Your search found 15 records
1 van Koppen, Barbara; Tapela, B. N.; Mapedza, Everisto. 2018. Joint ventures in the Flag Boshielo Irrigation Scheme, South Africa: a history of smallholders, states and business. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 43p. (IWMI Research Report 171) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.202]
Joint ventures ; Irrigation schemes ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Agribusiness ; Farming systems ; Agricultural policy ; Small scale systems ; Irrigated farming ; Land tenure ; Land ownership ; Resettlement ; Gender ; Public-private cooperation ; Contract farming ; Water resources development ; Food security ; Infrastructure ; Labour ; State intervention ; Crop production ; Cotton ; Policy making ; Accountability / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048492)
(703 KB)
The report analyzes the changing tripartite constellations between South African black smallholders, the pre- and post-apartheid state, and the country’s large-scale agribusiness and irrigation industry. A recent mode of farming is the ‘joint venture’, in which smallholders hand over land and share in the net profits, while a strategic partner manages the cultivation with own inputs and equipment, and markets the output. With a focus on the 13 sub-schemes of the Flag Boshielo irrigation scheme in the former homeland of Lebowa (current Limpopo Province), the report analyzes the emergence of six joint ventures - the collapse of three and the troubled continuation of the other three. For the government’s support to joint ventures as one of the options of the revitalization of smallholder irrigation schemes in former homelands, it is recommended to ensure there is a robust bilateral contract between smallholders and the strategic partner, to strengthen land tenure arrangements, and to diversify irrigation technologies for women and men smallholders.
2 German, L. A.; Bonanno, A. M.; Foster, L. C.; Cotula, L. 2020. “Inclusive business” in agriculture: evidence from the evolution of agricultural value chains. World Development, 134:105018. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105018]
Agribusiness ; Value chains ; Smallholders ; Agrarian reform ; Food security ; Business models ; Land governance ; Living standards ; Social aspects ; Inclusion ; Industrialization ; Policies ; Political aspects ; Perishable products ; Crops ; Cassava ; Coffee ; Palm oils ; Markets ; Households ; Women / Africa South of Sahara / East Africa / Southern Africa / Europe / South East Asia / Latin America / South America / Brazil / Peru
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049773)
(0.57 MB)
Sustained interest by the business community in commercial agriculture in the global South has been welcomed for its potential to bring capital into long neglected rural areas, but has also raised concerns over implications for customary land rights and the terms of integration of local land and labor into global supply chains. In global development policy and discourse, the concept of “inclusive business” has become central in efforts to resolve these tensions, with the idea that integrating smallholders and other disadvantaged actors into partnerships with agribusiness firms can generate benefits for national economies, private investors, and local livelihoods. Scholarly treatment of the topic has tended to be polarized into win/lose narratives, or points to the contingency and social differentiation of localized experiences. This review paper takes a different approach, exploring published evidence on the structural factors shaping agricultural value chains and their implications for social inclusion. We develop a typology of seven agricultural value chains, and use this to select a sample of crops in specific world regions for an analysis of how structural factors in value chain relations - from crop features, to market dynamics and policy drivers – affect social inclusion (and exclusion). Such an approach allows us to ask whether inclusive agribusiness is a realistic goal given the broader structuring of agribusiness and the global economic system. Our study finds that while the characteristics of specific crops and supply chains exert a strong influence on opportunities and constraints to inclusion, the overall trend is towards more exclusive agribusiness as governments scale back support to smallholders, more stringent standards raise barriers to entry, and firms streamline operations to enhance competitiveness. This raises questions about the feasibility of this goal under the current political economic system. Findings point to the need to re-consider the policy choices behind these trends, and how we deploy the fiscal, legislative, and gate-keeper functions of the state to shape agrarian trajectories.
