Mutande Kosta Tembo

I am a Business Development Manager at Stewards Globe Limited, trading as Afriseed. I identify and develop growth opportunities through market research, proposal development, partnerships, investor and donor engagement, and project management. My role connects seed innovation, finance, and markets to drive profitability, expansion, and sustainable agricultural impact.

My journey has been shaped by a deep interest in agriculture, environmental sustainability and the role of finance and markets in improving livelihoods. Growing up on a farm in Lusaka, Zambia, I developed an early appreciation of agriculture as a source of food, income and economic opportunity. Farming was a central part of my upbringing, and the experience of growing our own food created a lasting connection to the sector. At the same time, I became increasingly aware of the imbalance between the effort required to produce food and the returns many farmers receive. Smallholder farmers are often price takers, with limited bargaining power, weak market access and little influence over the value captured beyond the farm gate. These challenges are even more pronounced for many rural women, who may contribute significantly to agricultural production while having limited access to markets, finance, productive assets and control over the income generated. These realities strengthened my interest in how markets, finance and partnerships can be designed to make farming more inclusive, competitive and rewarding at the primary production level. My training in agronomy and Environmental Biology provided the technical foundation for my work in sustainable agriculture, research and environmental stewardship. Over time, my career evolved into business development and project management, where I have been able to combine technical knowledge with proposal development, strategic partnerships, investment mobilisation and the implementation of high-impact initiatives. Today, I am driven by the opportunity to develop commercially sustainable solutions that connect farmers to better inputs, finance, markets and opportunities, while creating value for businesses and delivering meaningful economic, social and environmental impact.