Publication database

Since 2013, the G4AW programme has been supporting 25 partnerships in 15 countries in Africa and South-East Asia that have taken up the challenge to develop digital solutions, using satellite and geodata to improve food and income security at smallholder food producer level. The major lessons learned from the programme (about 8 years) are summarized in this new lessons learned publication. It focuses on the business-related decisions and the steps taken to move towards a sustainable business model and scale to other services and regions.

Between November 2018 and November 2019, Gates Foundation and Mars Edge discussed collaboration opportunities to accelerate the urban go-to-market strategy of Mars Edge’s nutritious savory snack GoMo™, specifically designed to help address nutritional deficiencies of 6-18 year olds in India, with a focus on reaching low-income consumers. The Growth for Growth (G4G) network of service providers set up by the Foundation’s PSP program co-designed this strategy to reach lower-income urban areas. In December 2019, the PSP approved a grant to assess and adapt the model during a market test. As part of the grant, the collaboration between G4G and Mars then continued until December 2020. This case study aims to share the lessons learned throughout this journey, in terms of public-private collaboration and innovation process.

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.

In recent years, there has been growing interest and funding dedicated to technical assistance designed to strengthen the commercial and development impact of businesses in developing markets. However, relatively little is known about the nature and effectiveness of these initiatives. Designed to address this knowledge gap, this paper focuses on efforts by development finance institutions (DFIs) to provide technical assistance to agribusinesses, which receive 30% of all TA. The input for this analysis was obtained through primary and secondary research, including interviews with 11 DFIs. The feedback from DFIs was that they expect the provision of inclusive TA in agriculture to rise. However, to catalyse greater resource allocation towards inclusive TA, respondents agreed the evidence case needs to be clear both in terms of commercial and development impact.

The authors aim to catalyze a competitive marketplace of companies providing smallholder farmers with a choice of affordable, inclusive and high-quality services. For this they are building a common understanding of the key barriers and opportunities for providing smallholders tailored, high-quality services at scale, coupled with advice, technical assistance and de-risking finance to pilot new business models and partnerships.

Myanmar Agriculture Network (MAN) was set up by Grow Asia in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation of Myanmar to improve the competitiveness of the country’s agricultural sector and uplift the livelihoods of Myanmar’s farmers. This brief outlines goals and key activities of the country partnership's Working Groups.

Grow Asia is a unique multi-stakeholder partnership platform that brings together farmers, governments, the private sector, NGOs and other stakeholders in Southeast Asia to lift the productivity, profitability and environmental sustainability of smallholder agriculture in the region. This report outlines goals and key activities of Grow Asia in 2019.

The Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA) was formally launched in 2015 by the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture and Grow Asia. PPSA serves as a multi-stakeholder platform to engage smallholder farmers and market players towards socio-economic growth and competitive advantage. This brief outlines goals and key activities of the country partnership.

The Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture Vietnam (PSAV) was set up to strengthen partnerships among government and the private sector. This brief outlines goals and key activities of the taskforce that has been facilitated by Grow Asia.

PISAgro was initiated in 2012 by seven private companies in Indonesia. Part of the Grow Asia network, PISAgro seeks to provide an innovative, multistakeholder model for addressing the nation's agricultural challenges in a sustainable manner while improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. This brief outlines goals and key activities of the country partnership.