3 Tatlhego, M.; D'Odorico, P. 2022. Are African irrigation dam projects for large-scale agribusiness or small-scale farmers? Environmental Research Communications, 4(1):015005. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ac2263]
Dams ; Irrigation programs ; Agribusiness ; Large scale systems ; Small scale farming ; Farmers ; Infrastructure ; Remote sensing ; Land use ; Forest cover ; Farm size ; Precipitation ; Economic development / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051051)
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/ac2263/pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051051.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051051.pdf
(1.07 MB) (1.07 MB)
The economic development of rural economies across the global south is often related to access to water and the development of water infrastructure. It has been argued that the construction of new dams would unleash the agricultural potential of African nations that are exposed to seasonal water scarcity, strong interannual rainfall variability, and associated uncertainties in water availability. While water security is often presented as the pathway to poverty alleviation and invoked to justify large dam projects for irrigation, it is still unclear to what extent small holders will benefit from them. Are large dams built to the benefit of subsistence farmers or of large-scale commercial agriculture? Here we use remote sensing imagery in conjunction with advanced machine learning algorithms to map the irrigated areas (or 'command areas') that have appeared in the surroundings of 18 major dams built across the African continent between 2000 and 2015. We quantify the expansion of irrigation afforded by those dams, the associated changes in population density, forest cover, and farm size. We find that, while in the case of nine dams in the year 2000 there were no detectable farming patterns, in 2015 a substantial fraction of the command area (ranging between 8.5% and 96.7%) was taken by large-scale farms (i.e., parcels >200 ha). Seven of the remaining 9 dams showed a significant increase in average farm size and number of farms between 2000 and 2015, with large-scale farming accounting for anywhere between 5.2% and 76.7% of the command area. Collectively, these results indicate that many recent dam projects in Africa are associated either with the establishment of large-scale farming or a transition from small-scale to mid-to-large scale agriculture.
4 Klingenberg, C. O.; Valle Antunes Junior, J. A.; Muller-Seitz, G. 2022. Impacts of digitalization on value creation and capture: evidence from the agricultural value chain. Agricultural Systems, 201:103468. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103468]
Agricultural value chains ; Agribusiness ; Agro-industrial sector ; Innovation ; Governance ; Fertilizers ; Agrochemicals ; Digital technology ; Ecosystems / Brazil
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051404)
(1.71 MB)
CONTEXT: Digitalisation impacts value creation and capture in all industries economic sectors. One of the somewhat less researched and less well-understood contexts is agriculture.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the impacts of digitalisation on value creation through four dimensions of the value chain – activities, flows, actors and governance – and analyse the implications of these changes for value capture.
METHODS: We conducted a case study on the upstream section of a farm's value chain, including the most relevant actors, and complemented it with secondary data from papers and gray literature.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found two important impacts: (i) value creation occurs increasingly through platforms operated by big players beyond the industry boundaries, and (ii) value capture by farmers depends on the competitive dynamics among these players, and on policies and regulations.
SIGNIFICANCE: The study addresses the four dimensions of the agricultural value chain, allowing a deeper understanding of its digital transformation. The paper also contributes to knowledge about the evolution of the industries involved by discussing the competitive dynamics. These views are relevant to guiding the strategic decisions of suppliers, farmers and policymakers.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the impacts of digitalisation on value creation through four dimensions of the value chain – activities, flows, actors and governance – and analyse the implications of these changes for value capture.
METHODS: We conducted a case study on the upstream section of a farm's value chain, including the most relevant actors, and complemented it with secondary data from papers and gray literature.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found two important impacts: (i) value creation occurs increasingly through platforms operated by big players beyond the industry boundaries, and (ii) value capture by farmers depends on the competitive dynamics among these players, and on policies and regulations.
SIGNIFICANCE: The study addresses the four dimensions of the agricultural value chain, allowing a deeper understanding of its digital transformation. The paper also contributes to knowledge about the evolution of the industries involved by discussing the competitive dynamics. These views are relevant to guiding the strategic decisions of suppliers, farmers and policymakers.
5 Laichena, J.; Kiptoo, E.; Nkanyani, S.; Mwamakamba, S.; Jacobs-Mata, Inga; Ires, Idil. 2022. Kenya National Policy Dialogue summary report. Summary report of the National Policy Dialogue, Nairobi, Kenya, 21 November 2022. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 20p.
