50 experts join value chain workshop to facilitate market access to vulnerable smallholders
Technical Discussions prompt a paradigm shift towards rethinking our food systems and poverty reduction strategies
20 December 2019,Banjul - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) gathered 50 experts in various field to participate in the five-day workshop titled the “Value Chain Analyses of 10 Selected Agro-commodities in The Gambia”. The workshop is a consignment within the framework of the “Agriculture for Economic Growth” Project that is funded by the European Union (EU). The value chain analyses for 10 selected agro-commodities in The Gambia is part of the effort of the project to make better market access for vulnerable smallholders and youths.
In a bid to achieve the zero hunger and poverty eradication targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 (No Poverty and Zero Hunger) the “Agriculture for Economic Growth” Project chose the Senegambia Beach Hotel to frame the opening of its first Technical Discussions on the Completed Value Chain Analyses workshop in The Gambia. The workshop created a platform for transparent dialogue with value chain experts, technical experts, farmers’ platforms, representatives from the private sector, civil society, international financial institutions and implementing partners.
This technical discussion successfully brought together fifty participants, including various actors and national partners involved in the project, as well as experts from FAO Headquarter and other EU-funded projects in the Gambia. The aim of the workshop is:
1. to compare the value of each of the Value Chain (VC) analysed report towards:
a. increasing income of the smallholder farmers
b. increasing the income/margin of each of the actors within each of the value chains
c. increasing the productivity of the sector/commodity/VC in terms of size and contribution to GDP
d. and creating employment
2. agree on the number of commodities for upgrading and intervention
3. select agreed number of commodities for upgrading and intervention
“Market access is key for smallholder farmers and youths to have economic benefits for their produce and better access to, market can also reduce post-harvest losses. Access to market can also create production diversification; farmers can produce for consumption and market. An example is Radville Farm, that is contracting farms to produce baby corn for the European market and at the same time the farmers are producing other vegetables for their consumption”, said Tom Senghore, Head of the Horticulture Research Unit, National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), during an interview conducted at the workshop.
Country situation and ongoing FAO interventions
Despite its potential for inclusive growth, improved food security and poverty reduction, the agriculture sector is affected by several constraints. Amongst these are weak research and extension systems leading to unsustainable farming practices and pest control; low yields ; limited arable land irrigation (around 5%); inadequate storage facilities and other infrastructures; lack of entrepreneurial culture; limited access to markets, market information and especially to finance, credit and insurance; deficiencies in food safety and quality control; low level of vulnerable smallholder producers participation in value chains and end markets; limited value-addition and processing facilities and missing linkages within and between the value chains, poor organization and policy frameworks for cooperatives. On the issue of migration, the large numbers now going overland to Europe are predominately low skilled young males seeking better economic prospects. They come from large rural families living in poverty.
In this view, the Agriculture for Economic Growth Project is cognizant of the fact that the poor and vulnerable, such as smallholder farmers and youths, require additional support to benefit from the broader economy by strengthening and upgrading 10 selected agro-commodities (tomato, mango, rice, maize, millet, chicken, cattle, tilapia, bonga and catfish) with high impact potential in increasing income and job creation opportunities. Therefore, participants highlighted that the findings of the value chain analysis report will inform policy makers at the strategic and operational levels and propose alternative mechanisms for farmers to better their livelihood options.