Business Support Services in the rice value chain

12 December 2012. This is an animated version of the Rising Rice film (part of the film United through markets)... mapping the value chain and Agribusiness clusters, and dealing with the role of the Business Support Services (BSS) as brokers of innovation and change within the competitive playing fields. Featuring the agribusiness cluster of parboiled rice in Bolgatanga

animated rice clip_fn - Broadband door moovon

Value chains for transforming smallholder agriculture

6–9 November 2012. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Over 500 private sector representatives, government officials, donors, civil society representatives, farmer organisations and academics have come together at “Making the Connection: Value Chains for Transforming Smallholder Agriculture”, an international conference that will discuss the future of agricultural value chains and how to incorporate smallholders in them to promote agricultural and rural development.

Hosted by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), with the support of many other organisations, the conference takes a novel, market-based approach to solving the challenge of how smallholder farmers can continue to play a major role in meeting consumer demand at domestic, regional and international levels.

This unique four day event brought together international experts and practitioners to:

CTA director Michael Hailu and 

Jethro Greene, Caribbean Farmers Network

• discuss how best to incorporate smallholders into value chains to promote agricultural and rural development,
• debate how to transform smallholders into entrepreneurs,
• identify conditions necessary to create a broader and more solid knowledge base for the promotion of sustainable value chains,
• identify training and information-sharing needs.
• share the floor with key experts and debate how best to incorporate smallholders into value chains and help foster entrepreneurship. 
• discover best practices and lessons learned from leading organisations around the world in a dynamic environment. 
• play your part and join representatives from the private sector, government, civil society, and farmer organisations in discussing ways of promoting sustainable agricultural value chains.

Michael Hailu, Director of CTA, said: “This is the first event of its kind to bring all sectors together to specifically explore agricultural value chain development from the perspective of the smallholder farmer. Giving smallholders the resources, entrepreneurial skills and knowledge they need has the potential to increase global food production and offers farmers a chance to work themselves out of hunger and poverty.”

Web streaming

2012 - Value ChainsFull details and download

African Rural and Agriculture Credit Association General Assembly

15th to 19th October 2012. Accra, Ghana. The 18th African Rural and Agriculture Credit Association (AFRACA) General Assembly and technical workshop was hosted by the AFRACA vice Chairperson; the Bank of Ghana.

The theme of the technical session was “Enhancing the Agriculture Value Chain through Innovation”. The following were the activities to guide the 2012 Technical workshop and the business session of 18th AFRACA General Assembly programme:

Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Millison Narh at the opening ceremony of AFRACA conference, raised concern about the continuous decline of the sub-Saharan international export.

He said “the value chain process which includes input supply, producers, processors and buyers can be sustained through innovation projects such as introduction and improved access to suitable agric technologies and credit facilities; availability of appropriate incentives for farmers and traders and integration of these new technologies and practices into their activities and investment plans.”

Millison Narh

He indicated that in order to further enhance the value chain system towards successful innovation, there should be a focus on establishing an agriculture commodity market, creating a warehousing research system, provision of storage devices to reduce or eliminate post harvest losses, and embracing the co-operatives concept which has emerged as the best tool to help rural small-scale producers to overcome many challenges that confront them.

He added that the provision of relevant training programmes for agric sector workers and a revision of the land tenure system to give access to arable lands for productive use would also contribute to enhancing the industry.

He also called on African governments and policy makers to make appropriate policy interventions which would entail infrastructure development and appropriate training opportunities for farmers, and make fiscal incentives available for financial institutions who are focusing on agric lending.

Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu, Zambia’s Deputy Governor in charge of Operations, encouraged AFRACA to compliment its training and policy programme initiatives with further research into the issue of inadequate access to finance and how avenues such as linkage banking may assist in fostering rural development.

Small Farmers – Big Business?

On 16-17 October, the European Commission is hosting EU Development Days, a two-day forum on international affairs and development cooperation that will see Heads of State, Nobel Prize laureates, business leaders, and development professionals meet to discuss some of the global issue that are at risk of slipping down the international agenda in the wake of the economic crisis.

17 October. This panel discussion was split into two parts:

1. Part 1 aimed to provide examples and learn lessons from inclusive business models where public and private sectors, donors and industry, have worked together to help suppliers gain access to, and benefit from, profitable market opportunities and innovative approaches. 
2. Part 2 attempted to identify key messages for donors/governments/companies in terms of policies and partnerships that will leverage private sector investment and engagement towards social and economic upgrading, food security, and sustainable agriculture. 

