How FAO’s knowledge and tools support Small and Medium Enterprises’ capacity development
In most countries, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) represent the majority of the agrifood business at all stages of food supply chains. Despite this, awareness of the key role they can play in increasing access to healthy and safe foods is limited, as well as resources for SMEs capacity development.
Over the course of the project “Strengthening capacities for nutrition-sensitive food systems through a multi-stakeholder approach”, FAO and partners at country level have developed an e-learning series on SMEs and Nutrition that aims to address capacity development needs by making the business case for nutrition and proposing an approach to integrating nutrition considerations into SMEs’ business models.
Following the development of the e-learning series in collaboration with the countries targeted by the project – Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam – FAO organized a webinar to further disseminate the e-learning series, and discuss synergies and complementarities with other capacity development activities implemented in Ghana and Kenya.
The webinar “Making the business case for SMEs and Nutrition” – held on September 9, 2022 – engaged participants in a lively discussion on the importance of creating enabling environments for SMEs and working with different stakeholders at country level, and presented an innovative approach to integrating nutrition into business.
Panelists and participants shared very insightful experiences of their use of the e-learning series in Ghana and Kenya, providing key information on its usage and impact in a variety of contexts spanning from SMEs to the academia.
Florence Kyallo, Principal investigator & Chair Department of Human Nutrition Sciences of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, highlighted the usefulness of the e-learning for enhancing the knowledge of university students. The revision of academic curricula carried out under FAO’s project resulted in learning programmes that provide a broader knowledge base to students vis-à-vis nutrition.
Matilda Steined Asiedu, Dean of School of Biological Science and Professor at Nutrition and Food Security Department of University of Ghana, shared positive feedback on the revision of academic curricula at the University of Ghana, and praised the role that the e-learning series can play in filling students’ knowledge gaps on nutrition and food systems.
Johnson Opoku-Boateng, Director of the Business Development Services for the Association of Ghana Industries, acknowledged the importance of the e-learning course to sensitize SMEs on the business case for nutrition and provide guidance on how to produce, process and market nutritious foods.
During the open discussion sessions, a number of SMEs from Ghana and Kenya pointed out the challenges that SMEs face in offering at the same time food, which is safe, nutritionally balanced and affordable to poor populations, as well as the need to couple capacity development efforts with favorable policies and incentives. While emphasizing the importance to maximize the contribution of SMEs to healthy diets.
Alexander Jones, Director of the Resource Mobilization and Private Sector Partnerships Division of FAO, praised the work carried out by FAO and partners in the field. The activities implemented in support of SMEs have made a significant contribution to increasing cooperation between public and private sector, and produced a valuable and grounded e-learning series.
For Further Information Contact
Pilar Santacoloma
Agri-Food Systems Officer