SCOPEinsight

I’m happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: Certificate Certified Assessor from SCOPEinsight As a Certified Assessor with SCOPEinsight, I can assess Farmers Organizations (FOs) to identify opportunities, strengths, weaknesses, and capacity-building needs. Professionally managed FOs improve members' livelihoods by enhancing access to markets, financial services, and technology. SCOPEinsight, based in the Netherlands, measures FOs' management maturity and professionalism, aiming to make agribusinesses more profitable, sustainable, and market linked. #FOs #Assessments #SCOPEinsight #AgriGRADE #SuistainableEcosystem #SundyMerchants

After eleven remarkable years at SCOPEinsight, we are bidding farewell to Marise Blom, whose contributions have been nothing short of transformative. Marise has been a driving force behind our development and growth.   As a true force of nature, she has been the trusted advisor for many of our clients and has managed numerous projects with dedication and expertise. Marise's impact is felt in every corner of SCOPEinsight, from her pioneering work on our various assessment tools to spearheading the bankability metrics we use today. We are particularly proud of her contributions to the development and establishment of AgriGRADE, all five founding partners in general, and for SCOPEinsight in particular. For many years, she also served as a team manager, guiding and supporting the team with her leadership. On a more personal note, Marise has been my trusted support and coach, always offering valuable insights, guidance, feedback, and pushback when necessary.   As SCOPEinsight embarks on a new chapter with AgriGRADE, we recognize that this is a fitting moment for her to take the next step in her journey. Cees van Rij, MBA, AgriGRADE director, will be stepping into the management team, and Marise will gradually transition her responsibilities over the coming months. We will come together later this year to formally celebrate her contributions and wish her well.   For now, we extend our deepest gratitude to Marise for all she has done and wish her every success in her next adventure. Lucas Simons #leadership #agribusiness #farewell

AFS Forum was a wrap 🌍🌱 Last week at the AFS Forum 2024 in #Kigali, we joined partners, colleagues, and stakeholders to drive meaningful change for Africa’s food systems. Under the theme “Innovate, Accelerate, Scale,” we explored new pathways to create a sustainable and resilient agricultural future across the continent. The session "Food Systems Transformation in Action" showcased how the private sector, working alongside governments, NGOs, and local communities, is crucial in transforming Africa’s food systems. We explored actionable innovations and interventions driving progress on the ground, ranging from strengthening agri-SMEs to implementing inclusive business models that support smallholder farmers.  Data-driven approaches took centre stage, we explored how leveraging data can optimize supply chains, increase food security, and foster sustainable, market-driven solutions. Together with the World Economic Forum, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Boomitra, Clim-Eat, Development Gateway: An IREX Venture, FAO, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), NTT DATA, and Welthungerhilfe (WHH), we took deep dives into Soil Health Innovations. Robert Asugre, IDH Ghana Country Director, emphasised how multi-stakeholder partnerships and market incentives can accelerate soil health actions and support resilient food systems. With partners like AfriCatalyst, Millennium Challenge Corporation, African Development Bank Group, National Agriculture Export Development Board of Rwanda, Partners in Food Solutions, and the East Africa Grain Council, NIRERE Sylvie, IDH Rwanda Country Manager shared our experiences in cold chain infrastructure through the HortInvest project and proof-of-concept avocado shipments. Together, we shared how innovative infrastructure can be scaled to transform Africa’s food systems. We also joined the "AgriGRADE—A New Partnership Modality" event, where we showcased how collaboration and data-driven decision-making can professionalize rural organisations and strengthen value chains. Together with SCOPEinsight, Agriterra, FarmFit Fund, and Oikocredit, we invited new partners to join the AgriGRADE initiative and co-create solutions for scalable rural development. This success was possible thanks to the active participation and shared commitment of all partners involved, and the ideas shared are just the beginning. By leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we can scale innovations, improve collaboration, and build sustainable, inclusive food systems that benefit people, the planet and progress. Eniola Fabusoro Mascha Middelbeek Carolijn Gommans Charlotte Keijser, PhD Juan Carlo Intriago Zambrano Ben Horsbrugh Sharon W. Barasa Serge Ndayitabi Azul Cappo #AFS2024 #FoodSystemsTransformation #SoilHealth #IDH #AgriSMEs