Panellists
Opening remarks :
- Allert van den Ham (NL), Chief Executive SNV Netherlands Development Organisation
- Guy Stinglhamber (BE), PIP & Coleacp Brussels Office Director
- Mohamed Ibn Chambas (GH), ACP Secretary-General at ACP Group of States

Panel discussion 1: Best practices and lessons learned in Agricultural Development
- Hans-Jürgen Mattern (DE), Vice President Strategic Quality Management, Metro Group
- Michael Anthony (GB), Head of Microinsurance and Food Security, Allianz AG
- Rashid Ally Mamu (TZ), Managing Director, Nyemo Investment Company
- Apollo Owuor (KE), Director for Agriculture and Corporate Affairs, Kenya Horticultural Exporters

Panel discussion 2: Should donor and company policies be revitalized?
-Kristian Schmidt (DK), Director Human Development Department, EU-DevCo
-Stephanie Barrientos (UK), Leader of Capturing the Gains Research Programme
-Frank van Ooijen (NL), Director for Sustainability at dairy multinational Frisland Campina
-Joe Cerrell (US), Director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Europe Office
-Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana (CM), Minister of Trade of Cameroon
-Nathalie Olijslager, Head of International Markets, Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the Netherlands

For more information on this HLP, please visit: http://www.smallfarmersbigbusiness.org

Agricultural Innovation cases in Kenya

This report on Agricultural Innovation cases in Kenya covers the first phase of the project which was the development of an inventory for each country that documents and describes examples of multi-stakeholder innovation processes that have relevance to smallholder agriculture. The inventory has sought to identify cases where local knowledge has made a contribution to the innovation process. The inventory has allowed for a broad understanding of innovation processes and their dynamics which will be explored in more detail through the next phase of the project, the collaborative assessment of three cases

Innovation cases in Kenya were identified through a number of different avenues. Discussions took place with possible case-holders to determine whether or not their cases would be relevant to Jolisaa.

The following criteria or guidelines were used for initially identifying cases for inclusion in the inventory : (1) Are they relevant to smallholders? (2) Do they show some level of novelty? (3) Are there multiple stakeholders?

The cases were only retained in the inventory if they met the following criteria: (1) experiences where at least 3 stakeholders had been actively involved (thus trying to avoid the many cases in which research entertains an exclusive relationship with a group of farmers), (2) experiences which were at least 3 years old (thus trying to target processes that were not in their infancy).

From the range of different cases explored up to this point, 18 cases in Kenya were finally selected.

The cases consist of: (a) Identification ; (b) The story line in a nutshell ; (c) The innovation context ; (d) Description ; (e) Main stakeholders involved and their roles in the innovation process ; (f) History / dynamics of the innovation process ; (g) Results & effects of the innovation process so far (adoption) ; (h) Main lessons in light of the JOLISAA goals and questions

Case Studies: 

1. Learning about management of prosopis in Baringo
2. Domestication and processing of wild Aloe (secundiflora and Turkanensis) in Baringo District
3. Participation of local communities in conservation of Arabuko Sokoke forest through butterfly farming
4. Production of contract seed maize production in the Perkerra irrigation scheme
5. Solving conflicts by managing water use through water resources users association on River Waseges Basin in Baringo
6. Private Public Partnership in the management of soil acidity in Western Kenya using lime
7. Public Private Partnership for commercial production of Gaddam sorghum in Makueni county,
Eastern Kenya
8. The introduction and cultivation of oil palm tree for income generation in Western Kenya
9. Institutional framework engaged by goat breeders associations in Kitui and Mwingi District
10. Improvement of farmer livelihoods through mango processing and marketing
11. Small input packs for promotion of yield enhancing inputs
12. Dairy milk production processing and marketing in Meru
13. Tissue culture bananas for small scale producers in Kenya
14. Finger millet seed saving and outscaling in Machakos district
15. Processing and cooling of milk through solar energy in the Kenyan South Coast
16. 'Jua Kali’ rice production and marketing outside the Mwea Irrigation Scheme
17. Ecological management of stem borer using pushpull technique in smallholder farms
18. Commercialization of grafting, pruning and spraying of Avocadoes and Mangoes

Related:
The 10th European IFSA Symposium, 1-4 July 2012 in Aarhus, DenmarkProducing and reproducing farming systems: New modes of organisation for sustainable food systems of tomorrow

Presentation of the paper:
What does an inventory of recent innovation  experiences tell us about agricultural innovation in Africa?
Bernard Triomphe, Anne Floquet, Geoffrey Kamau, Brigid Letty, Simplice Davo Vodouhe, Teresiah N’gan’ga, Henri Hocdé (July 2012, 10 pages)

Third edition of Focus on Agriculture Conference, Tamale, Ghana

Oct. 3 - 5, Tamale, Ghana. The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) has consulted the African Connections Ghana Limited, an experienced service provider to strengthen the capacities of smallholder farmers in the Savannah belt of the country to increase agricultural production in their vocations to reduce poverty. 

