The Let’s Talk Agriculture Podcast

Reducing Food Waste: How Every Bite Counts Towards Sustainability

Welcome to another enlightening episode of the Let's Talk Agriculture Podcast, hosted by Sharon Idahosa. This week, we tackle the critical issue of food loss and waste, exploring how millions of tons of food go uneaten annually, leading to wasted resources, environmental harm, and missed opportunities to combat global hunger.
Our guest, Chizoma, a seasoned advisor in the food health industry, guides us through the critical concepts of reducing, recovering, and recycling food waste. From understanding the differences between food loss and food waste to the significant environmental, economic, and social impacts, this episode dives deep into actionable solutions and strategies that businesses, governments, and individuals can adopt.
Sharon and Chizoma also share inspirational stories of innovative approaches and personal experiences in tackling food waste, aiming to motivate listeners to make conscious efforts toward building more sustainable food systems.
Join us in this crucial conversation and learn how you too can play a part in creating a more sustainable future.

Cocoa Crisis or Market Correction? Exploring the Industry's Future

In this episode of the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast, Sharon Idahosa delves into the burgeoning cocoa industry, currently making headlines due to skyrocketing prices and divided opinions. Is the industry truly in crisis, or are we witnessing a long-overdue market correction?
Join Sharon as she hosts Alan Perlstein, a pioneering food technology expert, to explore the impacts of technological innovations in food production. Discover the potential of lab-grown cocoa as a sustainable alternative, its effects on traditional farming, and how such innovations could redefine the future of chocolate.
Alan shares insights into the challenges faced by cocoa farmers, especially in Africa, and how the demand for cocoa is outpacing supply. Learn how lab-grown cocoa might impact the market, its ability to mimic traditional flavors, and the debate around differentiating between traditional and lab-grown cocoa in the market.
Tune in to understand the dynamics of the cocoa industry, the role of technology in food production, and the implications for farmers and consumers alike.

Beyond the Metrics: Building Podcast Influence in Agribusiness

Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture Podcast Show, where today we explore the deeper purpose of podcasting beyond numbers. Join your host, Sharon Idahosa, as we delve into the debate of whether businesses should prioritize audience metrics or focus on establishing industry authority and shaping conversations.
This episode dives into how podcasting can be a powerful tool for building credibility, influence, and long-term business impact in the agriculture industry.
Learn why thought leadership is not an overnight success and how consistent, meaningful conversations can position your brand as a go-to expert.
Discover practical strategies for leveraging podcasting for thought leadership, from crafting impactful episodes to expanding reach through repurposed content and guest appearances. Shift your focus from immediate metrics to lasting influence and explore how podcasting can become a strategic tool for brand growth and industry positioning.

Unlocking Business Value: Beyond ESG Compliance in Agriculture

Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture Podcast Show, where we delve into pressing topics in the agriculture sector. In this episode, host Sharon Idahosa explores the significance of strategic ESG communication for agribusinesses. Moving beyond mere regulatory compliance, the discussion highlights how effective communication of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) impacts can drive investment, foster trust, and differentiate brands in a competitive market.
Join us as we uncover common pitfalls in ESG communication, such as focusing on compliance over sustainable impact and the dangers of greenwashing. Discover the importance of storytelling in conveying real-life impacts and how leveraging platforms like podcasts and video documentaries can enhance your message.
Let's Talk Agriculture Limited offers strategic communication, branding, and media solutions to help your agribusiness stand out and thrive.
Tune in to learn how to make ESG an integral part of your growth strategy, engage your audience effectively, and ultimately unlock greater business value.

Youth as Catalysts: Driving Africa's Agricultural Revolution

Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast, where Sharon Idahosa dives deep into the trends, challenges, opportunities, and innovations shaping Africa's agricultural sector. In this episode, we explore the crucial role youth play in achieving Africa's food security goals. With the continent's growing population and increasing food demand, young agriculture innovators are stepping up to create solutions, drive innovations, and transform the industry.
Joining the conversation is Alfred Ukane, a passionate agricultural innovator, who shares insights on the challenges, opportunities, and solutions that young agripreneurs bring to the table. The discussion highlights the importance of enabling environments, overcoming barriers like infrastructure and access to capital, and the significance of knowledge sharing.
Listen in to discover how empowering youth can shape the future of agriculture in Africa. The episode also emphasizes the power of networking and strategic positioning for young professionals aiming to make a difference in the agricultural sector.

What African Agribusinesses Can Learn from Global Food Brands with Sharon Idahosa

Welcome to another episode of the Let’s Talk Agriculture Podcast! Today, we’re diving into a critical topic—branding and marketing for agribusinesses. Many African agribusinesses do great work, yet they struggle to differentiate themselves in the market. Without strong branding, it becomes difficult to attract investors, customers, and partners.
So, what can we learn from global food brands that have successfully built recognizable and trusted identities? Let’s break it down.
First, let’s talk about Dangote Group. Dangote has established itself as a dominant player, not just in agriculture but across multiple industries. What’s the secret? Consistency in branding. From product packaging to marketing campaigns, their identity remains the same, making them instantly recognizable. This is something many agribusinesses in Africa overlook—the power of consistency in messaging, design, and positioning.
Next, we look at Nestlé and how they adapted their marketing to fit African cooking styles. Instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach, Nestlé tailored its branding and communication to resonate with local consumers. This is a key lesson—understanding your audience and localizing your messaging can set you apart.
Then there’s Olam Agri, which has positioned itself as a sustainability-driven agribusiness. In today’s market, consumers and investors are paying more attention to sustainability. Olam Agri didn’t just adopt sustainability as a practice, they made it part of their brand story, which helped them stand out and build trust.
So, what’s the key takeaway? African agribusinesses must be intentional about branding. Whether it’s through consistency, audience-centered messaging, or sustainability, branding is what makes your business visible, credible, and competitive.
At Let’s Talk Agriculture Limited, we help agribusinesses develop strong branding, marketing, and communication strategies that position them for success. If you’re struggling with differentiation, now is the time to start building a brand that lasts.
Tune in to this episode to learn how you can apply these lessons to your agribusiness. Let’s make African agribusinesses impossible to ignore!

