Food Security Through Commercialization

International Agribusiness Forum

EMRC

Kampala Uganda,

October 3th -6th, 2010

FAO-Italian Trust Fund Projects on Food Security

The overall programme

Three regions, more than 20 countries

Total budget: more than US$ 20m

Africa:

Great Lakes (Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda)

Western Africa (The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone)

Southern Africa Malawi, Zambia

Asia: Bangladesh

Central America: (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua)

Caribbean Region

List of Projects in Africa

GTFS/MLI/030/ITA - Projet d’appui aux OP du Plateau Dogon pour une meilleure valorisation de leurs productions maraîchères

GTFS/SEN/060/ITA Projet d’appui aux OP pour la valorisation des filières porteuses

GTFS/GBS/028/ITA - Projet de Diversification, intensification et valorisation des produits locaux agricoles dans les Régions de Oio et Bafata

GTFS/SIL/028/ITA – Food security through commercialization of agriculture

GTFS/LIR/010/ITA – Food security through commercialization of agriculture

GCP/RAF/040/ITA Appui aux acteurs et leurs organisations pour le développement d’unités semi industrielles de transformation agroalimentaire pour la réduction de la pauvreté et de l’insécurité alimentaire

The Concept of Food Security Through Commercialization

Traditionally many programmes have tended to equate food security to the idea of each household producing enough food to meet its requirements

The programme concept is that: agricultural commercialisation does contribute to food security;--however this is more linked to:

Increased national production -- linked to effective marketing/distribution

Income generation

Employment creation --to several actors along the value chain

Overall multiplier effect due to the related service provision

Programme overall objective

To contribute to food security by turning agriculture into a modern, competitive and commercially dynamic sector!

Enhance incomes of small scale farmers through profitable agriculture production systems, increased market access and value-added activities!

Improve marketing efficiency through strengthened agribusiness linkages along value chains

Promote value addition/agroprocessing

Promote entrepreneurship

Programme Approach

Agricultural commodity value chain development approach

Main focus:

Capacity building of farmers and farmer groups/associations in technical skills and entrepreneurship

Support business linkages between producers and other chain actors and service providers. (finance/input suppliers/business services)

Institutional strenthening of commodity associations –(trader and agro-processor associations/cooperatives)

Improved access to basic inputs/facilities/materials to kick-start business investments

Main processess

Analysis of the production/market/policy environment (population/area involved; demand/marketing potential; quantification of storage and processing needs, constraints/opportunities; service providers ...)

priority commodities/enterprises and areas of

support along the value chain

Identification of farmers’ organizations and local partners for development support

Identification of business models/business linkages

Programme main activities/outputs

Enhanced market oriented production

Facilitited business linkages

Various business linkages models both formal and informal

Marketing/business negotiation support, prospecting and market analysis, promotion…

Enhanced marketing and value addition

Support to facilities in storage (village, zone level...), business management capacity building...

Packing and processing: equipment support, technical capacity building, quality, access to packaging...

Capacity building for enhanced entrepreneurship and investments

Business linkages

Experiences and Lessons Learnt

Strategic identification and prioritizing

Lack of technical and entrepreneur skills (processing, agri-business, commercialization...)

Recurrent issue of limited financial products and poor access

Few service providers in agribusiness development

Project mode – limitation of scaling up

Limited models/instruments for working with private sector –---especially to support SME

Poor mechanisms for provision of semi-public services – poor public-private collaboration

Disconnect between chain actors –horizontal & vertical linkages

Opportunities/Way forward

Documentation and promotion of lessons learnt

Support regional coordination: - information exchange- networking- strategic collaboration e.g. regional trade, etc.

Policy advocacy on agricultural commercialisation

Collaboration with other partners

Attract additional funding

Thank you