Blog Day 4 AFS Forum Today was a day to shine for AgriGRADE, and we did just that! At the invitation of Daniel Gies from Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), we had the opportunity to present ourselves to the AFS audience in the Rwanda Pavilion. The stage was small, But fortunately, the audience's interest was high. During the Q&A some very nice to the point questions were asked, e.g. about pricing (it requires investment, but due to efficiency gains it pays off) , if private companies can be engaged (yes). And a processor in Tanzania needs to improve the performance of farmers' organizations in the supply chain and asked how the AgriGRADE approach could assist with that. In the afternoon, it was great to meet Katja Vuori, CEO of AgriCord vzw and Philipp Conze-Roos of Andreas Hermes Akademie, AgriCord member. It was a bit of a walk down memory lane, as it brought back memories of the AgriCORD AGM in 2019 in Rotterdam. According to Katja the best AgriCord AGM event ever! This reminded me of the farm stay we organized as part of the program and made me think: wouldn’t it be a brilliant idea for next years AFS (most probably held in Uganda) to connect the forum bubble with real farm life through a farm stay? Imagine couples of 2 forum participants spending a night and half a day with a farmer in the vicinity. I admit, with over 5000 conference participants, this could be a logistical challenge, but the AFS organizers could offer it as an optional activity for those who want to create a tangible link with practice. I promise: guaranteed success! 😊 Ah, we also discussed possibilities for collaboration between Agricord and AgriGRADE. To be continued! The day had a touch of nostalgia overall, as I was invited by former colleagues to visit the Agriterra office in Kigali. It was great to see that Agriterra is doing well in Rwanda and is widely recognized as a cooperative expert. And to feel the excitement of the team about the AgriGRADE approach. Later, a bus brought us to the residence of the Dutch Ambassador to Rwanda, Mrs. Joan Wiegman, for a networking cocktail. It’s wonderful to see how well the Netherlands is represented in Rwanda and how well the network of Dutch organizations and companies has developed in Rwanda. E.g. I talked to Gerald Muzungu, MD of Spices Rwanda Ltd.. A company, with a Dutch owner, that buys chilies directly from farmers and farmers' organizations, dries and markets them. A fitting end to a pretty spicy day :-). Asante sana! Agriterra IDH Oikocredit SCOPEinsight 360 Connect Co Ltd #letsagrigrade UMUKUNZI Marine Curtis Musembi Catherine Ndirangu Carolijn Gommans Marise Blom Justine Mucyo Hance Njobelo

🌍 Excited to attend the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS) in Kigali, Rwanda, next week! From what I've been told, this is the Nr 1 event for stakeholders in agriculture and food sectors across Africa with the aim to explore sustainable solutions for food security and foster collaboration. It will be the first time for me to take part in the AFS Forum and it reminds me of a concern once expressed by Young Expert Kathelijne van Hoeven, who, after yet another conference on food security, wondered whether African farmers are actually benefiting from all the talking about agripreneurs, innovation, etc. A valid question, in my view! So let's see how it will be at the AFS Forum next week. And I certainly hope to speak with some farmers—the people who grow our daily food 🙂. At the invitation of Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), AgriGRADE, together with its partners, is organizing an interactive side event about AgriGRADE as a collaboration platform that creates smooth linkages between different solution providers to professionalize farmer organizations/cooperatives and connect them to finance and markets—all based on data, clear roles, and clear incentives for everyone involved. With AgriGRADE, the burden of collaboration is reduced, and better results are achieved with fewer resources. More information on the event will follow and my aim is to keep you updated on my experiences through daily blog posts. And if you happen to be in Kigali too and are up for a good and cheerful conversation… Let's AgriGRADE! IDH Agriterra Oikocredit SCOPEinsight Africa Turnaround Limited Sundy Merchants Co. Ltd 360 Connect Co Ltd Policy and Market options (PMO) Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken

We’re thrilled to invite you to the launch of the game-changing SACCO tool! Created in partnership with A Glimmer of Hope, Self Help Africa, SCOPEinsight, and backed by AMEA (Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance), this tool is set to transform the way we assess Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs). These SACCOs are the unsung heroes of financial services in rural areas, stepping in where traditional banks fall short. By empowering these cooperatives, we’re not just providing financial services—we’re fueling income generation and tackling poverty head-on. Why Should You Join? 👉 Discover the essential elements for evaluating SACCO professionalism. 👉 Learn from real-world pilots of the SACCO tool—hear the lessons and insights straight from the field. 👉 Experience a live demo of the Business Intelligence Platform designed for the SACCO tool. 👉 Be inspired by how this tool can drive impact and benefit a wide range of stakeholders. Webinar: 🗓️ Date: August 27th, 2024 ⏰ Time: 14:00 CET / 15:00 EAT ⏳ Duration: 1 hour Ready to be part of something impactful? Click here: https://lnkd.in/g2_6ezA3 to confirm your attendance and secure your spot! We can’t wait to see you there! #SACCO #financialinclusion #microfinance #cooperatives #ruraldevelopment #webinar #socialimpact #financialempowerment #innovation #povertyalleviation #businessintelligence #digitaltransformation #communitydevelopment

