CNFA Europe

CNFA is now engaging with new partners in Europe and other locations worldwide

Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) is an international non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. and Brussels, Belgium with offices in 16 countries throughout Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.

We work with businesses, foundations, governments and communities to build customized local and global partnerships that meet the world’s growing demand for food.  Since our inception in 1985, we have designed and implemented enterprise-based, agricultural development initiatives to facilitate market access, enhance agribusiness competitiveness, increase productivity and improve access to inputs and credit across 43 countries worldwide.

Our Expertise

By incorporating innovative approaches into our programs and fostering inclusive development to offer enhanced opportunities to under-served groups, we create positive changes in the lives of smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs.

Click to read more about our work in each practice area.

FSCP-GIAF-Ethiopia Expected Impacts

$120,000

In private sector investment leveraged

3

PRIVATE RETAIL INPUT SUPPLY STORES (FSCS) ESTABLISHED

$300,000

in FSC sales generated

CNFA and AGCO Announce Partnership

CNFA and AGCO are partnering to jointly promote agricultural mechanization within Africa as a critical way to improve farm productivity and food security, particularly amongst smallholder farmers.

From right to left: CNFA Europe Managing Director Keith Polo, CNFA President and CEO Sylvain Roy, AGCO Senior Vice President Dr. Rob Smith, and AGCO President and CEO Martin H. Richenhagen

Learn more about this partnership

Executive Leadership

Keith Polo, Managing Director

Keith is a seasoned international agricultural development professional known for his extensive work forming and managing public-private partnerships that improve the performance of food and agricultural systems in some of the world’s most challenging locations and emerging market contexts, such as Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Nepal.  Over the past 20 years his work has spanned several major development organizations and inclusive agribusiness companies in a variety of senior management, technical, and consulting roles across Latin America, Africa, East and West Europe, the former Soviet Union areas, and Asia.  Most recently his work has focused on expanding responsible agricultural investments into inclusive agribusinesses in Africa in executive management roles working directly with private equity, development finance institutions, African-based businesses and other development partners.

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Board of Directors

Chairman: John H. Costello

John H. Costello is a senior executive with more than 30 years of experience in international foreign policy, economic development and program management. He most recently served for 29 years as the President and Co-Founder of CNFA.

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Director: Gail Mitchell

Gail Mitchell has over twenty-five years of leadership experience in the fields of purchasing, supply chain management and employee development. Currently she is Sr. Strategic Sourcing Director at Michael Foods, Inc., the world’s largest egg processor, the market leader in refrigerated potato products and a regional leader in packaged cheese.

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Director: Mike Espy

Mike Espy is a former Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a former U.S. Representative from the 2nd District of Mississippi, while in Congress, he served his district as a member of the Budget and Agriculture Committees. He currently works as a private sector attorney, counselor and agricultural advisor, running his own law and consulting firms: Mike Espy, PLLC, and AE Agritrade, Inc.

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Director: Davit Kirvalidze

David Kirvalidze brings 24 years of leadership and management experience in agriculture development specifically focused on development policy, value-added agriculture and private sector development. In 2000 and 2012, Mr. Kirvalidze served two terms as Minister of Agriculture in Georgia. As minister he led efforts in institutional reforms, productivity increase, export growth and attracting significant investment into Georgian agriculture sector and food industry.

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Director: Elin Miller

Elin D. Miller is principal of Elin Miller Consulting, LLC and works with her husband on their Hazelnut Farm in Umpqua, OR. Elin also serves as Vice Chairman of Vestaron Board, a Crop Protection Company out of Michigan and on the Board of Marrone Bio Innovations in California. She is currently the Vice Chair of the Umpqua Committee College Board of Trustees, and the Chair of the Board of NeighborWorks® Umpqua, a not-for-profit corporation with $70 million in assets and serves on Umpqua Bank’s Regional Board.

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CNFA President & CEO: Sylvain Roy

Sylvain Roy has more than 30 years of experience in managing international development programs focusing on agriculture, food security and agribusiness. In 2009, Mr. Roy joined CNFA as Vice President of Programs, overseeing the implementation of its project portfolio across 23 countries. In 2014, CNFA’s Board of Directors appointed him to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer.

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Contact Us

CNFA Europe is registered in Belgium as an international non-profit association (Enterprise No: 0634.572.416).  As a new, integral part of CNFA—the European affiliate—CNFA Europe adheres to the same vision, mission, and guiding principles of CNFA.

Address: Boulevard du Souverain 90, B-1170, Brussels, Belgium

Telephone: +32-28085555

Email: info@cnfa-europe.org