In this direction, smallholder farmers would be trained on improved farming methods to produce in commercial quantities by utilizing the power of group formation towards commercial production and linking them to marketing centers. 

Dr. Ayesha S. Hakeem, 

Managing Director of African Connections

The three-day conference which was under the theme; “Market driven agriculture for accelerated rural economic development” brought together people from diverse backgrounds to brainstorm on workable solutions that would increase production and improve agriculture in the country. Over 200 participants from Farm-Based Organizations (FBO), outgrowers, nucleus farmers, aggregators, transporters, input supplies, agro processors, equipment suppliers and manufacturers, local authorities, financial institutions, development partners, financial institutions, researchers and local civil society organizations would attended.

Dr. Ayesha S. Hakeem, Managing Director of African Connections, said African Connections believed in the positivism of the agricultural sector despite its numerous challenges, saying “An efficient value chain is an essential ingredient needed for agriculture to play the role it can play to drive rural economic development”.

She said the exhibition and conference would provide a platform for stakeholders across the value chain to network, interact, share ideas and come out with workable solutions to address the challenges within the agricultural sector from subsistence to commercial farming.

Mr. Wilson Doku, Alliances for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Agriculture Value Chain Project Manager said AGRA had supported the country with 30 million dollars in 36 interventions but despite that, many challenges such as access to good seeds, fertilizers and sustainable farming practices still persisted.

He said bringing stakeholders together to deliberate on strategies to transform subsistence farming into a viable commercial industry will facilitate the achievement of the Government’s objective of lifting millions out of poverty.

Partnering and PPP to improve tef

Tef is Ethiopia's main cereal crop

Zerihun Tadele

10 October 2012. Covering more than 2.6 million hectares, tef (Eragrostis tef) is Ethiopia's main cereal crop. (Zeherun Tadele in the New Agriculturist) With a higher tolerance to extreme conditions such as drought, water-logging and pests and diseases compared to wheat and maize, tef is favoured by millions of Ethiopian smallholder farmers. The seeds are also high in fibre, iron, and protein, and free of gluten, a substance in wheat that people suffering from coeliac disease are allergic to. But compared to other major cereals tef produces very low yields.

The major constraint of tef is a weakness of the stem which causes the plant to fall. A permanent displacement of the stem from the upright position, or lodging, results in considerable harvest losses, reducing both the quality and quantity of harvested grain. The use of nitrogen fertilisers, which weakens the stem further, and mechanised harvesting are also hindered. To increase the productivity of tef, a group of scientists from the Institute of Plant Science based at the University of Bern in Switzerland have teamed up with the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture and Syngenta Switzerland to develop semi-dwarf varieties that will be resistant to lodging and respond to the application of fertiliser.

Hereunder is an interview with prof Zerihun Tadele (Group Leader Molecular Breeding & Genomics; Institute of Plant Sciences at the University of Bern. He was interviewed by PAEPARD following the joint meeting was between the European Forum for Agricultural Research (EFARD) and the Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research (SFIAR) at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (HAFL).

The interview focused on the role of Public Private Partnerships in the Tef Biotechnology Project.

The project has access to Syngenta's greenhouse facilities in Switzerland, free of charge. "We are able to identify semi-dwarf lines in these modern greenhouses where environmental conditions such as light, temperature and humidity are properly regulated," Dr. Zerihun Tadele, the tef project leader reveals. So far, 6-8 plants have been grown from over 4,000 mutagenised lines, of which ten had inherited the semi-dwarf trait.

Semi-dwarf lines (left) have a much 

stronger stem than traditional varieties 

"This public-private partnership is very important," Dr Tadele adds. "Private companies, like Syngenta, have a lot of expertise and equipment which are not available in public organisations in developing countries. Our partnership with Syngenta has brought a lot of benefits to the project."

Dr Tadele and his colleagues launched the Tef Genome Sequencing Project in 2010, with funding from the Syngenta Foundation. While the Functional Genomics Center in Zurich has begun sequencing, the work will be completed at BecA (Biosciences in Eastern and Central Africa), based in Nairobi, as part of the projects strategy to transfer knowledge and technology to Africa.

"Sequencing does not just have an academic purpose; we want to apply it also," Tadele states. "Many times we had problems identifying and isolating genes using the TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes) technology, but when we have the genome sequence we can easily isolate the gene."

In addition, tef is a hardy plant, and sequencing the genome could reveal why tef has a higher tolerance than other major crops to drought, water-logging and pests and diseases. When complete, the genome sequence will be made freely available for public use so that it can be used by scientists to identify traits that will directly benefit African farmers.

Related:

New Approaches to Plant. Breeding of Orphan Crops in Africa:
Proceedings of an International Conference,
19-21 September 2007, Bern, Switzerland.

