Harambee - All Together for Africa
Harambee Forum. Making Africa Grow- The Goal of Harambee and the Cremonini Group.
between Luigi Scordamaglia, MD of the Cremonini Group and Massimo di Nola, a journalist from Sole 24Ore Radiocor. The main issue discussed was the contribution Italian companies can make towards African development.
“Africa needs to be viewed differently, as an opportunity for both our companies and for Africans, and not in terms of exploitation or welfare dependency” says Scordamaglia, director of INALCO, a company in the Cremonini group that has been working in Africa for over twenty years. “The food and agricultural sector lends itself more to constructive cooperation with Africa than other sectors, without depriving Africa of resources, but by better organizing the distribution chain of local food and agricultural production.”
Luigi Cremonini, founder of an empire in the agricultural sector, arrived in Africa, in Angola, twenty-one years ago when the Civil war was still raging. He gambled on a country with immense potential, distributing meat and agricultural products and producing hamburgers and cold cuts. Today Cremonini is present in the Congo-Brazzaville, D.R. Congo, Mozambique, Algeria and will soon be opening in Nigeria as well.
“African governments consider the Made in Italy brand a point of reference. While we continue to maintain a welfare approach towards Africa, they have chosen us to develop strategic sectors in their economy, preferring us over Chinese and Brazilian models. Now it’s Africa that calls the shots!”. The Italian agricultural model, Scordamaglia explains, is well-suited for Africa because it is based on small, high-quality production companies where production is enhanced by an efficient industrial system that transforms the country and commercializes its products.
In addition, the contribution made by Italian companies is relevant in the transfer of know-how- “at present three-hundred and fifty Africans and only one Italian work in our factories in Angola”- and for the creation of local entrepreneurship. “The growth rate of African countries is on the rise and Italian companies cannot miss out on this opportunity.” On the other hand, Scordamaglia concludes, “until this rate of growth becomes real development, local governments must do their part to promote adequate investments and agricultural-political opportunities.”