Agricultural production ; Policies ; Agribusiness ; Climate-smart agriculture ; Diversification ; Value chains ; Investment ; Multi-stakeholder processes ; Climate change ; Technology ; Farmers / East Africa / Southern Africa / Kenya
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051681)
(714 KB)
To address the knowledge and coordination gaps and foster an enabling policy and investment environment, the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), together with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and the local partner, the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) hosted the Kenya National Policy Dialogue at ILRI in Nairobi on 21 November 2022. The dialogue is part of the CGIAR initiative: Diversification and Intensification in East and Southern Africa, launched by CGIAR.
6 Nawiko, M.; Chomba, C.; Mambwe, M.; Nkanyani, S.; Mwamakamba, S.; Jacobs-Mata, Inga; Ires, Idil. 2022. Zambia National Policy Dialogue summary report. Summary report of the National Policy Dialogue, Lusaka, Zambia, 18 August 2022. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 18p.
Agricultural policies ; Agricultural sector ; Diversification ; Agribusiness ; Climate change ; Strategies ; Stakeholders ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Livelihoods ; Private sector ; Investment / East Africa / Southern Africa / Zambia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051683)
https://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Other/PDF/zambia_national_policy_dialogue_summary_report.pdf
(946 KB)
To address the knowledge and coordination gaps and foster an enabling policy and investment environment, the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), together with the Agriculture Consultative Forum (ACF) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) hosted its first National Policy Dialogue at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka, Zambia, on 18 August 2022. The Dialogue is part of the CGIAR initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa, launched by CGIAR (including IWMI, CIAT, CIMMYT, ILRI, IFPRI, IITA, and WorldFish).
7 Nortje, Karen; Joshi, Deepa; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Mapedza, Everisto; Davis, K. 2023. A framework for gender equality and social inclusion in agribusiness transformation in East and Southern Africa. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 51p.
Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Agribusiness ; Agricultural transformation ; Frameworks ; Women ; Youth ; Empowerment ; Climate resilience ; Innovation ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Stakeholders ; Institutions ; Political aspects / East Africa / Southern Africa / Ethiopia / Kenya / Zambia / Zimbabwe
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052018)
(4.61 MB)
A Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) approach is fundamental to agribusiness transformation in the Eastern and Southern Africa region. Work package 5 aims to bring about inclusive and scalable agribusiness innovations through targeted GESI support to UU ESA work packages 1-6. To achieve this, we produced this GESI framework on social, economic, political, and institutional barriers and opportunities to more inclusive agribusiness in the ESA region. This framework will ensure that planned interventions under UU are designed and implemented to empower more women and youth as farmers, agribusiness owners, and actors with voice and visibility across agribusiness value chains. The GESI framework was produced by reviewing relevant literature and talking to agribusiness stakeholders, especially women and youth, in four initial countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
8 Anbacha, A.; Mapedza, Everisto; Joshi, Deepa; Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Puskur, R.; Nchanji, E.; Mukhopadhyay, P.; Nortje, Karen; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Jacobs-Mata, Inga; Zewde, Y.; Ketema, D.; Roothaert, R.; Lutomia, C.; Gartaula, H. N. 2023. CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa and CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality: Stakeholder Consultation Workshop. Proceedings of the Stakeholder Consultation Workshop, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 31 January 2023. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa; CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality. 22p.
Agricultural value chains ; Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Women's participation ; Youth ; Farmers ; Empowerment ; Capacity development ; Stakeholders ; Vegetables ; Agribusiness ; Diversification ; Farm inputs ; Technology ; Innovation ; Resilience ; Non-governmental organizations ; Policies / East Africa / Southern Africa / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052223)
(1.12 MB)
A stakeholder consultation workshop was conducted by the CGIAR Initiatives on Diversification in East and Southern Africa (Ukama Ustawi) and Gender Equality on 31 January 2023 at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop aimed to identify and address barriers that limit participation of women and youth and how these are addressed in an ongoing "Veggies for People and Planet" program at the World Vegetable Center. The workshop also sought to investigate existing opportunities and recommend possible integrated solutions for more equitable and inclusive value chain development.