Extract: (page 17-18)

In the near term, the opponents of plant biotechnology in the developing world will continue to win their propaganda war. They have the passion and the resources, both money and time, that are not matched by anything in the public or private sector. The big corporations are not willing to invest much on this issue, as they see relatively few profits in developing world agriculture at this time. 

Developed world agricultural organizations are mostly devoted to serving their clients, the nation’s farmers, ag businesses and consumers, and only give token attention to the developing world. The scientists who work in plant genetics and biotechnology understand the current travesty, but have no serious lobbying capability. Moreover, scientists who take any stand on any controversial issue can risk their credibility, and their careers, because we are expected to be “above the fray”. For most U.S. scientists, for instance, any time spent on developing world issues (whether doing the science or advocating for more commitment to the problem) is time taken away from the research and teaching that will earn promotions and research support. 

 As scientists, we need to exit our comfort zones to both educate and advocate for crop biotechnology in the developing world. We may receive no rewards, and will certainly receive a hostile reception in some quarters. But this activism should be viewed as an obligation of the privileged lives we lead, motivated by the next experiment and the next discovery, rather than by wondering where the next meal will come from.

Learning and Innovation Platforms for Agricultural Knowledge and Technologies in Africa

1-5 October, 2012. Mwanza, Tanzania, Sixty five professionals and experts on knowledge sharing and technology dissemination gathered in Mwanza.They were focal points for RAILS and DONATA platforms currently funded by the AfDB/PSTAD project through FARA’s leadership with SROs’ (ASARECA, CORAF/WECARD and CCARDESA) coordinating support. IITA, CIP and ICRA are providing technical backstopping and NRI on M&E process. 

Participants shared experiences in managing knowledge exchange and innovation platforms. They learnt about evolution on the use of the value chain approach along the upward (inputs) and downward (commodity) chain. Most of the learning and innovation platforms led by research start with the seed upward chain. Stakeholders then get more engaged through greater interactions and understanding of issues and opportunities. This triggers interventions towards the downward chain such as processing and marketing of products.

Participants engaged in co-learning 

of the value chain approach

A field day allowed interaction with farmers, processors, traders of orange-fleshed-sweet potato in the Mwanza district. The learning and innovation platforms in Mwanza have evolved over the past 4 years of their operation, with greater ownership by the local governments and cooperatives managing processing plants. The platforms were facilitated by LZARDI, ASARECA, CIP and FARA.

The workshop highlighted the importance of shared understanding on the value chain approach and variations in actual practice of establishing learning and innovation platforms based on culture, environment and available resources. There are some platforms with formal and some with informal institutional structures. Their form and operation depend on transactions made among members i.e. financial resources shared or technical advice. The basic and initial objective is food security linked to development perspective.

As the learning and innovation platforms evolve, the commercial or business perspectives increases. Throughout the process, documentation and effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms becomes critical for enhanced learning and accountability.

1st October - 5 October 2012. Mwanza. Representatives from 24 African countries meet to reflect on achievements and challenges of implementing the dissemination of new agricultural technologies in Africa (Donata) project.

According to Dr Lydia Kimenya, the up-scaling programme manager from the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (Asareca), the conference aims at looking at achievements and draw lessons from current efforts to spread quality protein maize and orange fleshed sweet potatoes (Ofsps) in Africa.

“The conference, it is hoped, will further boost dissemination and adoption of improved agricultural technologies and innovations through innovation platforms,” she said.

According to her, the project on dissemination of new agricultural technologies in Africa is part of the promoting science and technology for agricultural development initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (Fara).

Through Asareca, the project manages and coordinates the implementation of Donata in Eastern and Central Africa.

“It works together with the national agricultural research institutes of Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and while, Ethiopia, which joined later started implementing the project in 2008,” she explained.

Dr Kimenye explained that through the knowledge management and the up-scaling programme, Asareca had been working with the five East African counties to promote the transfer and dissemination of technologies in sweet potatoes and transfer and dissemination of technologies in quality protein maize.

“The technologies include improved varieties, crop management practices and post-harvest management and processing to produce value added products for human consumption and for livestock feeds,” she added. According to her, the two crops’ technologies are being promoted through an approach known as Innovation Platforms for Technology Adoption (Iptas).

“This approach engages and brings together researchers, field extension workers, farmers, policy makers, non-governmental organisations, Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), seed companies, input suppliers and processors to share information, knowledge and skills on proven technologies in order to widely disseminate them,” she added.

The Role of Food Processing in Creating Markets and Reducing Losses for Smallholder Farmers in Africa

Michele McNabb, President, 

Partnership to Cut Hunger & 

Poverty in Africa

September 7, 2012. Washington, DC. The goal of this symposium was to highlight examples of how food processing can create markets for smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs, reduce food losses, improve nutrition, and meet changing food demand. The discussion will also focus on how public, private and civil sector organizations can facilitate the required innovative food technologies, business expertise and policy environment in Africa.

