The Let's Talk Agriculture Podcast

When we hear the word innovation, we often think about technology.
But what if innovation could be as simple as developing a better seed?
In this episode of the Let's Talk Agriculture Podcast, Sharon Nkwah is joined by Dr. Gloria Adazebra, Research Scientist and Plant Breeder at CSIR–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), Ghana, for a conversation on what it really means to design agricultural innovation around the people it is meant to serve.
 
Using cowpea as a practical example, Dr. Gloria explains how plant breeding goes beyond science in the laboratory to understanding the everyday realities of farmers. The conversation explores gender-responsive plant breeding, improving crop varieties, strengthening food security, and why listening to farmers is essential to building more resilient agricultural systems across Africa.
Whether you're a researcher, policymaker, agribusiness professional, student, or simply interested in the future of agriculture, this episode offers practical insights into how innovation can create meaningful impact.
 
In this episode:
- What agricultural innovation really means
- Why better seeds matter
- How farmers shape scientific research
- Understanding gender-responsive plant breeding
- The story behind improved cowpea varieties
- The future of agricultural innovation in Africa
 
Guest: Dr. Gloria Adazebra  
Research Scientist & Plant Breeder, CSIR–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), Ghana
 
🔗 Learn more:
- CSIR Ghana
- Alliance for Cowpea Improvement
- Additional resources
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When we think about infrastructure in agriculture, we often think about roads, logistics, finance, technology and inputs.
But what if one of the most important infrastructures is something we rarely talk about?
Communication.
In this solo episode, Sharon Nkwah shares why communication is more than social media or publicity, and why communication, media and editorial are three connected systems that shape how industries grow, learn and create opportunities.
She explores:
- Why many organisations struggle to communicate their work consistently.
- What happens when great work remains invisible.
- The business cost of poor communication.
- Why African agriculture needs stronger communication, media and editorial systems.
- The thinking behind how Let's Talk Agriculture Advisory was built.
 
If you're a founder, executive, programme leader or organization working across agriculture and food systems, this episode will challenge how you think about communication—and why it matters far beyond marketing.
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Hosted by: Sharon Nkwah
For collaborations:
📩 podcast@letstalkagriculture.com
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Everyone agrees that Africa needs to produce more food. But what happens after production?
In this episode of the Let’s Talk Agriculture Podcast, Sharon Nkwah sits down with Forrest Patrick Branch, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Kolagri SARL, to explore why increasing production alone is not enough to transform African agriculture.
Drawing from more than three decades of experience across the SADC region, Forrest shares practical insights on the realities of building and strengthening vertically integrated agribusiness value chains. The conversation examines the challenges many founders face as they attempt to move beyond production into storage, processing, market access, and long-term growth.
Together, they discuss:
• Why production is only one part of the agricultural system
• The barriers preventing agribusinesses from scaling
• The importance of value chain thinking
• The transition point where businesses either grow or stagnate
• What founders and agricultural leaders should pay attention to as they build for the future
If you're interested in agribusiness growth, agricultural investment, food systems, and the realities of building sustainable agricultural enterprises in Africa, this episode is for you.
 
Guest:
Forrest Patrick Branch is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Kolagri SARL, an agribusiness company focused on grain storage and milling within the maize value chain. Based between Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, he has spent more than 30 years leading agribusiness initiatives across the SADC region.
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As sustainability reporting becomes more important across global agriculture, farmers are increasingly being asked to provide more data around how food is produced, sourced, and managed.
But what happens when many of these systems are too technical, time-consuming, or simply not designed around the realities farmers face every day?
In this episode, Sharon Nkwah sits down with Charis Aherne, Head of Agricultural Impact at VSAg, to discuss the growing pressure around sustainability reporting, the challenges farmers face with current systems, and how simpler tools like mobile video and AI-supported data collection could help make the process more practical and accessible.
The conversation also explores what these changes could mean for food systems, supply chains, and farmers across emerging markets in the years ahead.
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