2SCALE

Welcome to the webinar about2SCALE VEGETABLE PARTNERSHIP IN

WEST AFRICA

Denis GNAKPENOU, Innovation SpecialistAdodo ABALO, Action Researcher

2SCALEBackground

2SCALE: an incubator for inclusive business

Inclusive business

Commercially viable & sustainable business that involves low-income communities in a way that is benefitting them.

2SCALE

Project …. &

Pilot To test and fine-tune a private-sector driven approach to broker, facilitate and scale

inclusive agricultural value chains

Background

2SCALEFocus on partnerships (PPPs)

Means to an end!53 PPPs in 10 countries on four groups of commodities: staple crops, vegetable and fresh produce/potatoes, sow and other oil seeds, and animal production

2SCALEVegetable value chains in West Africa(i) open market outlets and small

street shops;(ii) supermarkets, hotels and

restaurant chains; (iii) processed vegetable chain;

and (iv) export market. Both internally

in West Africa (from North to South) as export to Europe.

2SCALEVgtble in WA - Key constraints

(i) low availability of and knowledge on improved inputs; (ii) limited agronomic skills and practices; (iii) poor food safety for both the domestic and export markets; (iv) poor postharvest management; and (v) weak linkages between producers and buyers, and other VC supporters.

2SCALEGoal : Vegetable partnership / EWIT

The partnership aims to facilitate access of each smallholder farmer in the target vegetable partnerships to the best EWIT varieties that respond to market requirements, and to facilitate the use of good agricultural practices to improve competitiveness of vegetable clusters.

How : • by improving access to quality seeds to

SHFs, and by strengthening marketing and distribution channels to consumer markets, including BoP

• Partner with farmers, agro inputs dealers, Micro finance institution

2SCALEBusiness model

based on:Reliable and

transparent vegetable seed distribution

network&

Inclusive breeding programs tailored to

SHFs demand

2SCALEMain achievements : Governance in the partnerships

Design of a governance strategy for the partnership : 3 levels

More regular meetings to coordinate activities within ABC

Establishment of ABC hubs/mega ABC to strengthen exchange of experiences, in particular in collective marketing, business planning.

Once a year, all vegetable ABC organize a governance meeting to evaluate progress, design new strategies and take corrective actions

2SCALEMain achievements: Brokering partnerships

4 Dutch lead firms involved : EWIT – RIJK ZWAAN – FERM O FEED – KOPPERT

Other International lead firms: ELEPHANT VERT, BIOFERTIL

Others national firms involved: AGRO BIO PHYTO - ALIDé – SONGHAÏ – A LA FERME GENIALE, TIKOLA, etc.

+40 ABCs developed: 64873 producers (22376 about 35% of women) involved

204 SMEs (including 75 headed by women)

2SCALEMain achievements: Capacity building

4 Learning cycles (ICRA) for BSS to support ABC per year

(for example in 2015 ) More than 10 000 producers trained

Actions research implemented and fields visits organized

Market surveys and prospections

Farmers strengthened in negotiations, Contractual agriculture

2SCALEMain achievements: Capacity building

Strengthen business relationship between FBO, SME (Agro input dealers, Micro finances institutions, etc.)

Capacity building of FBOs in organizational and institutional skills

Safety standard of food

Credit management and financial literacy

2SCALEMain achievements: Access to finance

Loans of almost 500 million FCFA (US$ 1,000,000) disbursed to 125 farmers in 2015 for inputs and small equipment in Benin

Tripartite agreement in Nigeria between AACE Food, LAPO and FBO

Women marketers linked to FBO for input supply in Mali

2SCALEMain achievements: Gender and diversity

• Specific access to finance products for women in Benin

• Access to input (irrigation material) credit for youth in Benin

• Women cooperatives supported in Mali

• Post harvest training for women (solar dryer)

• Women involvement in ABCs Governance

2SCALEMain achievements: BoP market

• Introduction of nutritious leafy vegetable, Kangkong, Ipomoea aquatica

• Quick adoption of production due to easy production and high yield (lot of biomass, continuous harvest)

• Good taste • Cheap seeds

2SCALEKey outcomes: Increasing EWIT business

Crop Increase of sales

volume (per year)Observation

Onion: 25% Based on this success, development of two new hybrid rainy season varieties (Red Star F1 and Red Jewel F1)

Tomato 20% also mainly for the rainy season, Chili: 5% Not really adapted varietyOkra 5% The African market wants the short and fat type with

over 8 ridges and very slimy.

2SCALEKey outcomes: improving SHFs business

• Improved technical skills

• Capacity of farmers to produce in all seasons

• Availability of adapted high yield and resistant varieties

• Increase crop yields

• Improved quality food production

• Better education on Safe Use of Pesticides

2SCALECHALLENGES

• Poor access to seed/poor distribution network

• Need of time to build trust and transparency

• Weak organization of product distribution network for scaling out

• How to ensure sustainability of the partnerships

• Control of pests and diseases

2SCALE

THANKS