PANEL: Leveraging Appropriate Innovations for Food Processing and Market Development for Smallholder Farmers

1. Linking Farmers to Markets through Food Processing and Value Addition: Case studies from West Africa – Betty Bugusu, Managing Director, Purdue University’s International Food Technology Center, and Bruce Hamaker, Director & Professor, Purdue University’s International Food Technology Center. (DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION)
2. Cassava Processing and Market Development in Nigeria – Gbassey Tarawali, Project Manager for CEDP and MARKETS, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (via webinar). (DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION)
3. Strategies for Fast Tracking Market Developments for Food Products in Africa -Manjeet Chinnan, Professor of Food Engineering, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia and Anna Resurreccion, Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia. (DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION)
4. Food Processing and Value Addition: Case Studies from Partners in Food Solutions - Jeff Dykstra, Executive Director, Partners in Food Solutions (via webinar). (DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION)
5. Scaling Up Public-Private Investments for Food Processing and Value Addition – Jacklyn Claxton, Private Sector Advisor, Bureau for Food Security, USAID. (DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION)

Debate on cassava flour in bread intensifies in Nigeria

06 August 2012. Press reports in Nigeria indicate that on the eve of the introduction of a 15% increase in duties on wheat imports, the annual cost of Nigerian wheat imports had risen to US$4.1 billion. This measure, which according to USDA increased the import levy from 5 to 20%, was introduced as part of the policy to promote a substitution of cassava flour for wheat flour in bread. The measure is to be accompanied by an additional 65% levy on wheat flour, to bring the applied duty to 100%. As part of this policy, the government of Nigeria has not only increased import duties but is also offering corporate tax rebates to millers, with duty-free imports of all equipment for processing or blending cassava flour.

While bakeries are to be allowed 18 months to comply with new requirements, 10% blending of cassava flour with wheat flour is to be introduced in 2012, increasing to 40% by 2015. This is seen as creating new market opportunities for Nigerian farmers. In addition, despite initial political controversy over the health effects of the use of cassava flour in bread, the president of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria has come out in favour of blending requirements, arguing that by lowering the glycaemic index of bread, cassava-blended bread would help combat diabetes and would in addition be more nutritious.

There remains scepticism over the initiative, given the failure of a similar 10% blending requirement in 2005. Faced with opposition from millers linked to the quality of the cassava flour produced, blending requirements were first reduced and then abandoned. The 2005 experience and similar shortcomings in the 2002 presidential initiative on cassava have been cited as past examples that have discouraged investors from engaging with the new policy.

However, some companies have publicly endorsed the initiative and pledged support for the government’s blending objectives, and in June 2012 the Association of Small Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN) came out in favour of the use of cassava flour in bread. However, ASSAPIN warned that the government needed to consult and carry small-scale farmers along with the new initiative.

The current ‘cassava bread’ initiative offers considerable potential for job creation (estimated by the government at 1.3 million jobs), as well as increased returns to cassava farmers and foreign exchange savings.

However, cassava is a versatile crop with multiple uses. In addition to growing international demand for cassava as an animal feed, there is a range of existing national and regional markets for cassava-based food products. For example, gari, a manufactured cassava product, is consumed widely in all parts of Nigeria and in the region.

Expanding the use of cassava flour in food products will require the development of an efficient and well-integrated production and marketing system, in order to assure a steady supply of cassava products of stable, high-quality standards, with specific properties at appropriate prices. The Nigerian government aims to meet this challenge in part by expanding production from the current 35 million tonnes (Nigeria is already the world’s largest producer) to 51 million tonnes. However, a shortage of contiguous land for commercial development, linked to Nigerian land tenure systems, suggests the need for a greater focus on expanding smallholder cassava production.

At a regional level, the Nigerian government’s decision to ban cassava flour imports from March 2012 (despite the absence of any current trade) sits uneasily with regional trade policy commitments and regional initiatives to promote cassava production and intra-regional trade in cassava products.

Branding Agricultural Commodities: The development case for adding value through branding

This paper examines the potential for branding agricultural commodities in developing countries. We look at how producers in these countries can exploit the same commercial marketing principles and supply chain innovations commonly used in the mature markets of the developed world.

Agricultural commodities matter to development. Commodity products such as sugar, coffee or beef contribute to more than a quarter of GDP in developing countries, where over 1 billion farmers derive at least part of their income from them. As most of these farmers are smallholders, raising the value of commodities can do much to reduce poverty.

