By Kudzai Jakachira
Italy has launched an agrifood technology initiative in Zimbabwe aimed at strengthening agricultural cooperation, promoting technology transfer and creating new business opportunities between companies from the two countries.
The “Italian Agrifood Technology for Africa” project was launched in Harare through an agri-food business forum organised by the Italian Embassy in Zimbabwe, with assistance from the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) in Johannesburg.
The forum brought together a delegation of Italian companies led by Agrifood Consulting president Renzo Piraccini, alongside representatives from Zimbabwe’s ministries of agriculture and that of industry, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries and other major trade associations.
The business mission was the first of its kind in Zimbabwe in several years and provided Italian companies with an opportunity to showcase agricultural products, technologies and potential investment solutions to local businesses.
More than 40 representatives of Zimbabwean companies took part in business-to-business meetings held as part of the mission, with discussions focusing on possible areas of commercial cooperation.
One of the potential areas identified was the tomato production and processing sector, where the two sides explored the possibility of developing pilot projects.
The Italian delegation also visited local agricultural and business facilities to assess potential opportunities for cooperation and the development of joint initiatives.
Italian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Giuseppe Giacalone (pictured) said the forum had created an opportunity for stakeholders to deepen commercial relations and identify practical areas of collaboration.
“This business forum provided an important opportunity for dialogue among the various stakeholders involved, allowing for the deepening of commercial relations and fostering concrete opportunities for collaboration between Italy and Zimbabwe,” Giacalone said.
He said the mission also provided an opportunity to introduce innovative agricultural techniques and projects that could improve cultivation methods and increase local production.
The initiative comes as Zimbabwe continues to seek investment, technology and value-addition opportunities across its agricultural sector.
Agriculture remains an important component of Zimbabwe’s economic development strategy, while recent regional initiatives have also placed greater emphasis on agricultural value chains, agro-processing and formal trade.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), for instance, has been working with Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Italy on projects aimed at strengthening agricultural value chains and trade, including in tomato, sesame and macadamia production.
