“To help a farmer, talk to a farmer”

Patience Koku, Global Farmer Network member and farmer was a panelist for Flourishing Farmers: Harvesting a Future in Farming. She explains, “the best way to help a farmer is to talk to a farmer,” and the value of getting in the field with the farmer to see the practical aspects. Her segment starts at 1:09:00. This virtual discussion includes other leading agricultural voices from across Africa—including Patience—who share their agricultural journeys. They share insights on how to access markets, and structures to put in place to reduce constraints and barriers to farmer productivity, performance, and market access.

GIBS Entrepreneurship Development Academy partnered with Corteva Agriscience for this roundtable discussion on the 31st of August 2021.

Onyaole Patience Koku

Patience Koku is serving the GFN as Regional Lead: Africa. Patience's farm is located on the Jere Azara irrigation scheme, Kagarko Local government, in Kaduna State Nigeria. The farm produces two crops annually under center pivot irrigation. They grow mostly seed corn and corn grain for major food processing companies in Nigeria, like Flour Mills of Nigeria. She is the recipient of the 2019 Kleckner Award from the Global Farmer Network and 2018 Cornell Alliance For Science Farmer of the year. She also serves on the Cornell Alliance For Science advisory board. In her time as a member of the GFN, she has advocated on major stages.