How to Leverage CSR to Build Strong Agricultural Brands

In this insightful episode of the Let’s Talk Agriculture Podcast, host Sharon Idahosa explores the power of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in shaping strong agricultural brands. Brought to you by Let’s Talk Agriculture Media, the media arm of Let’s Talk Agriculture Limited, this episode dives into:💫 Understanding how CSR goes beyond philanthropy to create lasting value in the agricultural sector.
💫Why storytelling and strategic communication are essential to maximizing CSR impact.
💫 How effective CSR initiatives build credibility, customer loyalty, and long-term brand equity.
💫 As a leading agribusiness communication firm, we help brands craft compelling narratives, showcase their impact, and position themselves as industry leaders through CSR.If your brand is investing in CSR but struggling to communicate its impact, Let’s Talk Agriculture Limited is your trusted partner. We specialize in sustainability communications, branding, and media strategies tailored for the agricultural sector.
Get in touch with us: partnerships@letstalkagriculture.com

How the Zero Hunger Coalition is Mobilizing AgriFood System Actors to End Hunger & Malnutrition with Francine Picard

[00:00:42] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast the podcast that connects you with the happenings, the trends, and opportunities in the agriculture sector.
[00:00:52] Sharon Idahosa: So, here's a quick information for us. We will be rounding up the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show for the year in [00:01:00] October and maybe stretch to November. Because we are trying to prepare for our year end vaccine, and if you'd like to be a part of it, please do well to reach out to us. Send an email to hello@letstalkagriculture.com.
[00:01:12] Sharon Idahosa: Now for today's episode, we will be looking at how the Zero Hunger Coalition is mobilizing Agri food systems actors to end hunger and malnutrition. Now, zero hunger is part of the SDGs and it must be addressed. So to help us learn more about the Unifying Effort, join me in welcoming Francine Picard, Director of Partnerships at Shamba Centre for Food and Climate.
[00:01:39] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, Francine. Thank you so much for joining the show today. I hope you've been well. 
[00:01:42] Francine: I'm fine, Sharon, and thank you for having me today. 
[00:01:45] Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure to have you here. When I saw your profile, I just thought, yeah, maybe we could connect. I, to be honest, I wasn't looking at the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast.
[00:01:54] Sharon Idahosa: I was trying to be very biased because I have A podcast for women. And I thought that, yes, maybe I [00:02:00] should have you on my personal podcast, but at the end of the day, we found ourselves here, which I think is amazing. So, thank you once again for joining LTA podcast. So, to get this episode started, maybe you can just give us an overview of what the Zero Hunger Coalition is all about.
[00:02:17] Sharon Idahosa: What is the inspiration behind this and why now? 
[00:02:21] Francine: Thank you, Sharon. Before I start talking about the Zero Hunger Coalition, I just want to reflect on You Wanted Me as a Woman, and I think that the Shamba Centre, the organization that I'm one of the co-founders, actually has an amazing story, because it's all about three amazing women.
[00:02:38] Francine: Sometimes it's also nice to recognize who we are, uh, that's joined forces all together to say, okay, let's work on, we have been working on the issue of ending anger, but let's put our forces all together to see, to then try and change things the way that we want to change it. Let disrupt the system the way you [00:03:00] think we are able to achieve it.
[00:03:01] Francine: So the Shamba Center is a new organization. We have two years of existence and then we are drafted by the passion and some of the passion actually is quite huge because it's all about How we can ensure that we are bringing idea, bold idea, and, and how we can move with all our idea to change things. So one of the initiatives that we thought could also respond to that quest is the Zero Hunger Coalition.
[00:03:29] Francine: So the Zero Hunger Coalition actually has been, uh, created, uh, as a response to the urgent global needs to address hunger and malnutrition. As you know, we are facing a huge amount of people. People now more than 700 are going to bed hungry. And this is really outrageous, is not acceptable. But this is also the reality.
[00:03:50] Francine: And I think that's, uh, the whole world gather together in 2021 during the work. UN, United Nations Food Systems Summit and say, what can we do together to actually ensure that the issue of malnutrition and hunger is not only about producing more food, is also for ourselves as an individual, as an institution, to see if we can, uh, Look that in a holistic way.
[00:04:17] Francine: We need to define the way that we are consuming the way that you are producing the way that our relationship to the food needs to be looked at differently in a very holistic manner in order to change things. So, the Zero Hunger Coalition came in that conversation and say, yes, but we need to ensure that hunger.
[00:04:38] Francine: need to disappear because the world is, is a plenty. We have enough resources. We have enough food, but we are not able to target that simple issue that actually somehow, I need to admit some, maybe we as a human were some selfish, uh, but we need to change that, that, that sound. [00:05:00] Um, so the, the coalition emerged as I say, uh, three years ago, it brings together government, private company, civil society, UN organization, because we need to walk towards the same goal.
[00:05:14] Francine: And I think it's all about finding long term solution and not just quick fixes as we used to do. I think we need to find a way that we can create a platform that actually leverage that willingness to change things and also to eradicate anger. 
[00:05:33] Sharon Idahosa: Thank you so much for that overview. I mean, I know how, how important it is for us to come together to achieve certain objectives.