147
© The Author(s) 2021
H. Campos (ed.), The Innovation Revolution in Agriculture,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50991-0_6
Chapter 6
Innovating at Marketing and Distributing
Nutritious Foods at the Base
of the Pyramid (BoP): Insights
from 2SCALE, the Largest Incubator
for Inclusive Agribusiness in Africa
Niek van Dijk, Nick van der Velde, Janet Macharia, Kwame Ntim Pipim,
and Hiwot Shimeles
6.1 A Brief Description of 2SCALE
The Netherlands-funded “Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through
Learning in Entrepreneurship” (2SCALE) is an incubator program that manages a
portfolio of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for inclusive business in agri-food
sectors and industries and ultimately to improve rural livelihoods and food and
nutrition security. 2SCALE offers a range of support services to its business champions (small to medium enterprises [SMEs] and farmer groups) and partners in eight
countries across sub-Saharan Africa, enabling them to produce, transform, and supply quality food products. These products go to local and regional markets, including to base of the pyramid (BoP) consumers.
Project support includes technology transfer, capacity strengthening, and market
linkages, as well as other key elements such as improving access to finance – vital –
but often sorely lacking in the smallholder sector.
Its implementing partners are (1) BoP Innovation Center (BoPInc) which supports companies and entrepreneurs to develop relevant products and services for and
with the base of the pyramid (BoP). Its mission is to develop commercially and
socially viable business models and activities which include the people in the BoP
as consumers, producers, and entrepreneurs. (2) The Inclusive Green Growth
Department (IGG) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, which
aims to ensure universal access to and wise use of natural resources. IGG is responsible for the Dutch foreign policy on the following themes: climate, water, food
We would like to sincerely thank Mahamane Toure and Maryse Ago da Silva who, along with
authors, generously provided pictures to this chapter.
N. van Dijk · N. van der Velde (*) · J. Macharia · K. N. Pipim · H. Shimeles
BoP, Inc., Utrecht, The Netherlands
e-mail: vandervelde@bopinc.org
© The Author(s) 2021
H. Campos (ed.), The Innovation Revolution in Agriculture,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50991-0_6
Chapter 6
Innovating at Marketing and Distributing
Nutritious Foods at the Base
of the Pyramid (BoP): Insights
from 2SCALE, the Largest Incubator
for Inclusive Agribusiness in Africa
Niek van Dijk, Nick van der Velde, Janet Macharia, Kwame Ntim Pipim,
and Hiwot Shimeles
6.1 A Brief Description of 2SCALE
The Netherlands-funded “Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through
Learning in Entrepreneurship” (2SCALE) is an incubator program that manages a
portfolio of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for inclusive business in agri-food
sectors and industries and ultimately to improve rural livelihoods and food and
nutrition security. 2SCALE offers a range of support services to its business champions (small to medium enterprises [SMEs] and farmer groups) and partners in eight
countries across sub-Saharan Africa, enabling them to produce, transform, and supply quality food products. These products go to local and regional markets, including to base of the pyramid (BoP) consumers.
Project support includes technology transfer, capacity strengthening, and market
linkages, as well as other key elements such as improving access to finance – vital –
but often sorely lacking in the smallholder sector.
Its implementing partners are (1) BoP Innovation Center (BoPInc) which supports companies and entrepreneurs to develop relevant products and services for and
with the base of the pyramid (BoP). Its mission is to develop commercially and
socially viable business models and activities which include the people in the BoP
as consumers, producers, and entrepreneurs. (2) The Inclusive Green Growth
Department (IGG) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, which
aims to ensure universal access to and wise use of natural resources. IGG is responsible for the Dutch foreign policy on the following themes: climate, water, food
We would like to sincerely thank Mahamane Toure and Maryse Ago da Silva who, along with
authors, generously provided pictures to this chapter.
N. van Dijk · N. van der Velde (*) · J. Macharia · K. N. Pipim · H. Shimeles
BoP, Inc., Utrecht, The Netherlands
e-mail: vandervelde@bopinc.org