The Mozambique-Italy Forum dedicated to the agrifood and agribusiness sectors was held in Maputo on 14 and 15 September. The Forum was organised by the Embassy of Italy, the ICE Office in Maputo and the Mozambique-Italy Chamber of Commerce, and promoted by the Agrifood Africa network, coordinated by Renzo Piraccini.
The mission brought together in Mozambique representatives of the Tutto Food and Cibus Tec trade fairs, as well as delegates from some of the companies participating in the network, Grenexta and Unitec. Agrifood Africa, which aims to promote the development of the agrifood sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, has included Mozambique among the first countries where it has presented its activities, with the objective of creating networking and cooperation opportunities with local companies and institutions.
The first day of the Forum was attended by Minister of Planning and Development Salim Vala, representatives of international financial institutions and international organisations, the Mozambican Agency for Investment and Export Promotion (APIEX), as well as around 60 stakeholders from the agrifood sector, including business associations and local companies.
The Forum opened with institutional remarks by Ambassador of Italy to Mozambique Gabriele Annis, who, one year after the business forum on agribusiness held in Maputo in the presence of Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, highlighted the priority role of agriculture in bilateral cooperation between Italy and Mozambique. This commitment is reflected in the important initiatives planned under the Mattei Plan for Africa, including the Manica Agrifood Centre (CAAM), and supported by the coordinated action of the entire Italian System involved in these projects.
In his remarks, Minister of Planning and Development Salim Vala highlighted the contribution of the agrifood sector to the country’s GDP growth and invited entrepreneurs to invest in agribusiness and in the modernisation of agriculture in Mozambique.
The sessions dedicated to presenting the Agrifood Africa network, the participating companies and the main trade fairs in the sector were followed by a series of B2B and B2G meetings, during which opportunities for cooperation and investment were explored in greater detail.
The following day, the business delegation from Italy carried out field visits to companies, local markets and major retail outlets, with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of Mozambique’s production and distribution context and identifying potential opportunities for commercial cooperation.
Among the visits were those to Rural Focus, an agricultural company specialising in providing solutions for agro-livestock production, and Inalca, a company active in the import and distribution of food products.
In the evening, some members of the delegation attended a working dinner at the Embassy, which was also attended by Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Roberto Albino, together with representatives of national institutions and international organisations.
