African ventures.[2] EMRC aims to unlock the potential of Africa’s agribusiness sector to help alleviate local poverty and to address supply constraints associated with global food demand. EMRC also operates in other natural resources sectors in Africa.

The organization operates through initiating and convening networking business events, capacity development training programs and economic missions aimed at strengthening Africa’s private sector. Its events include the AgriBusiness Forum (ABF) and the Africa Finance & Investment Forum (AFIF) , which are annual events with the ABF being held on the African continent and AFIF taking place in Europe. The organization also conducts regular trade missions, with early missions taking in Israel and India.

AgriBusiness Forum

The AgriBusiness Forum was launched in 2000 and initially held in a number of European cities before EMRC decided to move the forum permanently to the African continent. The most recent of the ABF was held in Kigali, Rwanda between 6th and 9th October 2013 in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources, Government of Rwanda[3][4] and Rabobank a Dutch multinational banking and financial services company and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.[5][6] The forum attracts 400 to 500 agribusiness leaders and decision makers including private entities, development finance agencies, commercial banks, donors, industrialists, SMEs, researchers, government officials, international organisations, NGOs, and others from all over the world with a strong African presence.

ABF focuses on best practice regarding the sustainable development of Africa’s Agricultural and Agro-Industrial sectors; as well as the need to design, plan and discuss project planning and collaborations surrounding Africa’s agribusiness.

The 2013 edition included a section on how African agriculturalists can use information and communications technology to open up new international markets.[7] Previous versions have included Dakar, Senegal (2012),[8][9] Johannesburg, South Africa (2011),[10] Kampala, Uganda (2010),[11] and Cape Town, South Africa. The forum encourages the adoption of new technologies and techniques to improve productivity and food security. It also helps agriculturalists in Africa find external investment to finance their projects.

Africa Finance & Investment Forum

The Africa Finance & Investment Forum is an annual seminar that was first held in 2003 that brings together entrepreneurs looking for partnerships and capital for growth and development and government and NGO officials, development finance agencies, commercial banks and private investors looking for fungible projects in agriculture and resources in Africa.[12] AFIF aims to increase the flow of financial and technical support to the private sector in Africa by identifying the main impediments to a better developed trade in Africa. In the last edition, held in Geneva, Switzerland, AFIF focused on the issue of poverty alleviation through the promotion of South-South Cooperation and North-South trade.[13] EMRC has also held AFIF in Utrecht, in the Netherlands (2012), Lisbon, Portugal[14] (2011), and Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2009).[15]

Incubator Award

The Project Incubator Award was established by EMRC and Rabobank Foundation in 2008 to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa among small and medium enterprises (SME).[16] The award presents U$15,000 to the entry that best illustrates innovation, sustainability and entrepreneurship in the African SME space. The winner is selected by a panel of independent development specialists. Past winners include Sophavet (2011) from Burkina Faso, Bee Natural (2010) from Uganda, Derekorp] (2009) from Uganda, Coopérative Générale de Sepingo (2008) from Cote d'Ivoire and MUPECI (2008) from Cameroon.

Economic Missions

EMRC has also conducted economic missions to India and Israel to help African entrepreneurs meet potential investors.

References

  1. ^ "EMRC - EMRC grows partnerships for Africa - EMRC". Emrc.be. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  2. ^ "Idit Miller, EMRC VP: Africa needs more regional collaboration | Executives". Theafricareport.com. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  3. ^ "AgriBusiness Forum 2013 to spur investment in agriculture". Minagri.gov.rw. 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  4. ^ "AgriBusiness Forum 2013 to spur investment in agriculture - Agri-Hub Rwanda". Apf-rwanda.ning.com. 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  5. ^ "AgriBusiness Forum 2013 to spur investment in agriculture". Minagri.gov.rw. 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  6. ^ http://www.chinafrica.cn/english/africa_report/txt/2013-10/01/content_570412.htm
  7. ^ "'Effective Market Access with ICTs': EMRC AgriBusiness Forum". E-Agriculture. 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  8. ^ "AgriBusiness Forum 2012 to focus on partnership, investment and technology". Africanfarming.net. 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  9. ^ "AgriBusiness Forum to propel Africa's Food sector to the centre of development". Africasciencenews.org. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  10. ^ By emrc.be (2011-06-14). "AgriBusiness Forum 2011 announced as EMRC International focuses on engaging the private sector in Africa's Agri-food development". ModernGhana.com. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  11. ^ "AgriBusiness Forum 2010 Invites US entrepreneurs to Kampala, Uganda / EMRC expects a strong US presence at this year's AgriBusiness Forum 2010 | Database of Press Releases related to Africa - APO-Source". Appablog.wordpress.com. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  12. ^ "AgriBusiness Forum to propel Africa's Food sector to the centre of development". Africasciencenews.org. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  13. ^ "Africa Finance & Investment Forum". Ifc.org. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  14. ^ "EMRC SME Forum Bridging the Missing Middle Gap in Africa - African Development Bank". AfDB. 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  15. ^ "Igniting Meaningful Business Partnerships at Africa Finance & Investment Forum 2009 | Business Guide Newspaper". Businessguideghana.com. 2009-11-07. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  16. ^ "Angola-Cameroun Agrifood Meeting, FMO Bank, Den Haag". Nabc.nl. Retrieved 2014-01-14.

External Sources

Official website

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