Roots To Foods Podcast
Welcome to the RootsToFoods podcast, brought to you by AV-Ventures, your gateway to the dynamic world of African agriculture. Join us on this exciting journey as we dive deep into the agricultural sector, exploring innovative financing, investment opportunities, and cutting-edge technologies that are reshaping the landscape of African agriculture. We’re here to empower you with knowledge and inspire you to be a part of the food resilience revolution on the African continent. In addition, the podcast will highlight approaches to challenges and specific strategies to achieve success. We will prominently feature the topics of building complementary teams, scaling ventures, and business building. The RootsToFoods podcast is a rich resource hub and community of entrepreneurs, executives, and investors in the agtech, food systems, and climate adaptation sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Episodes

Monday Feb 17, 2025
Monday Feb 17, 2025
Welcome to Roots to Foods, where we explore innovative solutions at the intersection of food, business, and social impact. In this special episode, Building Prosperity through Entrepreneurship and Partnerships, we sit down with two visionary leaders driving change in global food systems: Sarah Farley, Vice President at the Rockefeller Foundation, and CD Glin, President of the PepsiCo Foundation & Global Head of Social Impact at PepsiCo Inc.
Join us as we discuss how strategic collaborations, innovative funding models, and entrepreneurship can create sustainable prosperity—boosting livelihoods, strengthening food security, and fostering inclusive economic growth. Tune in for insights on how partnerships are shaping the future of food and development in Africa.

Monday Dec 16, 2024
Monday Dec 16, 2024
Welcome to RootsToFoods, the podcast exploring food systems, entrepreneurship, technology, and climate adaptation. I'm your host, Ovidiu Bujorean, Sr. Technical Director at AV Ventures, the impact investing arm of ACDI VOCA.
Our oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface, yet their full economic potential remains largely untapped. From sustainable aquaculture to innovative financing and transformative partnerships, the blue economy offers opportunities to drive economic growth, combat climate change, and create livelihoods—all while protecting marine ecosystems.
In this episode, we’ll unpack the practical steps needed to unlock these opportunities. We’ll look at challenges, innovative solutions, and real-world success stories that can inspire action across industries and communities. Let’s set sail on this fascinating conversation!

Wednesday Oct 16, 2024
Wednesday Oct 16, 2024
In this special World Food Day episode of the Roots to Food podcast, we explore critical issues surrounding global food security and sustainable agriculture. Featuring expert guests, Ambassador Mark Green, President and CEO, The Wilson Center and Katherine (Katie) Meighan, Chief Legal and Governance Officer; Associate Vice-President External Relations Department Ai, IFAD - United Nations.
The episode dives into how we can address food insecurity, climate change, and economic challenges through innovative approaches in the agricultural sector.
The conversation touches on how to close the growing food gap in developing countries, emphasizing the need for better access to nutritious food. The guests also discuss the impact of climate change on food systems and share practical, climate-smart solutions that help farmers adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment.
Be sure to share and join the conversation using #RootstoFoodPodcast!

Wednesday Sep 25, 2024
Wednesday Sep 25, 2024
Welcome to another episode of the Root to Foods podcast!. The session, titled “Scaling Agribusiness Ventures: Opportunities and Challenges in Taking African Agriculture to the Next Level,” explored the vast potential and significant hurdles involved in expanding African agribusiness. As Africa looks to transform its agricultural sector, scaling up operations and integrating advanced technologies are critical. The session, featuring a panel of experts including Dr. Mima Nedelcovych, Chairman of AfricaGlobal Schaffer, Hon. Mr. Matthew Miller, Director of Agribusiness Investments at U.S. DFC, Eren K., Chief Investment Officer at the African Development Bank Group, Mrs. Colleen Zamba, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Republic of Malawi. Dele Odufuye, Vice President and Country Director at Cavista Holdings, and Mr. Ovidiu Bujorean, Sr. Director of Investments, Innovative Finance at ACDI/AV-Ventures.

Thursday Aug 29, 2024
Thursday Aug 29, 2024
Welcome to another episode of the Root to Foods podcast!. In this episode, we’ll delve into "From Food Insecurity to Thriving Agribusinesses – The Case for a U.S.-Africa Strategic Agribusiness Partnership." As we confront the pressing challenges of food insecurity and agricultural instability, it becomes increasingly clear that forging strategic partnerships between the U.S. and Africa could be a game-changer. We examined how these collaborations can not only address the immediate needs of food security but also build resilient agribusinesses that drive sustainable growth.
Join us as we uncovered the potential for transformative change, discuss successful case studies, and envision a future where strategic partnerships pave the way for thriving agribusinesses and food security across the globe.

