Who we are

Syngenta is one of the world's leading companies with more than 28,000 employees in over 90 countries dedicated to our purpose: Bringing plant potential to life. Through world-class science, global reach and commitment to our customers we help to increase crop productivity, protect the environment and improve health and quality of life.
Enactus Kenya is a community of students, academia and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives. For the last 12 years, Enactus Kenya has organized 12 university business competitions and successfully presented national champions at World Cup at various cities across the world.

The 2014 Competition

The Africa Agribusiness Competition targets youth aged 18 – 30 years and has two parts: an essay (or Business Idea Competition) and video clips (or Agribusiness Messaging Competition) Its objectives are to promote new business opportunities in crop value chains in Africa; raise awareness of opportunities in agriculture; identify wealth creation activities among communities in Africa and make agriculture “cool” for the youth.

The Business Idea Competition

This will focus on selected crop value chains. A crop value chain entails all the activities involved in crop production from farm to fork. These would include farm inputs, logistics, product processing, packaging, marketing and sales to the end consumer.
The contestants are required to select either one staple crop (Rice, Maize or Cassava) or one cash crop (Vegetables or Potatoes). The contestant needs to identify a bottleneck or problem that makes the particular crop’s value chain ineffective and/or inefficient. They must then propose a replicable, practical idea/solution that has the potential to make a step-change improvement in the chosen value chain.

The Agribusiness Messaging Competition

The contestants are required to develop a multimedia agricultural messaging that targets the youth. The messaging should have as its objective how to make agriculture “Cool” among African youth. Each contestant is required to submit a 3 minute video clip that promotes agriculture as a cool option for the youth to venture in. The liberty to design the clip format lies wholly with the contestant.

Competition Tips

Focus on selected crop value chains
Identify a bottleneck or problem that makes the particular crop’s value chain inefficient.
Offer an innovative and replicable practical solution that can be invested in as a business.
Productivity: Does your idea contribute to enhanced productivity in the value chain?
Empowerment of smallholder farmers: Can your idea contribute to transforming the livelihoods of smallholder farmers?
The idea must incorporate use of ICT: how do you propose to use ICT to innovatively deliver solutions?
The idea must be scalable: can the idea be implemented among a large number of smallholder farmers?
The idea must be cost effective
The idea must flow smoothly along the crop value chain: does your idea provide linkages with other stages in the value chain?
Sustainability: Does your idea propose an environment friendly solution?
Labor Safety: Does your idea improve labor safety and welfare of farm workers?

Why Participate

To win cash awards
To showcase your “Agriculture Is Cool” ideas
To network with potential employers and access internship opportunities
To contribute ideas towards food security
To receive mentorship to grow your agribusiness idea
To enjoy fully paid recognition dinner (25 semi-finalists) in Nairobi, Kenya.
To participate in the gala event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (6 finalists).
To showcase your agribusiness idea to potential investors
Receive certified recognition and become a member of the Young Africa Agribusiness alumni
An opportunity to network
Have fun

Eligibility Criteria

All submissions must be in English language
African youth aged 18 to 30 Years
The idea MUST be original (no plagiarism)
One contestant, One Business Idea Competition, centered on One Crop Value Chain (For Business Idea Competition)
One contestant, One THREE MINUTE video clip entry (For The Agribusiness Messaging Competition)
One contestant, One THREE MINUTE video clip entry (For The Agribusiness Messaging Competition)
Group Submissions of teams of up to THREE Members is allowed. However, only one person is allowed to do the submissions while the other two are recognized as team members.
The idea must be sustainable. It must lead to the realization of increased crop yields whilst controlling the amount of waste; have a positive impact on the environment while embracing biodiversity; and genuinely having the potential to reduce poverty through both generating wealth in local communities and improving consumer health.

Participation Policy

By submitting your 500 word article, or 3 minute video clip, you shall grant the Syngenta – Enactus (K) Africa Agribusiness Competition committee all rights of lawful use of your article or video clip (to the degree permissible by Kenyan Law).The Syngenta – Enactus (K) Africa Agribusiness Competition committee will publish all written contributions and video clips that will advance to the finals on a website specially set up for the project. The committee will also use excerpts and/or brief summaries gleaned from the articles and video clips in the social media.
The Judging Panel of the Syngenta – Enactus (K) Africa Agribusiness Competition reserves the right to disqualify any entry that in its judgment violates the letter or the spirit of the Competition guidelines, processes and rules of the Syngenta – Enactus Kenya Africa Agribusiness Competition. The decisions of the Judging Panel will be final and binding.

Confidentiality

Access to the submitted The Business Idea Competition and The Agribusiness Messaging Competition video clips is only granted to Syngenta – Enactus (K) Africa Agribusiness Competition committee and members of its judging panel. The identities of the contestants; The Business Idea Competition; The Agribusiness Messaging Competition; and presentations at the Pre Gala and Gala Finals event are considered of public domain and can be used by the Syngenta – Enactus (K) Africa Agribusiness Competition committee for marketing and PR purposes.

Important Dates

May – June 10, 2014

Registration and submission of the Agri-Business Idea essays and Agriculture Video Message Clips

June 10 – 17, 2014

Screening of entries to select best 200 essays

June 21 – 25, 2014

Syngenta – Enactus (K) Agribusiness Messaging Academy selects best 20 video clips.

July 1 – 25, 2014

25 Agribusiness Idea Finalists receive USD 1,000 Grants to test out their ideas in the field

July 30, 2014

Final submission of the field-tested Agribusiness ideas from the 25 finalists

August 11 – 20, 2014

Final Round Judging for Agribusiness Idea and Agriculture Video Messaging Competition.

August 29, 2014

Pre- Finals Gala in Nairobi Kenya to announce finalists

September 2014

Boot-Camp training for Finalists, Pitching of Ideas and Award Ceremony for Winners in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Wana Portal

Sunday, 1 June 2014

Youth Agribusiness and Communication Competition in Africa