CIAT: Identifying Market Opportunities for Rural Smallholder Producers. Good Practice Guide 3
The 'Identifying Market Opportunities for Rural Smallholder Producers' guide is the third in a series designed to support agencies implementing a participatory approach to rural agroenterprise development. This publication combines market research, product concept evaluation and business analysis techniques, within a practical, innovative approach for identifying market opportunities for rural agroenterprise development projects within a defined area or territory. The participatory methods enable rural producers to make key decisions in market analysis and evaluation.
The guide is produced by CIAT. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is a not-for-profit research and development organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger while protecting natural resources in developing countries.
CTA: Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society
In September 2002, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) hosted a consultative Observatory meeting on the theme of gender in the context of ICTs for agricultural and rural development. The meeting looked at the impact of ICTs from a gender perspective and tried to identify ways in which modern ICTs can help to empower rural women in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Available online (PDF format) are workshop documents including background papers and workshop presentations as well as a statement on Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society prepared by workshop participants. Click here to download WOUGNET's presentation to the conference (WORD format).
In partnership with the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR), a briefing paper has been produced on the theme of gender and ICTs in agriculture and rural development. Its aim is to attract the attention of policymakers, donors, researchers, nongovernmental organizations, and farmers' organizations to the need for dialogue and action on issues of ICT and gender in the context of food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. The briefing paper was made available at the Third World Congress on Rural Women, which took place in Madrid, Spain, October 2-4, 2002.
Developing Countries Farm Radio Network
The Farm Radio Network is a Canadian-based, nonprofit organization working with 500 radio
broadcasters in 70 countries to fight poverty and food insecurity. It
supports broadcasters in developing countries to build the skills to
develop content that responds to the local needs of small-scale farming and
rural communities. The Network supports developing-country broadcasters by
facilitating the exchange of information that increases food supplies and
improves nutrition and health. The information conveyed must be simple,
safe, and practical; ecologically sound and environmentally sustainable;
clearly communicated by radio; proven useful and transferable within the
developing world; requires resources available to small-scale farmers;
requires little or no technical help to implement; and meets the needs of
both women and men.
e-agriculture.org
On 28 September 2007, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced the launch of a unique interactive web-based platform focusing on the role that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can have in supporting agriculture and rural development. The online platform, www.e-agriculture.org, will enable users to exchange opinions, experiences, good practices and resources related to e-agriculture, and to ensure that the knowledge created is effectively shared and used worldwide. Developed by global stakeholders in collaboration with FAO and partners, the platform is part of an e-agriculture Community of Expertise, a global initiative to enhance sustainable agricultural development and food security by improving the use of ICT in the sector.
The e-agriculture Community includes policy makers, rural service providers, development practitioners, farmers, researchers and information and communication specialists involved in agriculture and rural development. Over 3400 stakeholders from 135 countries were involved in the development of the www.e-agriculture.org platform. They participated in an online survey, providing relevant content, and joining in virtual forums held during July and August 2007.
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)'s goal is to strengthen the abilities of African countries and regional organizations to manage risk of food insecurity through the provision of timely and analytical early warning and vulnerability information. FEWS NET is a USAID-funded activity that collaborates with international, national, and regional partners.
FOODNet: Marketing and Postharvest Research in Eastern and Central Africa
FOODNet is an agricultural research and development network in Eastern and Central Africa that offers a national
marketing information service (MIS). FOODNet collects data on
agricultural commodities from markets across the country, which
is processed and disseminated by FM radio, newspapers, e-mail and
fax. FOODNet has now established local MIS for small farmers and
traders. Information on prices, traded volumes, market flows and
growing conditions is broadcast in local languages on local FM
radio stations, and now via SMS messages by mobile phone.
Side Event: Gender and Agricultural Information Management
The "Side Event: Gender and Agricultural Information Management" was held at the Second
Consultation on Agricultural Information Management (COAIM) at FAO Headquarters
in Rome in September 2002. The event noted that rural women and girls usually
have less access than men to information and to
new technologies. Without equal access to information, they are at a
disadvantage in making informed choices about what to produce and when to sell
their products. Lack of information also limits their influence in their
communities and their ability to participate in decision-making. On the other
hand, if women gain access to information technologies, they will benefit from
increased educational opportunities and channels for better networking.
