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4.2 Policy Implications
The findings from this analysis have important policy ramifications. The following
recommendations are made to address the challenges undermining product and
value chain development:
(i) Enhancing production efficiency at the farm level and other nodes of the
value chains is the best way to enhance productivity within the value chains,
promote business linkage between small-scale farmers and processors or
exporters and ensure diversified income opportunities and gains to actors
involved
(ii) Developing effective grades and standards, devising effective strategies to
monitor and regulate production and handling processes, encouraging actors to
uphold the existing quality and standard requirements and assess compliance
thereof through dedicated regulatory authorities
(iii) Ensuring that there is efficient and effective management of marketing information to strengthen the ability of co-operatives to bargain and assume greater
roles in marketing and, where possible, eliminate unnecessary intermediation.
This intervention might help in reducing price erosion through deductions arising from the engagement of many intermediaries
(iv) Extending technical support to co-operatives to identify an ideal business
model that can potentially entail the restructuring/reorganization of the current
system based on objective assessment of operational and managerial
efficiency
(v) Enhancing farmers’ resilience to agricultural risks, especially climate change
and other market shocks
(vi) Strengthening private and public sector collaboration in all endeavours aiming
at raising agricultural productivity, product quality and farmers’ access to agricultural technology, input and output markets
References
Abdulai A, Birachi EA (2009) Choice of coordination mechanism in the Kenyan fresh milk supply
chain. Rev Agric Econ 31(1):103–121
Akwabi-Ameyaw K (1997) Producer cooperative resettlement projects in Zimbabwe: lessons from
a failed agricultural development strategy. World Dev 25:437–456
Ashraf N, Giné X et al (2009) Finding missing markets (and a disturbing epilogue): evidence
from an export crop adoption and marketing intervention in Kenya. Am J Agric Econ
91(4):973–990
Averill V (2007) African trade fears carbon footprint backlash. BBC News, 21. http://www.
beatricespadacini.com/pdf/Media%20Work/African%20trade%20fears%20carbon%20footprint%20backlash.pdf. Accessed 31 Dec 2018
Baffes J (2003) Tanzania’s coffee sector: constraints and challenges in a global environment.
World Bank, Washington, DC
Barrett CB (2008) Smallholder market participation: concepts and evidence from eastern and
southern Africa. Food Policy 33(4):299–317
Integrating Smallholder Farmers to Commodity Value Chains in Sub-Saharan Africa…
4.2 Policy Implications
The findings from this analysis have important policy ramifications. The following
recommendations are made to address the challenges undermining product and
value chain development:
(i) Enhancing production efficiency at the farm level and other nodes of the
value chains is the best way to enhance productivity within the value chains,
promote business linkage between small-scale farmers and processors or
exporters and ensure diversified income opportunities and gains to actors
involved
(ii) Developing effective grades and standards, devising effective strategies to
monitor and regulate production and handling processes, encouraging actors to
uphold the existing quality and standard requirements and assess compliance
thereof through dedicated regulatory authorities
(iii) Ensuring that there is efficient and effective management of marketing information to strengthen the ability of co-operatives to bargain and assume greater
roles in marketing and, where possible, eliminate unnecessary intermediation.
This intervention might help in reducing price erosion through deductions arising from the engagement of many intermediaries
(iv) Extending technical support to co-operatives to identify an ideal business
model that can potentially entail the restructuring/reorganization of the current
system based on objective assessment of operational and managerial
efficiency
(v) Enhancing farmers’ resilience to agricultural risks, especially climate change
and other market shocks
(vi) Strengthening private and public sector collaboration in all endeavours aiming
at raising agricultural productivity, product quality and farmers’ access to agricultural technology, input and output markets
References
Abdulai A, Birachi EA (2009) Choice of coordination mechanism in the Kenyan fresh milk supply
chain. Rev Agric Econ 31(1):103–121
Akwabi-Ameyaw K (1997) Producer cooperative resettlement projects in Zimbabwe: lessons from
a failed agricultural development strategy. World Dev 25:437–456
Ashraf N, Giné X et al (2009) Finding missing markets (and a disturbing epilogue): evidence
from an export crop adoption and marketing intervention in Kenya. Am J Agric Econ
91(4):973–990
Averill V (2007) African trade fears carbon footprint backlash. BBC News, 21. http://www.
beatricespadacini.com/pdf/Media%20Work/African%20trade%20fears%20carbon%20footprint%20backlash.pdf. Accessed 31 Dec 2018
Baffes J (2003) Tanzania’s coffee sector: constraints and challenges in a global environment.
World Bank, Washington, DC
Barrett CB (2008) Smallholder market participation: concepts and evidence from eastern and
southern Africa. Food Policy 33(4):299–317
Integrating Smallholder Farmers to Commodity Value Chains in Sub-Saharan Africa…