9 Apondi, M.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Nortje, Karen. 2023. Strategies for promoting Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in the agribusiness sector in Kenya: experiences from the field. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 18p.
Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Strategies ; Frameworks ; Agribusiness ; Women ; Youth ; Empowerment ; Capacity development ; Decision making ; Markets ; Agrifood systems ; Policies ; Innovation ; Civil society ; Climate change ; Intervention ; Discrimination ; Case studies / Kenya
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052418)
(797 KB)
This report aims to explore the intersection of gender and social inclusion, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities faced by women and youth in the agribusiness sector. It examines the ways in which gender norms and stereotypes shape social inclusion, and how exclusionary practices can perpetuate gender-based inequalities. The report draws on the gender analysis studies, baseline surveys and positive case study examples from diverse settings to highlight the key issues and strategies for promoting Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in the agribusiness sector. It also offers recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and civil society actors to enhance gender-responsive approaches to social inclusion, and to ensure that marginalized groups are included in decision-making processes and benefit from development interventions and underscores the importance of addressing gender-based discrimination and promoting social inclusion as a means of advancing human rights and achieving sustainable development. These include measures such as inclusive disruptive innovation, equal involvement in policy making processes, inclusive market and production systems and representation in decision making. The report emphasizes that promoting GESI is not only a matter of social justice, but also essential for achieving sustainable development goals and building more resilient societies.
10 Greehy, P.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Nortje, Karen. 2023. Strategies for promoting Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in the agribusiness sector in Zambia: experiences from the field. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 17p.
Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Strategies ; Frameworks ; Agribusiness ; Women farmers ; Youth ; Capacity development ; Training ; Women's empowerment ; Agricultural value chains ; Markets ; Policies ; Innovation ; Climate change ; Intervention ; Sustainability ; Partnerships ; Multi-stakeholder processes ; Smallholders ; Cotton ; Fruits ; Vegetables ; Livelihoods ; Case studies / Zambia / Lusaka / Chongwe / Mazabuka / Chibombo / Kabwe / Mumbwa / Choma / Magoyi / Nyimba / Petauke / Katete
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052419)
(766 KB)
Building on the Reclaim Sustainability! (RS!) programme’s baseline studies and the Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Reports, and in partnership with CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa (Ukama Ustawi) through International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Solidaridad facilitated commodity specific voice amplification dialogues in Zambia focused on cotton and fruits and vegetables farmers. These GESI engagements were designed to form the basis for future programs around voice amplification, gender and social inclusion across agri-business value chains, policy, advocacy, and innovation acceleration The commodity specific dialogues used a co-design approach in order to construct end-user archetypes of typical audiences for program engagement. Over a two week period between November and December 2022, Solidaridad’s commodity teams, supported by the Network’s Gender Expert, visited cotton and fruits and vegetable farmers across Zambia in the following districts: Lusaka, Chongwe, Mazabuka, Chibombo, Kabwe,Mumbwa, Choma , Magoyi, Nyimba , Petauke and Katete. In groups of not more than 15 per community, the team engaged in dialogue with women (60), youth (3) and men (30) farmers, commodity relevant key informants, individuals in influential spaces and interest groups across the Cotton and Fruits and Vegetables value chains. This included government officials, market players such as Freshmark (Shoprite), Good nature Agro, Agricultural input aggregators, industry union representatives, policy makers, district agricultural officers, and most importantly, women smallholder farmers.
11 Dahl, Hauke; Sartas, M. 2023. CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator: kick-off and onboarding workshop - complementary report on reflections on the accelerator and technical assistance design and implementation, Kigali, Rwanda, 22-24 February 2023. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 10p.
