BBC World Television showcases FIPS-Africa and Shujaaz as companies that 'will influence the way mankind will live and work in the future'
22 March 2011

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Francis and Eunice Akello explain the impact of the improved variety of cassava, supplied by FIPS, to Rob Finnigan filming for BBC World Service TV. Fellow farmer Samuel Atogo looks on.

A new flag-ship television series being made for the BBC's international television channel have just completed filming the RIU-supported enterprises FIPS-Africa and ShujaazFM.

The new series, which is called Horizons and will be screened globally from May 2011, is examining the future of business and looking at companies around the world that are likely to be making the greatest impact in influencing the way mankind will live and work in the future.

The BBC World Television News attracts a global audience estimated at 241 million people in 2010 and is believed to be the world's most viewed station.

Paul Gibbs, Senior Commissioner at BBC Global News, said:

"Horizons will offer a glimpse of what the future holds for us all, by looking at the businesses that are testing the boundaries of science and technology.

It's a global series and we'll be visiting companies across the world to uncover the ones with the most interesting, intriguing and advanced products and ideas. The approach we're taking is quite unique, so we're excited about the possibilities."

The 20-part half-hour programmes show will be fronted by Adam Shaw, an award winning business journalist who has worked on several of the BBC's most popular and respected news and current affairs programmes in the UK, including the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, the long-running investigative journalist programme Panorama and the daily business programme Working Lunch.

The series will be sponsored by DuPont. Mark Vergnano, Executive Vice President, said:

"It's going to take companies large and small, and ideas that are bigger than all of us, to solve the tough challenges facing our world. DuPont is proud to sponsor a series that highlights collaborative, business innovation from a global vantage point. The BBC has the reputation and integrity to tell these stories in a way that will educate, entertain, and maybe even inspire."

David Priest of FIPS-Africa said:

"FIPS-Africa was pleased for their work in the RIU-supported Siaya District to be filmed for the Horizons documentary. Goodness Media have been commissioned by BBC to produce a 20-part series on major challenges facing the world over the next 10 years: the first program is focusing on food security, particularly in the context of poor and deteriorating soils.

On the first day of filming, the Regional Coordinator for Western Kenya, Benson Maniaji, demonstrated the FIPS-Africa approach of mass dissemination of improved varieties and fertilizer blends. He focussed on allowing farmers to experiment on their own land with small packs and the importance of providing information on how to use the improved inputs most effectively.

On the second day, the crew filmed sales of small packs of seed at a field day organised by FIPS-Africa in collaboration with our private sector partner, Leldet Ltd. They also interviewed the managing director about the seed industry, small packs and the importance of having a diverse range of crops for food security"

Keith Sones of the RIU communications team said:

"When we established the RIU Best Bets programme in East Africa we were confident that we had invested in the five best proposals for transformational change in East Africa. In the case of Shujaaz and FIPS, the RIU team has been working alongside them to support their growth. So to find that the BBC is describing two of them as 'companies likely to influence the way mankind will live and work in the future' is just fantastic. It is great validation for them and vindication of the way RIU has been prepared to support the private sector to contribute to some of the pressing problems associated with feeding Africa."

The documentary is scheduled for global broadcast on BBC World Television in the first weekend in May (check the BBC World website for schedule details closer to the time).