Unfortunately, the trend has been the opposite. Modern food chains place increasing importance on branding, distribution and services — activities ‘downstream’ of farmers’ traditional role in supplying produce to markets. As a result, primary producers of agricultural commodities have been capturing less and less of the total value of their products. At the same time, power has become concentrated in the hands of a small number of buyers — the giant supermarket chains and manufacturers who dominate the global food market.

By branding commodities, producer countries and organizations can reverse this growing imbalance. Branding creates consumer demand, giving producers leverage in negotiations with major buyers.

A longer paper is also available. 

Incentives for sustainable cocoa production in Ghana

 Incentives for sustainable cocoa production in Ghana : moving from maximizing outputs to optimizing performance 2012

This study has been conducted and funded under the Multi-Annual Strategic Plan 2012-2015 of the Netherlands Embassy to Ghana, and carried out to provide an overview of the incentives system in the cocoa chain in Ghana and The Netherlands in view of mainstreaming sustainable cocoa production.

Transfer Innovations From Research Labs to Farmers Fields

From left: minister of agriculture and 

rural development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina; 

Permanent Secretary, Mrs Fatima Bamidele, 

and president IFAD, Dr Kanayo Nwanze at a dinner 

in honour of IFAD president in Abuja

21 August. Ibadan, Nigeria. Kanayo F. Nwanze, the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) delivered a keynote speech at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) about the critical role of research in obtaining food security for the country and beyond.

"No one is better placed to know conditions on the ground in Nigeria, and to discover solutions to the country's challenges, than Nigerian scientists themselves. We cannot and should not rely exclusively on research done in developed countries to address the needs of developing countries." 

Nwanze, a scientist by training, was previously Director-General of the Africa Rice Center for a decade.

As the largest producer of cassava, Nwanze said the country's agricultural sector has immense potential, and that research and development of rural areas are vital to its development. He said that scientists must understand the environment where their innovations and breakthroughs will be used, and the needs of the people who live there. If they don't, their research will never get beyond the lab.

"For research to move from the lab to the field, it needs to be supported by a strong extension system and enabling policies that link research to products and markets so that the applications benefit both the public and private sectors."

From left: vice chancellor, university of Ibadan, 

prof Isaac Adewole; president IFAD, Dr Kanayo Nwanze and 

the director general, IITA, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, 

at a lecture on investing in agriculture for 

the future of Nigeria in Ibadan on Tuesday (21/8/12)

IFAD has worked in Nigeria since 1985, and today is partnering with the government on three programmes to strengthen the country's rural sector, with a special focus on women and young people. The new Value Chain Development Programme, which was approved by IFAD's Executive Board in April 2012, will help strengthen the existing extension system in Nigeria.

A strong extension system ensures the link between research and farmers, taking new technology from the lab to the farm. Through its interaction with small farmers, extension feeds back information to the scientists to adapt research results to the farmers' needs. The programme will take a holistic approach, driven by demand, to address constraints along cassava and rice value chains. Through an inclusive strategy, it will strengthen the capacity of producers and processors as well as public and private institutions, service providers, policy-makers and regulators.

Announcement: Value chains for transforming smallholder agriculture

making the connection

value chains for transforming smallholder agriculture

6-9 November 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This unique four day event will bring together international experts and practitioners to:

• discuss how best to incorporate smallholders into value chains to promote agricultural and rural development, 
• debate how to transform smallholders into entrepreneurs, 
• identify conditions necessary to create a broader and more solid knowledge base for the promotion of sustainable value chains, identify training and information-sharing needs. 

Share the floor with key experts and debate how best to incorporate smallholders into value chains and help foster entrepreneurship. Discover best practices and lessons learned from leading organisations around the world in a dynamic environment. Play your part and join representatives from the private sector, government, civil society, and farmer organisations in discussing ways of promoting sustainable agricultural value chains.

Private Sector Perspectives for Strengthening Agribusiness Value Chains in Africa: Case Studies from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Mali

May 2012. Private Sector Perspectives for Strengthening Agribusiness Value Chains in Africa: Case Studies from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Mali. Partnership Report by Mima Nedelcovych and David Shiferaw.

Value chains have been accepted as an effective way of focusing on measures to improve the scale and impact of private sector investments, which include the investments made by smallholder farmers themselves as well as those made by larger-scale domestic or foreign agribusiness investors. Development partners have adopted value chain approaches when designing interventions and project implementation to coordinate their support to specific sectors and commodities. Particularly due to the emphasis on targeted value chains by the US Government’s Feed the Future Initiative, a better understanding of the linkages being made (or missed) along a value chain will be essential to realizing the returns that they promise.

This report is a summary of observations made in four country studies: Mali, Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia. The findings suggest that African governments have significant opportunities to take actions that would directly stimulate private investments in agriculture. The private investors interviewed believed that, with greater government support in creating an enabling environment and less direct government intervention in value chains, critical barriers to their businesses would be reduced or eliminated. Observations specific to the four countries and four agricultural commodity value chains are summarized below and call for practical reforms that promote the growth of successful agribusinesses and more productive farming in Africa.

