Exchange on Sustainable Agriculture Chain Development

Access and utilisation of suitable agricultural finance by small scale farmers (SSF) and traders is one of the biggest hampering factors for improving rural livelihoods, to invest in their farms and improve production and/or productivity, store produce and wait to utilise high prices during the lean seasons, nor invest to add value through processing.

The market changes faster than people's mindsets. This is particularly true in the agriculture sector, where many farmers still see themselves as commodity producers and not businessmen. There is a growing need for them to collaborate with different actors to link into the financial services and modern markets.

The issue was discussed at the "Inclusion of Small Producers in the Value Chain: From Field Evidence to Action", a workshop jointly organized by Belgium-based Vredeseilanden (VECO), United Kingdom-based International Institute for the Environment and Development (IIED), and Netherlands-based Cordaid.