ICT Update
ICT Update is a bimonthly printed bulletin, a web magazine, and an
accompanying email newsletter published by the Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) ACP-EU. Each issue focuses on a
specific theme pertaining to information and communication technologies
(ICTs) for agricultural and rural development in African, Caribbean and
Pacific (ACP) countries, includes feature articles by leading scientists
and policymakers, and offers a wide range of annotated links to relevant
projects, organizations, websites and articles. Readers are warmly invited to contribute to the web resource by sharing information on the chosen theme, and to add links to relevant documents, news and events and projects.
EC Discussion Paper on African Agriculture
The European Commission has requested the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) to facilitate consultations with the African farmer's organisations and civil society groups on a paper related to proposed cooperation on African agriculture. On the basis of the various inputs, the Commission intends to produce a Communication on EU-AU cooperation on agricultural development, outlining the priority areas and modalities of such cooperation. Cooperation at these levels is meant to both complement and stimulate agricultural development at the national level, the level where most investments take place and where the most intense cooperation will remain relevant.
The discussion paper lists the main challenges to African agriculture, as viewed by the European Commission on the basis of a range of recent reports and discussions, and describes main lines of African and EU policies on agricultural development before making a proposal for cooperation at continental and regional levels in seven areas: Agriculture in Development Strategies, Sector Governance; Research, Knowledge Systems and Dissemination; Trade Facilitation with an emphasis on quality assurance and improvement; Natural Resource Management: Land, Fisheries, Forestry; Livestock Disease Control; and Risk Management.
The main challenges and opportunities identified by the discussion paper are grouped around six topics: (i) developing an updated integrated vision on agricultural development and its place in economic growth and poverty alleviation, based on a diversified rural livelihoods concept and economic linkages with other sectors; (ii) strengthening agricultural sector governance, in re-considering the role of the state, private sector and civil society, as well as the interrelations between these actors; (iii) improving rural productivity, by scaling up a range of known technological and managerial improvements, and by expanding research and making it more effective; (iv) accessing remunerative markets, both with respect to enhancing physical access and to making use of (niche) markets, products and structures that can assist in obtaining better prices; (v) managing the natural resource base in a sustainable manner, in establishing more effective management regimes and in ensuring positive economic returns to sustainable use; and (vi) reducing risks and vulnerabilities, with respect to price fluctuations and adverse climatic events, scaling up the use of innovative financial, information and safety net schemes.
You have the opportunity to give your input on this proposal.Readers are invited to contribute to the EC Discussion Paper - click to download WORD or PDF version. Contributions should be submitted by February 28, 2007. Contributions should be submitted to Isolina Boto, Head, CTA Brussels Office, 39 rue Montoyer, 1000 Brussels-Belgium. Tel: + 32 (0) 2 513 74 36 (direct); Fax: + 32 (0) 2 511 38 68. E-mail: boto@cta.int.
LEISA: Changing information flows in agriculture in developing countries
LEISA, the biggest international magazine for the exchange of experiences on low external input, sustainable agriculture, has published a special issue on ICTs and the changing information flows in agriculture in developing countries. One area of focus is the effect that the trend towards dismantling of publicly funded extension programmes is having on the rural information landscape. The articles describe how ICTs play an increasingly prominent role in
agricultural communities in developing countries. Included also are several examples illustrating the importance of "old" technologies, such as newsletters and radio, and calling on the development community to use all available means to ensure that farmers have the information they need in order to continue to farm sustainably.
LEISA Magazine is published quarterly by ILEIA, the Centre for Information on Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture. This issue of LEISA was undertaken in collaboration with Bellanet. It includes a special pull-out section demonstrating techniques for accessing web-based information via email, along with other tools and resources for Internet users in rural and remote settings. The articles are published online in PDF format.
Marketplace for Agricultural Information Services (MPAIS)
MPAIS is an online knowledge bank and trading area for agricultural information and advisory services in Uganda. The Uganda Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA) places emphasis on a private sector-led economy through commercialization, private sector participation, decentralization and broader participation of multiple actors in the provision of agricultural services including research and extension. The MPAIS project, therefore, explored the opportunities to stimulate a Market for Agricultural Information Services in rural areas by providing profitable opportunities for a variety of firms, NGOs and others to meet the growing demand from extension service providers for quality information, advice, training and other products. The results of this pilot project were intended to inform and guide policy formulation and create the foundation for a possible wider implementation. MPAIS was a pilot project being implemented jointly by Africa 2000 Network Uganda, Infobridge Foundation (The Netherlands) and Source-KM (U.K.). It was been funded through the UK DFID Crop Post Harvest Research Programme Regional Office for East Africa and took place between March and December 2005.
