Publication database

This report examines the value of regular, standardized assessments of Farmer Organisations, how this assessment process links to the capacities developed, and how quickly these capacities can be improved. It also analyses whether this improved “professionalism” leads to improved outcomes in the value chain. It also looks at the growing use of ICT.

This paper shows an exciting new momentum towards living wages, coming from businesses, investors and numerous civil society organisations. A vanguard of leading companies is moving beyond statutory minimum wages to ensure that workers are paid enough to achieve financial security. However, too many businesses still see living wages as a challenge rather than an opportunity. This paper seeks to change the narrative. It provides a new perspective on what paying living wages offers to companies and demonstrates that living wages generate a wealth of benefits to workers, businesses and society.

Conexsus supports small farmers associations and cooperatives that work under a income-generating model that preserves standing forest and other biomes. It focuses on three lines of action: business model, market access, and impact finance.

Fomento Social Banamex is the philanthropic arm of Citibanamex Mexico, and its goal is to reduce inequality in Mexico. It promotes capacity-building for social organizations to better meet the needs of marginalized communities living in poverty. Under this scheme and through its strategic partners, it has supported Unión Majomut, a cooperative of coffee farmers from Chiapas, so that it partakes in the entire value chain and earns a higher income for partner families.

There is a strong need for increased adoption of sustainable agricultural practices to bring the food from farm to fork while addressing three major challenges: feeding a growing population, providing a livelihood for farmers, and environmental protection. This is where decentralised renewable energy (DRE) technologies must play a key role. Moreover, as innovation in DRE-powered agricultural equipment and appliances steam ahead, their technical and commercial viability will improve further. Based on best practices from the 15 case studies, this publication makes recommendations for public and private stakeholders.

As we collectively work towards achieving the SDGs by 2030, this volume of the Sahel Quarterly presents practical solutions by exploring ten critical trends in the African agriculture and food landscapes that stakeholders must prioritize in the next decade. From the growing number of agri-tech start-ups to the dramatic increases in the penetration of mobile technology across the continent, reliance on big data, and the growing demand for equality and inclusion at all levels, it is evident that the continent is at a tipping point. 

Foreign companies operating in a ‘host’ country’s private sector play an important role in fostering inclusive development in these nations. This PhD thesis, exploring the contributions of the Dutch private sector to inclusive development in Kenya’s three most important sectors, tea, flower and renewable energy, finds that private companies operate in a very specific context and must adapt to existing local circumstances that are often not automatically inclusive.

This guide aims to stimulate thinking and exchange within companies and external partners about what business models for more decent jobs should look like. It demonstrates how fundamental changes can be made to improve job security, equality, health and wellbeing without impacting business competitiveness, growth and profitability. It also provides practical case studies and a framework for both evaluating the quality of jobs and also enhancing them.

This edition of The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets focuses on how markets can bring us closer to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SOCO 2020 offers a detailed analysis of the major global trends in agri-food markets and trade to identify how to reap economic, environmental and social gains and spur overall development. The report also looks at policy responses to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food value chains, both nationally and globally.

While the struggle of rural communities to access quality health services has long been a critical issue, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential role that electricity plays in rural health care facilities. Against this emergency background, DRE solutions offer a clean and cheap opportunity to electrify rural health care facilities. Showcasing 16 case studies from ARE Members, this publication aims to demonstrate the ability of DRE solutions to quickly deliver sustainable, reliable power to rural health care facilities and to serve as inspiration for new DRE projects.