🌱"From Tanzania to Kenya, Agritech Startups are Paving the Way for Sustainable Agricultural Development" - Discover the innovations shaping the future of agribusiness in emerging economies. 📈Read more on how these startups are driving growth and resilience: https://lnkd.in/d6ynUNp2 AgriGRADE | Lucas Simons | Cees van Rij, MBA #agritech #sustainableagriculture #emergingeconomies #cooperativedevelopment

Let me tell you about the fantastic week I had in Tanzania! Under the watchful eye of Mount Kilimanjaro, the past week we launched the AgriGRADE pilot in #Tanzania! This was the first time we gathered with our founding partners, IDH , Oikocredit, Agriterra, and SCOPEinsight, providing an excellent opportunity to get to know each other better. From the first hour, the team spirit was sparkling with the personal introductions setting the tone. We discussed the core concepts of the AgriGRADE approach—a systemic, scalable, and interoperable approach to professionalizing cooperatives—and reviewed the results of the Rapid Assessment of 228 cooperatives and their segmentation into four development stages. Furthermore, we practiced using the AgriGRADE Intelligence Center to plan the next steps for tailored capacity building at the four levels. A visit to Union Stores, a trader and processor (dealing with barley, rice, maize, etc.), gave us valuable insights into the challenges faced by the private sector in Tanzania. Despite having a ready market both domestically and internationally, the biggest bottleneck for the company is the lack of working capital. The goal of the AgriGRADE approach is to professionalize at least 60 cooperatives, graduating them to a higher level, and to optimize the supply chain together with buyers/traders like Union Stores. This includes improving their services to cooperatives as suppliers. Access to financing for both cooperatives and agri-SMEs is part and parcel of the AgriGRADE approach. In short, well-financed professional cooperatives as strong market players in efficient and inclusive supply chains...that's AgriGRADE's promise. Icing on the cake was the event on June 26th, where AgriGRADE was officially presented in the presence of Dr. Benson Ndiege, the Registrar of the Tanzania Cooperative Development Commission (TCDC), as well as Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tanzania, traders, processors, cooperative district officers, farmer cooperatives, and financial institutions. Quite an event! Many thanks to the partners for doing a great job in organizing it. The Registrar's message was crystal clear: the future for Tanzania's 4,300 registered agricultural cooperatives is no other than professionally run, market-oriented, and digitized. His invitation to collaborate with AgriGRADE and its partners in a data-driven way of segmenting, strengthening, and graduating cooperatives was extended. The journey has started... Let's collaborate! Let's AgriGRADE! @Farmfit Fund, World Food Programme FAO International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) EAGC Grain Business Institute (GBI) IFC - International Finance Corporation The World Bank AGRA Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken Cindy Van Den Boom Agnes Janszen Marco Schouten Tony Bruggink Hans Perk Marise Blom Lucas Simons Roel Messie Baraka Zebedayo Ntiruhungwa Geoffrey M. Honest Mseri Sharifa Chikaha patrick kagathi, CPA Mascha Middelbeek

Notice something missing? Just like our logo, the agriculture sector is incomplete without the #missingmiddle ­—Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises that transform and distribute food every day. This #WorldMSMEDay, SCOPEinsight is proud to partner with @SAFIN and over 20 institutions to show our support for the #missingmiddle of agriculture and our commitment to helping them innovate, scale, and thrive. #WorldMSMEDay #MissingMiddle

AgriGRADE is systematically enhancing cooperatives' professionalism, efficiency, and financial access. Learn how our tailored business support is making a real impact. Dive into the details with insights from our Director, Cees van Rij, MBA. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eqJX4DBw #MSMEChampions #SAFIN #sustainableagriculture #cooperativedevelopment #financialinclusion #WorldMSMEday #MissingMiddle