smallholder farmers

A new report published by CGAP presents insights in how digital financial services (DFS) can work for smallholders. Digital tools offer great opportunities for the world’s 450 million smallholder families, but cannot replace personal support, according to the new human-centered design research. Recognizing the need for DFS that better respond to smallholder demand, CGAP partnered in early 2015 with a financial service provider (FSP) in each of Zimbabwe, Senegal, Rwanda, and Cambodia to design a new generation of smallholder-specific digital financial products and services. Under the guidance and expertise of two human-centered design (HCD) firms, CGAP and its FSP partners worked to explore, create, evolve, and test possible digital solutions for smallholder families. »

On October 27 the 2SCALE consortium organized the conference “Food for thought” Made in Africa, for Africa!” in The Hague, the Netherlands. The event focused on inclusive agribusiness and food security in Africa and highlighted successful African agribusiness. »

This article uses rapid market estimation techniques to quantify the informal milk market in two Tanzanian municipalities. Many market research techniques do not document the informal components and therefore producers only have access to limited information. In this action research project, the participants tried to quickly gather key information to inform the design of interventions to upgrade small-scale urban dairy production. »

This article argues that policy beliefs are neglected in the literature on agricultural policy-making. The authors use two case studies to investigate how policy beliefs influence decision-making on whether the agricultural sector is taxed or subsidized. In-depth interviews with policy actors from Ghana and Uganda were used to execute a discourse analysis. »

This publication presents seven case studies in innovative use of emerging technologies to significantly improve the living standards of farming communities. Information and communication technologies have provided opportunities to address challenges to improve agricultural production and productivity, and enhance value chains. »

This report focuses on how African small-holder farmers respond to an uncertain climate future and how they can be agents of change. In addition, it focuses on what financial options are available and how funding could be improved for this. Impacts of climate change are already felt in Africa. Mean temperatures in Africa will rise faster than the global average, and agricultural losses in the region will amount to 2% to 7% of GDP by 2100. »