Matsanza Farmers Union - Uganda (MFU)
Based in Mbale District, MFU's mission is to educate, support and develop the grassroot community initiative towards sustainability development.
National Agricultural
Advisory Services (NAADS)
The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) is a government of Uganda program put in place to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural extension service. It is a semi-autonomous body formed under NAADS Act of June 2001 with a mandate to develop a demand driven, farmer-led agricultural service delivery system targeting the poor subsistence farmers, with emphasis to women, youth and people with disabilities. Its development goal is to enhance rural livelihoods by increasing agricultural productivity and profitability in a sustainable manner.
NAADS is working in pursuit of the national development framework of Poverty Eradication Agenda, which is guided by the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP). NAADS overall supervision is vested in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). The programme was officially launched in March 2002.
NAADS is one of the seven components under the Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA), the planning framework of the government for the transformation of subsistence agriculture to market oriented for commercial production. NAADS programme aims to redress past shortcomings in the provision of the agricultural extension services through far reaching reforms and innovative approaches in service delivery.
National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Uganda
NARO was created with a clear vision "to be a centre of excellence spearheading the development and enhancing the flow of improved and appropriate technologies with its partners and clients, to the farming communities by establishing and operating lean, efficient and cost effective mechanisms and an enabling environment for agricultural research and sustained agricultural development, through a system of management devolution and delegation of authority".
Rapid (or relaxed) appraisal of Agricultural Knowledge Systems (RAAKS)
RAAKS is a participatory action research methodology and alternative system of inquiry developed at the Department of Communication and Innovation Studies, now the Communication and Innovation Studies Group of Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Originally it focused on action research in agriculture. However, over time, it has been widely applied to natural resources management and research and development in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia.
It provides a flexible and participatory approach to improving innovative
performance in agriculture, natural resource management and rural development. RAAKS is a methodology that has been designed and tested to help stakeholders gain a better understanding of their performance as innovators. RAAKS provides a way to improve the generation, exchange and utilization of knowledge and information for innovation. Men or women villagers, researchers, policymakers, extension workers, consumers, producers of inputs or services, industrialists and/or traders, guided by a team of specialists, can all be involved in a RAAKS study.
Rural women and Access to Land (Recommendations of International Workshop)
The International Workshop Rural Women and Land took place in Thies, Senegal from 25-27 February 2003. It was
entirely conceived and organised by the Rural Women National Network of Senegal with the support of the Dimitra
project and Enda-Pronat. The main goal was for rural women to speak out and
highlight the problems they encounter in regard to accessing cultivable land,
natural resources and land acquisition.
Rural women, the majority of whom are farmers, are crucial partners in the
fight against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Nevertheless, their work still
remains underestimated and local traditions can often increase discrimination
against them.
The Recommendations, Action Plan and other documents resulting from the
conference are available online for consultation. For documents in French, visit http://www.enda.sn/pronat.
Science and Development Network
The Science and Development Network (SciDev.Net) has established itself as an
authoritative online source of information and debate about the way that
science and technology can meet the social and economic needs of the
developing world. SciDev.Net includes an African Gateway providing news
coverage through its network of science journalists in the region.
SciDev.Net also provides in-depth 'dossiers' on key topical issues in agriculture and enviroment including
indigenous knowledge, GM Crops and climate change and has free access to selected articles
from the journals 'Science' and 'Nature.'
Tune Workshop Proceedings: Women in Agriculture and Modern Communication Technology
From March 30 - April 3, 1998, specialists from developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America met in Tune Landboskole, Denmark, to conduct a workshop on women in
agriculture and modern communication technology. The workshop organised by the Danish Agricultural and Rural Development Advisers' Forum considered the dimension of communication
for three reasons: (1) the increased realization of the importance to appreciate and start work from an understanding of indigenous knowledge, (2) the potential inherent in modern communication technology, and (3) recognition that insititutional changes always take time, but technology can be used to create networks of people there bypassing institutional inertia.
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