The losses incurred in developing countries are largely due to infrastructural constraints related to poor transport, storage, processing and packaging facilities, in addition to capacity gaps that result in inefficient production, harvesting, processing and transport of food.

These are standard value chain functions. Value chain mapping and identification has been touted as the panacea to all sorts of sustainable development models/perspectives in agriculture. Our experience is that there is need for a physical space to support the introduction of a facility that would engage with actors at commodity or service provision level to address these issues. Where investment is needed, the organizational framework needs to be considered keenly. Read by earlier post

There should be strong government commitment and support for ICT development in the form of policy incentives, increasing levels of investment in ICT R&D projects, accelerated investment in ICT infrastructure and telecommunication facilities, increase manpower development and skills training in ICT.

Most developing countries lack the financial wherewithal to support basic necessities. On a priotized ranking, ICT will come very low. The challenge is not to expect much from the government but p[ropose a PPP that supports the infusion of what the government can supply with what the communities are able to do on their own including mobilizing investment.

Public sectors should support ICT to:

I would propose that these functions be dealt by PPPs rather than the Public Sector (Government) with the government playing the role that they can be encouraged to play with the most critical being the provision of infrastructure or to link with global partners such as ITU on issues of telecommunication.

(1)          Reinforce producers in achieving economic, social and ecological sustainability to increase productivity and improve quality;

Policies on quality standards need to be introduced through focused extension support through industrial, academic, productive, agronomical, social frameworks

(2)          Support better terms of trade and organize access to financial services;

Vibrant financial sector with government setting up such funds as can promote affordable credit for smallholders and other producers

(3)          Develop a range of instruments for training, quality management financing, exchange of experience, management, efficiency and sales;

Action research initiatives that integrate the community and private sector need to provide the handles for this. There is a risk here of making the government swallow more than it can chew!

(4)          Increase services used by farmers and other producers;

Action research initiatives that integrate the community and private sector need to provide the handles for this. There is a risk here of making the government swallow more than it can chew!

(5)          Link farmers with public support agencies and private sector buyers;

Action research initiatives that integrate the community and private sector need to provide the handles for this. There is a risk here of making the government swallow more than it can chew!

(6)          Encourage creation of producer organizations to procure high-quality inputs in bulk to reduce costs;

Civil society and creation of farmer organizations through capacity building of farmers themselves to create this rather than the government doing it

(7)          Enhance logistics - public distribution of commodities;

Private sector or farmer organizations’ responsibility

(8)          Use producer organizations to establish marketing partnerships with processors and retailers to promote socially beneficial products and create brands;

Farmer organizations themselves backed by private sector or PPP initiatives

(9)          Create provisions for credit in conjunction public and private sector lender;

Savings and Credit Cooperatives do a very good job here, let the farmers do it themselves. You risk creating dependency that will be hurtful in the long run

(10)        Enhance public R&D and production to develop socially beneficial inputs to production

R&D in agriculture is indeed a public good and the learning and research organizations need to be supported but they should also try and limit over-reliance on governments. Global funds now exist that promote innovation, let the R&D initiatives sell their innovation for supportive initiatives

(11)        Enhance extension services or technical assistance to producers in farming practices (training, information dissemination)

This should be participatory as much as possible and be result oriented. Too much free extension has been the cause of slow adoption of technologies and new approaches to value chain engagement

(12)        Promote infrastructure development (public infrastructure - roads, storage facilities);

Purely government’s yes but storage is private sector business…see the model I circulated on farmer organization modeling at VACID Africa

(13)        Promote public distribution of commodities - partnerships between public sector and producer groups/NGOs to jointly finance and maintain roads, storage facilities;

Purely private sector business…see the model I circulated on farmer organization modeling at VACID Africa

(14)        Enhance information services development of MIS to integrate government statistics agencies with private producer associations, use of IT to distribute market information;

Purely private sector business…see the model I circulated on farmer organization modeling at VACID Africa

(15)           Develop and enforce public standards and regulations on food safety inspection and monitoring to manage quality and food safety in conjunction with government and producer groups;

Purely government through a responsive standards body with the production infrastructure being private sector/Producer organization owned…see the model I circulated on farmer organization modeling at VACID Africa

(16)           Develop coordination mechanisms to ensure healthy competition and market exchanges.

Let the government meddle in what should be purely market forces….there may be exceptions depending on how organized the markets are