21 August 2025, Tokyo, Japan –– Zambeef Products PLC ‘s (Zambeef) Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Faith Mukutu, recently represented the company at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held from 19–22 August 2025 in Japan.

Ms. Mukutu participated in high-level panel discussions at a side event themed “Building Sustainable Agri-Value Chains to Boost Africa’s Growth’’. Her presence underscores Zambeef’ s commitment to driving sustainable socio-economic development across Africa through innovative agricultural practices and integrated value chains.

“Africa’s agriculture sector holds immense potential to transform economies and improve livelihoods. At Zambeef, we believe that building robust, sustainable agri-value chains is key to unlocking this potential,” said Ms. Mukutu.

During the discussions, Ms. Mukutu highlighted Zambeef’s “Farm to Fork” business model as a successful example of vertical integration in agribusiness. From crop and livestock production to processing and retail, Zambeef’s operations span the entire agricultural value chain, serving as a blueprint for scalable and sustainable growth across the continent.

During the side event session, it was noted that Africa’s annual food imports were US $65 billion and this left the continent vulnerable to global trade disruptions. Over 140 million people faced acute food insecurity, exacerbated by climate change and economic shocks.

Further, most of the smallholder farmers relied on rainfed agriculture with limited access to inputs and technology. Agriculture remained the largest source of employment and employed over 52% of Africa’s labour force.

Ms. Mukutu, therefore, emphasized the need to increase farmers’ access to inputs, technology, skills, financing, and markets to build resilient agri-value chains and strengthen food security.

Ms. Mukutu expressed admiration for Japan’s disciplined approach to business and quality, noting:

“I look forward to learning from the Japanese private sector, especially in areas of innovation and operational excellence. Their commitment to quality and efficiency is something we aspire to emulate.”

Image 1: Ms Faith Mukutu, Zambeef CEO, fourth from left, pictured alongside members of the panel discussion at a side event themed “Building Sustainable Agri-Value Chains to Boost Africa’s Growth’’

About Zambeef Products PLC

Zambeef Products PLC (“Zambeef”) is the largest integrated diversified food producer and agri-business company in Zambia and one of the largest in the southern Africa region. Zambeef is listed on both the Lusaka Securities Exchange and the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. It is involved in the primary production, processing, distribution and retailing of beef, chicken, pork, dairy, fish, flour, stock feed and day-old chicks throughout Zambia and the surrounding region.  Zambeef also has one of the largest row cropping operations in Zambia, growing wheat, soya beans and maize.

For further information on Zambeef’s commitment to sustainability, climate change, and health and safety, please visit: https://zambeefplc.com/sustainability/

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