Business For Development 2008 Promoting Commercial Agriculture In Africa

Business for Development 2008 offers a fresh look at African agriculture and seeks ways for it to become a profitable industry.

The changing pattern of international agricultural trade has profound implications for Africa. The book's authors discuss these trade flows, map the corporate landscape of agro-food, (including the emergent indigenous sector), and assess trends in international development co-operation in the corporate sector. Particular focus is given to "aid for trade" programs that try to foster private-sector development and trade-capacity building. A final chapter, drawing lessons from five country case studies provides evidence of the (in)effectiveness of government intervention and donor programs to promote the marketing of African agriculture.--Publisher's description.

An increasing number of African smallholders are moving from subsistence farming to selling at least part of their output. To shift successfully to a more commercial footing they need a lot more than the production advice traditionally provided by extension services. They need to understand how markets work. They also need advice on postharvest handling, help with business planning and marketing, assistance with organization, information on prices, links to buyers and credit, help with contracts and standards, and many other types of assistance. These agricultural business development services are provided by a mix of private companies, NGOs, cooperatives and government agencies in what is called a pluralistic extension system . Farmers and other clients such as input stores, small-scale processors and traders get some services for free, paid for by donors or the government. Others are subsidized: the farmers pay part of the cost. For still others, the farmers must pay the full cost. That leads to questions of sustainability (what happens when the donor s money runs out?), accountability (whom do the service providers listen to: the farmers, or the source of the funds?), and inclusiveness (how to ensure that women, the poor and disadvantaged get the services they need but cannot afford?). This book describes the two dominant approaches to providing services: supply-driven (where the funder decides what services should be offered), and market-driven (where more emphasis is put on market forces). It looks at how 12 business service providers from across Africa run their businesses. It describes the seven different business models that they pursue, and examines the features of each one. Based on their experiences, it proposes a new, needs-driven approach, which aims to overcome the shortcomings of both the supply-driven and the market-driven approaches by taking the needs of clients as a starting point for policy and action."

African agriculture is a sleeping giant. Agribusiness remains in its infancy in most sub-Saharan African countries. Many of them now pay higher prices for imported food products and struggle to keep inflationary pressures under control. Given the ...

The aim of the book is to present contributions in theory, policy and practice to the science and policy of sustainable intensification by means of technological and institutional innovations in agriculture. The research insights re from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The purpose of this book is to be a reference for students, scholars and practitioners inthe field of science and policy for understanding and identifying agricultural productivity growth potentials in marginalized areas.

Development Challenges, South-South Solutions is the monthly e-newsletter for the United Nations Development Programme’s South-South Cooperation Unit (www.southerninnovator.org). It has been published every month since 2006.

2001-2010 proved to be a transitional decade for Africa, ushering in a new image and status for the continent. Africa began to show it was truly shaking the shackles of its colonial and chaotic past. Now that the New Africa has arrived, what does that mean? And, what does it mean for business? On almost every issue that has been pegged a negative for Africa - population boom, poverty, disease, governance, economic instability, and conflicts - there is evidence of a growing shift in the other direction. Businesses need to wake up and proactively shift to this new reality, or paradigm. While business principles apply across any market, businesses need to adapt their strategies to the context of Africa to be successful and understand that Africa is one of the key regional markets in the next generation of business. "Redefining Business in the New Africa" sets out to establish a new baseline and framework for engagement in Africa, which reflects the current and future trends of a region headed for emerging market status. While Africa still has to deal with legacy issues, the power of its "now" and future is greater. In this book you will learn about: - A new context and framework for business in Africa - A few major future trends and sectors in Africa - Strategic approaches to doing business and investing in the New Africa - How to tackle, or respond, to some of the challenges in the New Africa Get ready to rock and roll in this new era for business in Africa!