Congratulations to Dr Lindiwe Majele Sibanda winner of the 2013 Yara Prize
Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda has been awarded the 2013 Yara Prize which honors youth entrepreneurship and policy advocacy.
Dr Sibanda is the CEO of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) and a project partner in our irrigation project. Dr Sibanda shares the honour of the Yarra Prize with Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, Founder and CEO of the Smallholders Foundation in Nigeria.
The Yara Prize Committee has selected the two prominent African laureates for their work for African farmers and for the continent’s green revolution. The award recognises their effective entrepreneurial work which has spread knowledge that has inspired smallholder farmers and youth to improve their lives, and their policy dialogue and advocacy which has enabled change in the African agricultural sector.
Both laureates have, through personal commitment and special efforts, translated ideas on the development of African agriculture into impactful results in their respective areas of work. They are both examples of the can-do spirit and drive that is playing a vital role in transforming agriculture in Africa.
Congratulations to them both!
Dr Sibanda is awarded the prize for her many years of work on research and development through policy and advocacy in southern Africa through FANRPAN, where she has served as CEO since 2004.
FANRPAN is perceived to be one of the most influential policy networks in the southern African region. Focus areas include policy research and advocacy work on food policies, agricultural productivity, natural resources and environment, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture and food security in southern Africa. Dr Sibanda has played a global leadership role in fostering civil society inputs on agriculture for a long time. In 2009, Dr Sibanda led the ” No-Agriculture, No-Deal “ global campaign and mobilized African civil society organisations to push for the inclusion of agriculture in the United UNFCCC negotiations.
Dr Sibanda has built the advocacy capacity of FANRPAN through an innovative use of outreach strategy and communication activities, which help leverage and amplify the work done by the organisation at the ground level. Through this multi-prong approach Dr Sibanda has effectively built recognition for FANRPAN, allowing it to become one of the most recognised voices on African agriculture and food security, including a strong focus on women farmers.
FANRPAN identified youth as an important stakeholder group that is to be nurtured and included in agricultural policy processes. Dr Sibanda launched the FANRPAN Youth in Agriculture Award in 2012.