Agribusiness Perspectives - Summary of Findings - May 2012.pdf

Agribusiness Perspectives - Case Studies and Annexes - May 2012.pdf

Announcement: Conference on Making the connection: value chains for transforming smallholder agriculture

4 May 2012. Wageningen, The Netherlands . CTA, in conjunction with UNECA, and other international organisations and the private sector is organising an international conference on value chains, to take place, 6-9 November 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Dubbed ‘making the connection: value chains for transforming smallholder agriculture’, the conference will bring together more than 400 participants, including private sector, government officials, development partners, civil society, farmer organizations and academics, to share experiences on value chain development and discuss how best smallholder farmers can be incorporated into value chains in order to promote agricultural and rural development.

The conference will focus on strengthening agricultural value chains that enable smallholders to become more actively engaged in market-led agriculture: transforming the role of the smallholder into that of an entrepreneur. The meeting aims to identify the conditions necessary to create a broader and more solid knowledge base for the promotion of sustainable value chains, including training and information-sharing needs. It also seeks to provide an opportunity to exchange current ideas, knowledge, new approaches and best practices in order to both strengthen the efficiency and profitability of existing commercial value chains and assist those working to promote value chain development in order to strengthen economic growth in smallholder communities. Participants will also discuss issues related to trends impacting on value chain development, innovation, sustainability and scaling up, and capacity building.

 It is envisaged that participants will develop a shared understanding of the role of value chains in promoting sustainable and inclusive agricultural and rural development, and of the potential for existing best practices to be scaled up. Experts hope to develop a greater understanding of the factors necessary for value chains to thrive, such as finance and investment, ICTs, and improved farmer-buyer linkages, with particular emphasis on small and medium enterprises. Strategies to further promote knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences on value chain development will be outlined.

The value chain concept is relatively new in agriculture but has repercussions for smallholder farmers who form the majority of the farming capital in developing countries, yet often seem left out of the growing value chain trend. The meeting will address how best smallholders can be included in such chains. There is an agreement in this field that interventions have to be demand-led and that the private sector plays a central role in all value chains.

By reducing some of the market risks and enhancing farmer incomes, value chains can attract businesses such as input suppliers, machinery hire services and banks to rural areas, as well as others seeking to profit from greater rural affluence. To date there has been no attempt to provide space for discussion among value chain actors such as the private sector, the donor community, governments, civil society and others to fully explore the issues related to value chain development and to share experiences. The conference will attempt to provide such a forum.

Announcement: POSTHARVEST AFRICA 2012: 25 - 28 November, 2012

7^th International CIGR Technical Symposium
"Innovating the food value chain"
incorporating
2^nd International Conference on Postharvest Technology &
Quality Management
"POSTHARVEST AFRICA 2012"

Conference Flyers: First Second

Invitation!

Following the success and scientific reputation of the previous CIGR Section VI Postharvest Symposia held in Beijing (China), Warsaw (Poland), Napoli (Italy), Iguascu (Brazil), Potsdam (Germany) and Nantes (France), and the 1st International Conference on Postharvest Technology held in Muscat (Oman), we are pleased to invite you and your colleagues to the next event to be held in the beautiful and historical 'Oak City' of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

The Conference will highlight recent scientific advances and technological tools to handle, preserve, process, maintain and control quality and reduce losses in fresh and processed foods and agro-industrial raw materials, including fruit and vegetables, grains, roots and tuber, meat, seafood, herbs, spices, and cut flowers.

Convenor

Prof Linus Opara
South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology
Faculty of AgriSciences, University of Stellenbosch
Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa.
Phone: +27 218084064 Fax: +27 218083743
Email: opara@sun.ac.za

Announcement: What works when scaling inclusive agri-food markets?

11-13 April 2012. Carlton Beach Hotel, the Netherlands. From Islands of Success to Seas of Change
“What works when scaling inclusive agri-food markets?”

The last decade has seen an explosion in value chain initiatives, and sustainable and ethical sourcing has become an accepted aspect of business strategy. Non-governmental organisations are working with businesses to link small producers to markets; round tables on global commodity chains are focusing on sector-wide approaches; a broad range of certification schemes are in place; and ‘bottom of the pyramid’ concepts are emerging. Experience is developing rapidly but insights often remain fragmented and the lessons that need to be learned are only slowly being taken on board.

The big question for the next few decades is how to build on these developments to achieve the measure of change that is needed, and quickly. It is necessary to assess when, where and why some efforts remain islands of success while others indicate a sea change. The inspirational examples that are emerging need to be scrutinised, and we need to assess which ideas can be adapted, mutated and cross-pollinated. It is necessary to consult with those who have most experience to see where they believe the opportunities lie for putting good ideas into practice.

