The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) joined forces in 2019, leveraging a combined 65 years’ experience in research on the role of forests and trees in solving critical global challenges.
Mariam Chelangat shows the team her farm of bee hives (Photo by Joan Kimaiyo)
There has been increased recognition of the importance of farmers’ groups in Eastern Africa recently. Through these groups, farmers have been successful in increasing household income, using improved farming methods and natural resource management at farm and landscape scales. However, farmers in groups are not necessarily able to benefit from market opportunities due to limited access and lack of proper and organized connections.
Through ICRAF’s Developing Value Chain Innovation Platforms project (VIP4FS), smallholder farmers now have a better chance of resolving marketing challenges. Innovation platforms (IPs) work to improve their bargaining power thereby increasing their profit margins. In Uganda, formation of innovation platforms has enabled farmers to become aware of risks in the production system and identify solutions. “I always thought that black coffee berries were part of the good coffee, I did not know it was coffee berry disease. We always mixed the good and the bad berries and this affected the overall quality,” said Justus, a young farmer in Bumbo coffee innovation platform in Mukoto sub-county, during a follow-up meeting on the IP. His story is not unique.
Due to the ever-increasing membership, these IPs have begun to attract new actors such as NGOs, local government and government-sponsored programmes in the area. As Robert, a facilitator for the Mukoto highland honey innovation platform, explained, “We presented our innovation platform functions to the sub-county chief and outlined how we would like to encourage other farmers to join beekeeping. He was very excited and has offered to give us 160 modern hives before the end of this year.”
Innovation platforms not only provide solutions to challenges facing agricultural production, but also bind the social fabric, thus contributing to building trust between farmers and other value chain players. These are important aspects especially when undertaking bulk marketing of products. The Mt Elgon women coffee innovation platform in Kapchorwa has 11 groups, each comprising about 15 members. The IP thus has about 165 members who sell their coffee collectively. Due to the large quantity of coffee produced, the group has been able to approach buyers such as KAWACOM and NUCAFE to assist in bulk purchasing.
A few innovation platforms have identified other opportunities. For example, the Tegeres and Kokwomurya dairy innovation platforms intend to set up savings and credit services so that farmers can save and take loans at low interest rates which will enable them purchase farm inputs to boost milk production.
Sikako innovation platform aims to acquire 3000 modern beehives within three years and a bee house. It was initially formed by two farmers who had participated in the Kapchorwa workshop, Sofie and Chelimo, who are also members of Kokwomurya beekeepers group. Through the innovation platform, they have learnt a lot from each other on beekeeping, and are working towards bulk production and marketing of the honey, as well as suitable processing and packaging options to improve quality.
The Developing Value Chain Innovation Platforms is a four-year project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and works in Solwezi district, Zambia and in Kapchorwa and Manafwa districts, Uganda. The project aims to develop cost-effective and scalable approaches for establishing value chain innovation platforms that enhance smallholder participation in sustainable markets, thereby improving food security.
Some of the members of Sikako innovation platform pose for a group photo (Photo by Joan Kimaiyo)
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