Monday Jun 17, 2024
Monday Jun 17, 2024
Welcome to another episode of the RootsToFoods podcast.
In this episode, we delve into the technologies, tools, and services designed specifically to empower women farmers and entrepreneurs. Our discussion will highlight how these innovations improve women’s access to crucial resources like information, finance, market opportunities, and enhance their roles in decision-making processes. From mobile apps that democratize market data to platforms that facilitate micro-loans, we're unveiling the women who are making a real difference.
We’re also showcasing several case studies of successful women-focused agritech projects. These stories not only illustrate the positive impacts on women's empowerment but also demonstrate how these innovations support climate-smart agriculture practices, ensuring sustainability and resilience in farming communities.

Monday Apr 08, 2024
Monday Apr 08, 2024
Welcome to Roots to Foods. In today’s episode, "Scaling Up AgriTech Ventures Across The Africa Continent, we have an extraordinary guest today: ChatGPT from OpenAI. With its vast knowledge and insightful analysis, ChatGPT will help us understand the current landscape of AgriTech ventures in Africa, the opportunities for scaling up, and the challenges that lie ahead.
Join us as we uncover the innovative solutions and inspiring stories at the intersection of agriculture and technology on the African continent.

Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
Join us on our this episode as we dive deep into the heart of agricultural innovation with Ayodeji Arikawe, the visionary CEO of Thrive Agric. Together, we explored the challenges, triumphs, and groundbreaking strategies behind scaling up AgTech ventures across the African continent. Discover how technology and agriculture converge to create sustainable solutions for food security, economic growth, and how Thrive Agric is leading the charge. Don't miss this enlightening conversation on the RootsToFoods Podcast. Tune in to gain valuable insights into transforming challenges into opportunities in the AgTech landscape.

Friday Mar 01, 2024
Friday Mar 01, 2024
In this enlightening episode of Rootstofoods, we delve into the dynamic world of scaling ventures within Africa and extend our vision to global markets. Our host Ovidiu Bujorean is joined by a panel of distinguished entrepreneurs and investors who have successfully navigated the complex terrain of expanding businesses from local startups to international powerhouses. Together, they unpack the unique challenges and opportunities faced by ventures in Africa aiming for global reach. Listen as they share invaluable insights on leveraging local strengths, navigating regulatory environments, and harnessing technology for cross-border expansion.
Tune in to discover the strategies that have propelled African ventures onto the world stage and how they're shaping the future of global business.

Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Welcome back to another exciting episode of the Roots to Foods Podcast!
In this episode, we're exploring the cutting-edge world of "Precision Agriculture" and for this deep dive, we have a very special guest – not your usual industry expert, but an AI: ChatGPT from OpenAI! As we leap in AI technology, ChatGPT is here to give us an insightful perspective on how AI and machine learning are revolutionizing agriculture. We'll discuss how precision agriculture is not just a buzzword but a transformative approach to farming, optimizing resources, and boosting yields while minimizing environmental impact.
Tune in to this episode of Roots to Foods for an enlightening conversation that bridges the gap between traditional farming and futuristic agriculture. Remember to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share with your friends and colleagues who are passionate about the future of agriculture.
#RootsToFoods #PrecisionAgriculture #ChatGPT #AgricultureTechnology #SustainableFarming #FutureOfFarming #AgriTech #PodcastEpisode

Roots To Foods Podcast
Welcome to RootsToFoods, the podcast where we dig deep into the world of agriculture, technology, and climate adaptation. I'm your host, Ovidiu Bujorean, technical director for partnerships and investments with AV Ventures, the impact investing arm of ACDI VOCA, a 60-year-old nonprofit US-based organization, and the global leader in market systems development. I designed the Roots to Food podcast series because I deeply believe in the power of entrepreneurship to solve serious societal problems such as food security, food resilience, and access to economic opportunity.
To unlock the potential of food resilience on the African continent, we need three paramount resources, scalable agriculture technologies, driven entrepreneurs, and smart impact investing capital. The purpose of our podcast is to bring leap frogging and impactful ideas and entrepreneurs forward while also inspiring the next wave of exceptional African entrepreneurship. Our podcast will feature breakthrough technologies, entrepreneurs, and organizations that quickly scale food system solutions benefiting African communities.
The RootsToFoods podcast is a rich resource hub and community of entrepreneurs, executives, and investors in the ag tech, food systems, and climate adaptation sectors in sub-Saharan Africa.