100 international partners will attend this learning workshop. Coordinated by the Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation, this is the first step in an initiative to scale up the agri-food market – in a way that includes all players. The aim of the workshop is to take a step back and look at the range of promising efforts that have emerged as a result of the last decade’s experience in establishing sustainable and equitable agri-food value chains. It will also look to the future, share innovative approaches and identify high-potential options. The outcome will be a state-of-the-art perspective on how to develop and expand inclusive agri-food development.

For more information, please visit the website of the Seas of Change Initiative 

Issue 64 of the CTA ICT update: Value chains

SAP Makes ‘Living Lab’ for Cashew Farmers in Ghana

The African Cashew initiative (ACi) aims to give people in the cashew business direct access to modern technology, enabling them to increase their yields, improve business links and develop advanced marketing strategies. Link | Read more...

Revitalizing Zambia’s Agricultural Marketing Information Centre (AMIC)

Zambia's AMIC suffers from a range of weaknesses all along the supply chain for price information. Data collection and transmission is irregular and unreliable, data management is unstructured and lacks strategic supervision, and dissemination is entirely supply driven. Link | Read more...

Fostering agricultural competitiveness – employing ICTs

The USAID FACET Project (Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies) has created a series of briefing papers designed to help USAID missions and their implementing partners in sub-Saharan Africa to use ICTs more successfully. Link | Read more...

National Livestock Marketing Information

The Kenyan National Livestock Marketing Information system is a market intelligence tool designed for use in the livestock sector. In an attempt to improve the links between the various participants in this particular value chain, the system uses cell...Link | Read more...

eRAILS

The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), in collaboration with the German Centre for Documentation and Information on Agriculture (ZADI), has implemented an electronic advisory service that connects farmers with experts in value chain development. Link | Read more...

OPPAZ

The Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ) is using a variety of ICTs, including the internet, cell phones and handheld computers, to monitor quality and improve crop production. Link | Read more...

KIT Information Portal – Value Chains for Development

This website from the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) provides access to free, full-text electronic documents on pro-poor value chains. It is an information portal that is also an entry point for all other internet sources on the subject, including... Link |Read more...

The Farmer’s Toolkit

As part of their rural market intelligence project, the not-for-profit Ugandan organisation, i-network, developed an illustrated guide for farmers who want to access market information. Available for download as a PDF, the guide outlines the processes... Link | Read more...

ABIS Jamaica

The Agricultural Business Information System for Jamaica, offers a range of web-based market information  that is aimed at anyone involved in agricultural value chains in Jamaica. As well as pricing information for a wide range of commodities,... Link| Read more...

Value chain approach to poverty reduction and development of livelihoods

This website provides an introduction to how value chains can be implemented in poverty-reduction strategies in developing markets. Developed by Research in Use, the site provides in-depth explanations of value chain terminology, compares traditional... Link | Read more...

Value chains of agricultural commodities and their role in food security and poverty alleviation

Agricultural Economics Research Review; Vol. 24 January-June 2011 pp 169-181. This paper is a synthesis of many research projects on value chains for smallholder and poor farmers in India. The last section of the article is dedicated to research into the role that ICTs have in enabling development. Link | Read more...

Value chains versus supply chains

The concept of a Value Chain has existed for twenty years but we find it still is an unclear concept. It has been suggested that the third generation supply chain is based on customer intimacy and is fully synchronized. Link | Read more...

Governance, coordination and distribution along commodity value chains

This paper was produced by the Trade and Market Division of the FAO in 2007. It was compiled in the light of significant changes which are taking place in the value chains of many agricultural commodities, particularly fresh products destined for supermarket shelves. Link | Read more...

Under what conditions are value chains effective tools for pro-poor development?

Some poor households can benefit from participation in formal supply chains, not just as smallholder producers, but also as wage labourers in production or processing, and as providers in the service markets that support value chains. Link |Read more...

Value chains, donor interventions and poverty reduction: A review of donor practice

Reflecting donor agencies’ increased interest in value chains, this report from the Institute of Development Studies examines how poverty alleviation was investigated in 30 projects. The authors, John Humphrey and Lizbeth Navas-Alemán, found that...Link | Read more...

Research principles for developing country food value chains

This report is authored by a range of experts from universities and research institutes around the world, including the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre in Kenya and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Link | Read more...

Using value chain approaches in agribusiness and agriculture

‘A value chain is a sequence of steps involved in the process of production to market delivery of a product. It provides a means of understanding relationships between businesses, methods for increasing efficiency, and ways to enable businesses to increase productivity and add value. Link | Read more...