Olam Agri Launches Pan-African Baking Initiative to Train 20,000 Bakers

Olam Agri has launched 'Baking Brighter Futures', a pan-African initiative to develop baking skills, promote entrepreneurship and improve livelihoods. The program aims to train over 20,000 bakers across Africa through baking academies and partnerships with vocational institutions.

The initiative is backed by planned investments of US$2 million through 2030 and will focus on equipping aspiring food entrepreneurs with the resources and knowledge to meet growing demand for wheat-based foods. The program builds on Olam Agri's existing baker development programs, which have already benefited over 10,000 bakers across Africa since 2019.

Ashish Pande, global commercial head of wheat milling at Olam Agri, said: 'Demand for wheat-based foods continues to grow across Africa, creating opportunities for bakers and food entrepreneurs across the value chain.' He added that the initiative aims to help bakers strengthen their technical capabilities, improve product quality and food safety standards.