Publication database

This case study showcases the Juhudi Kilimo business which provides asset financing and technical assistance to smallholder farmers throughout Kenya and aims to increase the incomes of the farmers by 50 percent. It outlines how the model works, the business and development impacts to date, and the key success factors.

The report presents a Value Chain Analysis (VCA) of three commodities; tomato, onion and Irish potato, in the Jenda area of Mzimba District, in Malawi. The VCA tool examines the mechanisms and drivers which control the mode by which a product reaches its end market and it gives an understanding of how to improve the competitiveness of the chain whilst increasing participation in a manner that fairly distributes value down the chain.

This case study explains how Notore and Springfield Agro have managed to sell a high quality fertiliser that is more affordable, available and acceptable to poor farmers, with the support of the UK aid-funded Propcom programmes. It discusses the challenges faced by these firms, as they respond to rural consumers’ needs amidst changing market conditions, which are also described.

SNV was engaged by the Danish International Development Organisation (DANIDA) to implement the Rural Agriculture Revitalisation Project- Commercialisation of Smallholder Farmers (RARP CSF), an initiative which seek to facilitate commercialisation of smallholder agriculture  with a view to promote improved household incomes, employment and food security. The project aim was to reach 280,000 smallholder farming households throughout all eight rural provinces in Zimbabwe. The study should serve as a guide for the Government in the formulation of policies that support the development of viable smallholder farmer based horticulture value chains in Zimbabwe.

UAB Vie offers a highly-trusted savings product to market traders in Burkina Faso. The daily, manual transactions were proving inefficient and prone to error and fraud. It therefore decided to equip each member of its sales staff with a mobile phone to record the transactions in real time. This brief reflects on the advantages and limitations of this technology upgrade.

In the last few years droughts have been increasingly severe in Kenya. During 2011 alone, livestock pastoralists lost on average a third of their animals due to severe drought. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has piloted a new way to protect them – livestock insurance using satellite technology.

This case study reviews PrOpCom (Promoting Pro-Poor Opportunities in Commodity and Service Markets), a DFID programme that facilitates functionality and efficiency of Nigerian commodity and service markets to assure these markets benefit the poor. It looks at how PrOpCom set about piloting a new model for the commercial distribution of tractors and the commercial provision of tractor services.

This training manual introduces the Agribusiness Supplier Development Programme (ASDP) and its major elements and concepts to UNDP Country Office staff, relevant Government departments and agencies, lead firms and potential implementers. It includes the objectives of an ASDP, benefits of the programme to different stakeholders, roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders and the implementation of an ASDP in 6 phases. For "trainings sessions" four different agricultural case studies from Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone are presented.

This article discusses the opportunities that mobile financial services offer in sub-Saharan Africa. It attempts to quantify some of the many high-potential payment flows in the region and it estimates the associated revenue pools.

This paper provides an analysis of what drives smallholder farmers when deciding about when, where and how to market their produce. Using data from interviews with WFP staff as well as mini-surveys and focus group discussions with farmers' organization leaders and members, the paper outlines the ways in which different types of smallholder farmers use different marketing channels at different moments to mitigate risks, cope with challenges and meet the needs of their household.