Service provision by agri-cooperatives engaged in high value markets

This note presents a practical approach by which cooperatives strengthen their ability to deliver impactful and financially sustainable services. In doing so, it recognises the challenges faced by cooperatives to design services that both meet the different needs of members and are financially sustainable

Service provision by agri-cooperatives engaged in high value markets

Markets for agricultural products with special quality, environmental, and social attributes can provide a profitable outlet for poor farmers in developing countries. However, participation in high value markets requires that farmers commit to deliver pre-identified volumes on time and in the required form and quality – a tall order in many cases. Agri-cooperatives play an important role in linking farmers to these markets; they forge business relations with distant buyers, realise economies of scale in processing and marketing, and provide advisory and other services to help their members respond to buyer demands. Examples of these services include technical assistance, training, and input and credit provision. This note presents a practical approach by which cooperatives strengthen their ability to deliver impactful and financially sustainable services. In doing so, it recognises the challenges faced by cooperatives to design services that both meet the different needs of members and are financially sustainable. Too often cooperative services are supported by external actors with no clear vision of how to continue once project support terminates, leading to disrupted service offerings for members, and fragmented learning processes for cooperatives and their partners. Innovation is urgently needed in how services are designed, how they are implemented, and cost recovery mechanisms. At the heart of the approach lies a focus on joint learning among stakeholders – cooperatives, their business partners, government agencies, and non-government organisations (NGOs) – to better tackle the complexity inherent in the provision of effective services to poor farmers

Fit for purpose? A review of guides for gender-equitable value chain development

This article presents a review of seven guides for gender-equitable value chain development (VCD). The guides advocate persuasively the integration of gender into VCD programming and raise important issues for designing more inclusive interventions. However, gaps persist in their coverage of gender-based constraints in collective enterprises, the influence of norms on gender relations, and processes to transform inequitable relations through VCD. Guidance for field implementation and links to complementary value chain tools are also limited. The article identifies opportunities for conceptual and methodological innovation to address the varying roles, needs, and aspirations of women and men in VCD

Service provision by agri-cooperatives engaged in high value markets

Markets for agricultural products with special quality, environmental, and social attributes can provide a profitable outlet for poor farmers in developing countries. However, participation in high value markets requires that farmers commit to deliver pre-identified volumes on time and in the required form and quality – a tall order in many cases. Agricooperatives play an important role in linking farmers to these markets; they forge business relations with distant buyers, realise economies of scale in processing and marketing, and provide advisory and other services to help their members respond to buyer demands (see Box 1). Examples of these services include technical assistance, training, and input and credit provision

Exploring a gender-responsive asset-based approach to enhance the transformative potential of value chain development in Guatemala, India and Peru

Paper presented at the CGIAR PIM Workshop "Rural Transformation in the 21st Century: The Challenges of Low-Income, Late-Transforming Countries" held as Pre-Conference Symposium of the International Conference of Agricultural Economists in Vancouver, BC, Canada on July 28, 2018

The Making of a Decision: Women's Voice in the Management of Cacao in Coastal Ecuador

Research has shown that men and women place different values on environmental services obtained and agricultural practices that contribute to the restoration and conservation of these services with several studies pointing out that women have a preference for agroforestry and other sustainable production methods. Our research used game theory to develop a model on household decision-making in order to examine how strengthening women’s voice in household production decisions would influence adoption of sustainable farming practices. We applied this model to the case of agroforestry cacao production in Ecuador, based on household surveys conducted with 300 families. Through a logit estimation, which included independent variables for female and male household head’s educational levels, wealth, access to welfare payments and each gender’s valuation of ecological services from cacao agroforests, we discovered that households were more likely to manage agroforestry parcels when women were wealthier, received welfare payments and were willing to pay more for ecological services. Interventions to strengthen women’s economic position by granting them equal property and inheritance rights may enhance women’s voice in production decisions, leading not only to more just decisions, as both men and women’s preferences are taken into account, but possibly more ecologically sound decisions

Assessment of Sargassum spp. Management Strategies in Southeast Florida

This study evaluated the economic viability of Sargassum management strategies in southeast Florida. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants, beach managers and potential users. To compare the strategies, a cost and market analysis was conducted to assess the value of Sargassum compost relative to other compost products available in the market. The findings indicate that composting Sargassum is an economically viable option and suggests the potential for recouping some of the costs associated with beach cleaning through the sale of compost. Furthermore, the utilization of Sargassum compost could offer a cost-effective alternative as soil amendment, especially in the face of rising fertilizer costs. However, it is crucial to address concerns regarding compost quality due to contaminants such as plastics and arsenic before implementing a composting operation. This aspect necessitates thorough investigation and remediation to ensure that the resulting compost meets quality standards and is free from potentially harmful contaminants

Women’s Associations in Cotopaxi, Ecuador from Rights to Agroecological Markets

Smallholder, indigenous farmers play a key role in the food system in Ecuador, applying traditional farming practices that ensure the sustainability of their food production and meeting the dietary demands of many urban consumers, especially for organic vegetables and dairy products. This study examines the position of six women’s associations in the central Ecuadorian Andes, discussing their evolution from rights-based to market-oriented organizations producing and selling agroecological products. We discuss how the history of these associations has led them to play a role in local politics and national policies around agriculture and highlight how these organizations have succeeded both economically and socially, while also noting the challenges they face, as observed by themselves and outsiders. While the history of women’s agroecological production organizations in Ecuador may be unique, as it is entrenched in indigenous rights movements, our results also point to opportunities and obstacles that are more common across small scale farmers and deserve attention from both policymakers and agricultural organizations

The role of demand in the agroecological transition: an analysis of recent literature

Much of the attention of the agroecological (AE) movement has focused on the adoption of AE farming practices. While the utilization of these practices is essential to the AE transition, AE food systems will only arise when the demand for AE products emerges. This review synthesizes the research that has examined the role of demand in the AE transition. We explore what lessons have been learned in understanding consumer interest in products with AE attributes and how demand for AE products has helped spur or hinder the AE transition. We conclude with an analysis of the next steps in advancing our knowledge to better understand how to enhance the demand for AE products to build AE food systems