Chain empowerment Supporting African farmers to develop markets Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Faida MaLi, and International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), 2006

This is a book of hope for Africa’s smallholder farmers. It shows how they can earn more from their crops and livestock by taking control over the value chains they are part of – chains that link them with consumers in Africa’s towns and cities, as well as in other countries.

The book describes two basic strategies that groups of farmers can use to improve their incomes: vertical and horizontal integration. Vertical integration means taking on additional activities in the value chain: processing or grading produce, for example. Horizontal integration means becoming more involved in managing the value chain itself – by farmers’ improving their access to and management of information, their knowledge of the market, their control over contracts, or their cooperation with other actors in the chain.

This book contains 19 case studies showing how groups of farmers throughout Africa have adopted one or both of these strategies to improve their incomes. It shows how development organizations have helped them do this – how they have succeeded, and how they have sometimes failed. It shows the need to invest in improving the quality of existing products, developing new products, establishing market linkages, and building farmer organization and capacity.

The book provides numerous insights for those striving to empower smallholder farmers to develop markets. It will be of particular interest to government policymakers and staff involved in agricultural development, non-government organizations, university faculty and students, trainers, evaluators, and donors seeking ways to promote agriculture in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world.

The book is written in easy-to-understand language and is richly illustrated with line drawings.

Contents

Published 2006 by the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Faida MaLi, and International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR).

ISBN 9966754008

Download full text 5666 kb

Download individual chapters:

• Cover 749 kb
• Front matter 1215 kb
• 1 Setting the scene 345 kb
• 2 Introducing value chains 460 kb
• 3 Chain actors 660 kb
• 4 Chain partners 882 kb
• 5 Chain activity integrators 639 kb
• 6 Chain co-owners 655 kb
• 7 Strategies for chain empowerment 319 kb
• 8 Facilitating chain development 361 kb
• 9 Resources 549 kb

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Reviews

Spore 127, Feb 2007

Market access for African farmers

For many smallholder farmers seeking outlets for their products, declining government support and increasingly demanding requirements from supermarkets and importers combine to make marketing a daunting challenge.

This manual offers practical help by presenting a range of examples in which smallholder farmers and communities in various parts of Africa have succeeded in developing strategies to secure market access. It describes a wide range of experiences, including very small-scale initiatives such as rural women in Mali who collect and process shea butter, and others in Tanzania who make herbal soap from jatropha (Jatropha curcas). Larger-scale success stories include Kenyan mango producers who have developed market linkages through farmer field schools and smallholders in Malawi who have been helped to access the paprika market. But big or small, the message is always the same — the recipe for success lies in investing in the improvement of existing products, developing new products, establishing market linkages and building farmer organisation and capacity. With the help of clear illustrations, boxes and diagrams, this guide offers plenty of suggestions for achieving this winning formula.

New Agriculturist June 2006

Vertical and horizontal integration may not sound like a very exciting subject, but don't be deceived. Drawing on nineteen case studies from across Africa, Chain Empowerment shows how farmers can earn more from what they produce, and turn unrewarding 'supply chains' into 'value chains' that offer benefits to all involved in the process of producing and marketing goods. Vertical integration essentially involves producers playing more roles within the chain, such as processing and other kinds of value-adding. Examples from the case studies include projects to boost fruit juice and honey production among communities in Tanzania and trading and milling of grains in Kenya.

Horizontal integration involves developing better management of the value chain, for example by better use of information, better understanding of the market and co-operation with other actors in the chain. There are numerous examples, some of which have featured in past editions of New Agriculturist, such as finding a niche for Ugandan vanilla and revitalising Mozambique's cashew industry. Chain empowerment particularly focuses on how intermediary organisations can work with farmer groups and others to transform supply chains. Information is presented in a well-structured way, emphasising practice rather than theory, making this a useful resource for NGOs and others working with farmers and farmer groups.