22 entrepreneurs from abroad participating on the course “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” have learnt how to make a good idea, into good business.
Marketing, technology and targeting.
These are the words used by Peter Kegode, Mercy Kinuthia and Christian Chileshe when they described what they had got out of their short study of Danish agriculture and food production while attending the course “Innovation and Entrepreneurship”. 
-I have got a lot out of the course that can give value to our clients. Especially about branding and marketing. In Kenya a carrot is just a carrot but in Denmark you are good at selling the same product targeted several different target groups, says Mercy Kinuthia from Kenya.
She works as adviser for Wilmar Agro that advise farmers about production and sale of pot-plants and vegetables.
Together with 21 other entrepreneurs from the private sector abroad Mercy Kinuthia has recently completed the course “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” that is implemented as a cooperation between Danida Fellowship Centre and The Knowledge Centre for Agriculture, International Advice.
A technical revelation
On this 3 week course the participants learn to develop a business within the agriculture and food processing sector.
The programme is split up in theoretical teaching, development of the participants own business idea, and visits to innovative agribusinesses in Denmark.
-We visited a large farm with 600 cows, where because of the technical equipment being used the farmer only had 3 workers. If the farm was in Kenya the farmer would have needed 50 workers. I have read much about the latest technology so it was fascinating to see it actually being used and how efficient it was, says Peter Kegode who comes from Nairobi in Kenya.
He is organizing a major conference revolving around business with food products between Kenya and Brazil, and he is very interested in how Kenya can establish a more effective agricultural production.
-Many countries are interested in establishing business agreements with Kenya in the agriculture sector. Therefore we need to develop an efficient production, and here we can learn much from Denmark, explains Peter Kegode.
Targeted Management
Christian Chileshe from Zambia is also interested in copying the efficiency of Danish agricultural production. “We shall be more focused on management and efficiency. In Zambia the farmers are too focused on production instead of trying to be more efficient and going after that,” says Christian Chileshe.
“Innovation and Entrepreneurship” is one of 3 courses organized by International Advice for Danida. The two other courses are on “Food Security” and “Organic agriculture”.
Specialists from Planning and Environment, Development and Organic departments at the Knowledge Centre participate as lecturers on all 3 courses that are targeting small private entrepreneurs.
Read more about the project