Biovision Africa Trust held a value chain and market systems development training workshop for its EOA-I & KCOA implementing partners at Verona hotel, Nairobi Kenya. The workshop was attended by 27 participants from the 5 implementing countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Tanzania.
The training was planned to address some of the challenges and gaps that have been identified by partners. Such include lack of availability and/or high prices of EOA inputs (organic seeds, compost fertilizers, bio-pesticides), unavailability and high cost of investment capital to the small-scale organic farmers, absence of standards and affordable certification schemes and limited access to markets and marketing and lack of product market related support services such as market intelligence, bulking, distribution, grading, consumer awareness, post-harvest management and value addition. The main objective of the VCMD training was therefore to equip participants with the skills to develop successful and sustainable value chains, knowledge on how to analyze markets and optimize on operations of markets to benefit the smallholder farmers.
Specifically, the VCMD training was intended to help participants to:
- Familiarize with the guiding principles of value chain programs/projects that seek to improve competitiveness and benefits to Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through sustainable market-based solutions.
- Understand the foundations of market system development, making markets work for the poor (M4P) and value chain promotion and their advantages and disadvantages.
- Enhance analytical skills to determine market requirements and identify competitive challenges.
- Understand the different roles that various actors (e.g. governments, not-for-profits, the private sector) play in value chains and stimulating development.
- Understand intervention strategies, the kinds of interventions and the criteria for selecting in value chain development.
- Design evidence-based value chain development projects.
The training was undertaken by Lamiro Consult limited experts in value chains and market systems development. It covered Introduction to Concepts of Value Chain and Market System Development Approaches; Value Chain Project Design; Risk Identification and Management in Value Chains; Mapping of Value Chain and Market System Diagram; Strengths & Constraints Analysis in Value Chains; Gender Engagement in Value Chains; Market Linkages in Value Chains/Market System Development; and Business Development Service (BDS) and Inter-connected Markets.
At the end of the workshop that lasted for 4 days, partners developed individual and organizational action plans on how to use the training to fill the value chain and market gaps in their organizations. They will further select value chains for the 2 projects (KCOA&EOA-I) using the skills attained in the workshop to ensure that the value chains benefit the small-scale farmers and are sustainable beyond the projects.
Dr. David Amudavi in his closing remarks urged partners to go back home and select sustainable value chains that will benefit the small holder farmers in both short and long term. He emphasized that the knowledge and skills learnt should be reflected in the planning of Pillar 3 activities of the EOA Initiative (Value Chain and Market Development) and in component three of the KCOA (Networking within organic agricultural value chains).
Mr. Jordan Gama, Afronet President who also participated in the training in his closing remarks thanked all participants for their devotion to the training and encouraged them to make good use of the skills learnt during the training. The need to revise the EOA-I workplans and drop the multiple value chains was also emphasized.