Agrifood systems ; Agribusiness ; Innovation ; Technical aid ; Value chains / East Africa / Southern Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052597)
(593 KB)
Food system accelerators are programs that support agribusinesses in scaling their innovations to address the challenges and opportunities in food and agriculture systems. They typically provide a combination of technical assistance, mentoring, networking, and access to finance to help agribusinesses grow and achieve positive social and environmental impact. Food system accelerators are emerging as a promising approach to foster climate-smart innovation and transformation in agri-food systems, especially in developing regions where climate change, population growth, food insecurity, and malnutrition pose serious threats. Climate-smart innovation can enhance the efficiency, resilience, transparency, and inclusiveness of agri-food value chains, as well as improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and consumers. However, scaling climate-smart innovations in agri-food systems is not easy. It requires a deep understanding of the complex and dynamic context of agri-food systems, as well as the needs and preferences of different actors and stakeholders. It also requires collaboration and coordination among various actors, such as researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, extension agents, and end-users. Moreover, it requires overcoming various barriers and risks, such as lack of infrastructure, skills, data, regulation, trust, and financing. To address these challenges, food system accelerators leverage the expertise and network of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR has a portfolio of innovations that span various domains of agri-food systems, such as crop improvement, livestock production, natural resource management, nutrition, gender, policy, and markets. CGIAR also has a strong presence and partnership in many developing countries where agri-food systems face the most pressing problems. One example of a food system accelerator is the CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator Programme (FSA), launched in partnership with 2SCALE in 2022. The FSA aims to support at least 30 agribusinesses in East and Southern Africa by 2024 with scaled-up climate-smart innovations that support diversification, intensification, and risk management of maize mixed systems. The FSA provides tailor-made support to selected agribusinesses under four priority innovation themes: mechanization and irrigation, conservation agriculture, nutrition-sensitive climate-smart agriculture, and agricultural risk management. The FSA also offers de-risking grants and matchmaking with private investors for follow-on capital. In February 2023, CGIAR FSA organized the initiation workshop for the first successful group of startup businesses at Norrsken House, Kigali, Rwanda. This report has its focus on participants’ reflections on the food system accelerator process and the way forward.
12 Njiru, A.; Bohjanen, C.; Sewe, L.; Nortje, Karen; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah. 2023. The CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator: cohort one. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion technical assistance report. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 24p.
CGIAR ; Food systems ; Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Agribusiness ; Climate-smart agriculture / Eastern Africa / Southern Africa / Kenya / Rwanda / Uganda / Zambia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052650)
(654 KB)
The CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator (CFSA) was launched as part of the activities under the CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and South Africa (Ukama Ustawi), with the main objectives, of strengthening food systems by scaling climate-smart food system innovations (through strategic support of commercially viable and inclusive climate-smart agribusinesses), develop a pipeline of inclusive climate-smart agribusinesses in East and Southern Africa, support inclusive climate-smart agribusinesses (through a 6-month program that provides investment readiness and business development, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and impact measurement and management (IMM) technical assistance, GESI strengthening, coaching and mentoring) and facilitate access to finance through de-risking grants to scale CSA innovations and business models. In the inaugural CFSA cohort, 10 agribusinesses (Accelerator Partners) were supported from Kenya (4), Rwanda (2) Uganda (2), and Zambia (2).
13 Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Nortje, Karen. 2023. A meta-analysis of social, economic, and institutional bottlenecks, barriers, and opportunities to more inclusive small and medium agribusiness in the ESA Region: a synthesis report. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 23p.
Agribusiness ; Agriculture ; Food security ; Stakeholder ; Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Women ; Youth ; Economic aspects / East Africa / Southern Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052666)
(708 KB)
This report summarizes the meta-analysis findings on the social, economic, and institutional bottlenecks, barriers, and opportunities to more inclusive small and medium agribusiness in the ESA region. It serves as a link between the visible integration of GESI focus in WP1 and its interventions. The GESI framework1 brings about inclusive and scalable agribusiness innovations through targeted GESI support to UU ESA work packages 1-6. This framework will ensure that planned interventions under UU are designed and implemented to empower more women and youth as farmers, agribusiness owners, and actors with voice and visibility across agribusiness value chains (Nortje et al. 2023). The CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa (Ukama Ustawi- meaning “wellbeing”) is focused on diversification for resilient agribusiness ecosystems in Eastern and Southern Africa, also known as Ukama Ustawi (UU).
