Presentations
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing Presentations by Subject "Agribusiness"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemAccess to Finance for Inclusive Agri-business Development(2017) Douglas Magaja; Oniankitan Grégoire AgaiAccess to finance is crucial for smallholder farmers and agri-businesses to improve productivity, post-harvest practices, trade, and marketing of agricultural commodities, ultimately addressing poverty and hunger. However, the agricultural sector faces severe financing constraints due to limited knowledge, incentives, and skills within the financial industry. This paper highlights the challenges faced in rural or agricultural finance, including high-interest rates, mismatched repayment schedules, and limited outreach by financial institutions. It presents the interventions of the 2SCALE consortium, which aims to address these constraints and enhance financial inclusion in the agricultural sector. The approach involves assessing financial needs, matching the demand and supply of financial services, implementing tailored financial instruments, and evaluating and scaling up successful interventions. The paper also emphasizes the importance of financial literacy and showcases examples of using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve financial services in agriculture. The 2SCALE approach contributes to the growth and development of smallholder farmers and SMEs in the agri-business sector by providing affordable financial solutions.
- ItemAttracting the Youth to Agribusiness(2017) Thompson OgunsanmiThis document explores the importance of engaging youth in the agribusiness sector and presents examples of how 2SCALE, a consortium focused on inclusive agribusiness partnerships, addressed youth inclusion in its initiatives. Recognizing the need to make agriculture attractive and remunerative, 2SCALE emphasizes providing youth access to land, finance, and modern technologies. The document highlights youth challenges in the agricultural sector, such as limited resource access and under-employment. It stresses the need to tailor approaches to suit young individuals' diverse needs, ambitions, and resources. The document discusses the efforts made by 2SCALE partnerships in various countries, including Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, and Nigeria, to enhance youth participation in agricultural value chains. It sheds light on the role of financial institutions in supporting youth entrepreneurs by providing tailor-made loans and reducing collateral requirements. Additionally, it explores the issue of land access and the complexities of addressing land tenure challenges. Furthermore, the document explores opportunities beyond farming for youth in agribusiness, such as specialized service provision along the value chain. It showcases examples of young people offering services like pesticide spraying, tractor rental, and quality control management, improving value chain efficiency, and providing income alternatives to casual labor. The document also mentions micro-franchise models and off-farm activities as potential avenues for youth engagement in the sector.
- ItemBuilding Inclusive Agribusiness: Going One Step Down the Ladder Makes a Difference(2017) Judith Chabari ; Olugbenga Stephen IdowuThis report explores the advantages of partnering with intermediate trading and processing companies, specifically Psaltry in Nigeria and Shalem in Kenya, for inclusive agribusiness development. While interventions for market inclusiveness often focus on large industrial-scale firms or end users, the experiences with Psaltry and Shalem demonstrate the efficiency of collaborating with locally based intermediaries. These companies effectively facilitate collaboration between large off-takers (such as breweries) and smallholder farmers, leading to inclusive agribusiness outcomes. The involvement of large industrial end-users is crucial as they provide a stable bulk market and purchasing power, driving the supply chain and benefiting many smallholder farmers. The commitment of these large buyers to inclusive agribusiness can stimulate value chain innovation. For example, Nigerian Breweries supported Psaltry in upgrading its processing facility to increase local sourcing, expanding opportunities for cassava producers. Psaltry, a cassava trader and processor, established partnerships with smallholder farmers through a 2SCALE-facilitated public-private partnership—the collaboration aimed to improve the efficiency and inclusiveness of the cassava supply chain for Nigerian Breweries. Shalem, an aggregator of sorghum and other products, faced challenges regarding sourcing reliability and fair value for growers. The 2SCALE intervention supported capacity strengthening, improved supply chain management, and enhanced both Psaltry and Shalem farm-level efficiency. The interventions resulted in significant improvements, such as increased yields, reduced production costs for Psaltry, and improved productivity for Shalem. Both companies experienced positive impacts on their out-grower schemes, supplier relationships, and market competitiveness. Additionally, interventions addressed challenges faced by transporters, village agents, and other actors in the value chain. Lessons learned from these partnerships emphasize the advantages of working with intermediate trading and processing companies. The proximity of these companies to smallholder farmers allows for effective collaboration and responsiveness to local needs. Closeness to the grassroots enables better supply chain management, improved farm-level efficiency, negotiation of favorable business terms, and the development of loyalty programs. These findings highlight the potential of inclusive agribusiness development through partnerships with intermediaries.
- ItemGetting Plant nutrition Solutions to Scale Requires More than Technology Promotion(2019) Kirimi PeterThe 2SCALE program aims to develop inclusive agri-business arrangements that ensure firms' sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness in local, regional, and international markets. It emphasizes inclusive participation and fair rewards for small producers, workers, and traders, regardless of gender, age, or other factors. While improving business relationships and value chain functioning is important, the primary production process often receives less attention. However, in growing food markets, improving agricultural productivity and produce quality can significantly enhance the income of smallholder producers. The 2SCALE program has successfully promoted plant nutrition solutions to improve productivity, and this report presents insights and lessons learned from their experiences. The program has focused on promoting various plant nutrition technologies to enhance nutrient use efficiency and productivity among smallholder producers. These technologies include Urea Deep Placement (UDP) for paddy rice production, inoculation of soybean fields with specific Rhizobium species, formulation of customized compound fertilizers based on particular crop requirements, and the use of stick planters for seeding and fertilizing in a single operation. Despite the proven effectiveness of these technologies, their adoption has been limited. Therefore, the program identified three main requirements for successful technology promotion: local testing and adaptation of technical solutions, sustainable business networks to support technology availability and use, and effective training and communication methods. Local testing and adaptation of technological solutions are crucial to ensure their relevance and suitability to the local context. For example, the UDP technology was adapted to Kenyan conditions through involvement from farmer cooperatives, the rice research institute, and the national irrigation board. Sustainable business networks play a vital role in producing and distributing soil nutrition inputs. Private enterprises must see a viable business case to invest in producing and distributing these inputs. The involvement of larger companies is often necessary to trigger change and promote adopting plant nutrient solutions. Complex business partnerships at different levels are usually required to support technology implementation. In the case of UDP, local production of briquettes was facilitated by farmer cooperatives, and service provision teams were developed to make the technology more accessible. Effective training and communication strategies are essential for behavior change and the successful adoption of plant nutrition solutions. The 2SCALE program integrated these activities into its agri-business partnerships and focused on making advisory services economically sustainable.
- ItemLocal Drivers of Inclusive Agribusiness Development: Cases from Ethiopia(2017) Addis Teshome; Assefa DegefuThis paper explores two partnerships established through the 2SCALE program in Ethiopia, focusing on farmers' organizations as key drivers of inclusive agribusiness development. The sorghum and vegetable sector partnerships demonstrate cooperatives and unions' potential to drive economic growth and facilitate vertical integration in the value chain. The cooperatives act as hubs for innovative technologies and offer aggregation and market access opportunities. The paper highlights the interventions carried out by 2SCALE to improve the competitiveness and inclusiveness of these organizations, including training programs, market linkages, and the development of business models tailored to smallholder farmers. The results show increased income for smallholder farmers, improved market access, and the empowerment of farmers to make informed decisions. These cases emphasize the importance of cooperatives and unions as local drivers of inclusive agribusiness development in Ethiopia.