Private Sector Impacts on Food Security and Nutrition: Examples from Bangladesh & Rwanda
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A member of Turwanyinzara Cooperative at Nyamasheke District drying small, fresh fish - known as isambaza - to deliver across key sectors of the district.
On Thursday, October 27, 2022, USAID’s Private Sector Engagement Secretariat and USAID’s Rwanda and Bangladesh Missions discussed promising practices for engaging the private sector to advance and sustain inclusive, agriculture-led economic growth and a well-nourished population, especially among women and children.
This webinar featured a panel of practitioners discussing how the private sector can supplement public sector interventions in the agricultural sector, as well as highlighted private sector partnerships in Rwanda and Bangladesh with a focus on nutrition.
The Feed the Future Rwanda Orora Wihaze Activity, supported by USAID/Rwanda, works with local partners and private sector actors in the country to sustainably increase the availability, access, and consumption of animal-sourced foods through the development of a profitable market. The Feed the Future Bangladesh Nutrition Activity, supported by USAID/Bangladesh, works with private sector partners to empower and support market and community actors to address underlying causes of malnutrition in the country.
Speakers
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Katie Garcia (Moderator)
Deputy Executive Director, Private Sector Engagement Hub, USAID
Katie Garcia is the Deputy Executive Director of the Private Sector Engagement Hub in the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation. Previously, she served in the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security as the Director of their Private Sector Engagement Community of Practice, and before that, in the Bureau for Food Security, leading their efforts to engage food and agriculture companies, develop and manage new private sector partnerships, and promote inclusive market driven development. She originally joined USAID as a Presidential Management Fellow based in the former Office of Agriculture. She completed rotations at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (now the DFC), the State Department, and the Global Development Alliance Office (the Hub's predecessor office). Prior to joining USAID, she worked for an international development consulting firm, managing USAID-funded projects in the Latin America and Caribbean region. She began her career in development serving as an agroforestry and environmental education Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador. Ms. Garcia holds a Masters in International Economic Relations from American University and a Bachelors in Anthropology from the College of William and Mary.
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Keith Dokho (Opening Remarks)
Senior Private Sector Engagement Specialist/ PSE Secretariat Lead, USAID
Keith Dokho is a seasoned international development and partnerships professional with over 20 years of experience. He has a proven track record for building multi-stakeholder partnerships, managing corporate relationships, and catalyzing investment to achieve sustainable enterprise-driven results. Keith has substantial experience with designing, implementing, and managing programs and solutions for developing country contexts.
Keith leads the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID's) Private Sector Engagement Secretariat in the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS). He supports US Government collaborations with companies to address poverty and hunger for the Bureau's four technical centers: Agriculture, Nutrition, Water, and Resilience. Before joining RFS, Keith served as the Director for External Partnerships at USAID's New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) Incubator. At the Incubator, he helped expand USAID's capacity for partnerships, diversify and strengthen its partner base, and help organizations (particularly the private sector) work more efficiently with the Agency. Keith's previous experience includes creating shared value partnerships with private sector companies in cooperation with the US Government, multilateral donors, NGOs, and foundations. He has spearheaded practical and scalable collaborations with businesses to increase field programs' effectiveness in economic development, nutrition, and food security worldwide.
Keith believes in the private sector's power to deliver innovative and impactful market-based solutions through thoughtful partnerships. He holds an MBA in International Business and Marketing from Loyola University Chicago, an MTA in International Development from The George Washington University, and a BA in Financial Management and Marketing from Hillsdale College.
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Dr. Dennis Karamuzi (Panelist)
Chief of Party, Feed the Future Rwanda Orora Wihaze Activity, Land O’Lakes Venture37
Dr. Dennis Karamuzi is the Chief of Party of the Feed the Future Rwanda Orora Wihaze Activity, implemented by Land O’Lakes Venture37, and a seasoned project manager. A veterinarian by profession, Dennis also holds a Master of Business Administration in Project Management from Maastricht School of Management, and he has held key management and technical positions with major agriculture transformation programs in Rwanda.
As Chief of Party of Orora Wihaze — a flagship USAID Small Livestock Activity — since October 2019, Dennis leads a diverse team of expert project staff from various organizations under a Land O’Lakes Venture37-led consortium. He has deep experience in developing agricultural value chains — livestock, crops, and cooperative management — and knowledge of the financial services sector, research-in-use, and private sector development, with a keen interest in the cooperative movement. Prior to his role at Orora Wihaze, Dennis was the Team Leader for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)-funded Improving Market Systems for Agriculture in Rwanda (IMSAR) and was Chief of Party of the USAID Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program (RDCP II), prior. He has also led a host of other successful programs, which have been critical in Rwanda’s post-genocide economic empowerment of communities. He is passionate about working with communities to create lasting impact!
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Ashfaq Enayetullah (Panelist)
Deputy Chief of Party, Feed the Future Bangladesh Nutrition Activity, Abt Associates Inc
Ashfaq Enayetullah is a Market Systems Development expert with over 17 years of experience in the private and development sectors. As Deputy Chief of Party for the Feed the Future Bangladesh Nutrition Activity, implemented by Abt Associates Inc., Ashfaq collaborates with a team of technical specialists to increase the nutritional intake of rural households, empower women and adolescents, and improve access to WASH products and services in rural communities.
Previously, Ashfaq worked in diverse development programs in Bangladesh, including to improve agricultural markets and scale up models for vocational skills-building. He specializes in women and youth empowerment; local economic development initiatives with cooperatives, trader associations, and regional government agencies; and use of technology (ICT4D) and media (TV, radio, newspapers) for development.
Ashfaq holds an MBA from Dalhousie University in Canada. The core of his work throughout the years has revolved around analyzing different types of market systems—identifying constraints and opportunities—and then collaborating with the private sector and public institutions to design and implement sustainable solutions.