14 Kabuli, A.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Davis, K. 2024. A landscape analysis of youth engagement in agripreneurship in Malawi. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 26p.
Youth ; Participation ; Agriculture ; Entrepreneurship ; Agribusiness ; Sustainability ; Finance ; Loans ; Market access ; Intervention ; Strategies ; Policies ; Agricultural value chains ; Land access ; Private sector ; Non-governmental organizations / Malawi / Chikwawa / Balaka / Nkhotakota / Nkhatabay
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052710)
(630 KB)
This report aims to explore the multidimensional challenges and opportunities for youth in agripreneurship in Malawi for a better understanding of interventions for youth in agribusiness. It examines the enabling and disenabling environment for young agripreneurs and how best to engage youth within the agribusiness sector. The report draws on in-depth interviews, workshops, and secondary literature to highlight key issues and strategies to engage youth agripreneurs in Malawi. It also offers recommendations for actors, practitioners, and policymakers to enhance transformative interventions for youth participation in agribusiness. Suggested measures include improving access to input, market, and equipment, setting up quota systems targeting youth agripreneurs, and better coordinating youth programs between ministries and the private sectors. The report also emphasized that these strategies are not just to achieve youth inclusion in agribusiness but also for the sustainability of youth programs which contribute to building resilient societies.
15 Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Diallo, A.; Minh, Thai Thi. 2024. Investment and cultivation strategies for women and youth inclusion: cases from on-farm, off-farm and non-farm activities in Ethiopia and Mali. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 24p. (IWMI Working Paper 211) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2024.203]
Investment ; Cultivation ; Strategies ; Women's participation ; Youth ; Social inclusion ; Agricultural production ; Surpluses ; Agricultural value chains ; Livelihoods ; Assets ; Natural capital ; Human capital ; Social capital ; Cultural capital ; Gender ; Social norms ; Farmers ; Social groups ; Markets ; Agribusiness ; Small-scale farming ; Food security ; Households ; Poverty ; Cooperatives ; Access to finance ; Institutions ; Capacity development ; Policies ; Governmental organizations ; Nongovernmental organizations ; Private sector ; Case studies / Sahel / Ethiopia / Mali / Tiyo / Ziway Dugda / Wegnia / Sourou
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H052838)
(1.99 MB)
Africa's agriculture sector is vital for food security, employment, and economic growth. Women and young people, who contribute to innovation, diversification, and income, face limited opportunities in the sector due to social and economic power imbalances. This disparity wastes resources and impedes agricultural value chain development (VCD). Inclusive VCD aims to empower women, men and youth from diverse social groups and strengthen the agriculture sector. However, the literature on inclusive VCD in Africa is limited due to urban biases, and the lack of a framework to address gender inequality and poverty. This study explores how livelihood assets, strategies for accessing the assets, and enabling and discouraging factors in the value chain shapes the inclusion of women and youth in on-farm, off-farm and non-farm activities. It is based on the Safeguarding Sahelian Wetlands for Food Security (SaWeL) program that aims to make the market work for the poor through inclusive VCD in the Ziway-Shalla Sub-basin of Ethiopia, and Wegnia and Sourou basins in Mali. A qualitative dataset of 32 focus group discussions, 48 key informant interviews and 40 in-depth interviews were analyzed. We identified investment and cultivation inclusion strategies that demonstrates how women and youth from diverse social groups actualize business opportunities, overcome challenges and create new opportunities for inclusion. Investment strategies involve women and youth from better-off households with good access to natural, social, political and physical capital for capital-intensive roles. On the other hand, cultivation strategies involve women and youth from resource-poor households who can harness natural, social and political capital to participate in off-farm and non-farm activities. Our results show that women and youth who adopt either one of the strategies are encouraged by good support from social networks, cooperatives, Government Organizations, Nongovernmental Organizations and private sector actors. However, access to productive resources and services for women and youth adopting any strategies is hampered by gender and intergenerational norms, poverty and insufficient institutional capacity. We argue that it is essential to understand how social disparities and local environments interact to inform the design and implementation of inclusive value chains. Additionally, inclusive value chains necessitate building capacities of institutions at different scales.
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