Multi-stakeholder platforms for linking small farmers to value chains: evidence from the Andes

Abstract

Value chains linked to urban markets and agro-industry present new opportunities for adding value and raising rural incomes. Small farmers, who produce small volumes, struggle to enter these markets. A lack of trust among value chain actors increases transaction costs and short-circuits innovation. This paper explores how multi-stakeholder platforms have been used to address these problems in potato-based value chains in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. It uses the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to understand how platforms work. Differences in characteristics of the value chains, the participating actors and institutional arrangements have led to the emergence of two types of platforms. The first type brings traders, processors, supermarkets and others together with farmer associations and research and development (R&D) organizations to foster the development of new market opportunities through commercial, institutional and technological innovation. The second type is structured around geographically delimited supply areas, meshing farmers and service providers to address market governance issues in assuring volumes, meeting quality and timeliness constraints and empowering farmers. Evidence from these cases indicates that platforms that bring stakeholders together around value chains can result in new products, processes, norms and behaviours that benefit poor farmers, which could not have been achieved otherwise.

4. Willingness to pay for market information received by mobile phone among smallholder pineapple farmers in Benin

“…Such recommendations have been made by several authors (Cavatassi et al, 2011;Mwesige, 2010;Thiele et al, 2009Thiele et al, , 2011, who call for multi-stakeholder platforms that will strengthen public and private actors' partnerships and enable smallholders to gain sustainable access to high income markets. The private sector could provide platform coordination and management staff (like Esoko is doing), important value chain actors (such as farmers' organisations) and 4.…”

Stakeholder roles for fostering ambidexterity in Sub-Saharan African agricultural netchains for the emergence of multi-stakeholder cooperatives

“…These relationships are commonly found in multi-stakeholder innovation platforms (Thiele et al, 2011). better.…”

Factors influencing willingness to participate in multi-stakeholder platform by smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana: implication for research and development

“…The platform Cadinas Agricolas Productivas de Calidad (CAPAC) in Peru which focused on native potatoes grown largely by poorer farmers primarily for home consumption or local markets has been instrumental in providing transparent information on price and volumes. The CAPAC has also assumed an important role in market governance by linking farmers' native potato production to Frito-Lay and Ayllin Papa through intermediary NGOs (Thiele et al 2011). …”