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Practical Action's Markets and Livelihoods Program has been evolving an approach to market development for the poor that is both systemic and participatory. This paper shares some of its learning and experience from past and current projects in Africa, South Asia and Latin America.

Taking a systemic perspective has influenced the decision-making processes of program teams, particularly in the vision for market change and the scale and impact that can be achieved. As the dairy subsector in Nepal illustrates, an analytical framework (the Market Map) is useful to understand market systems. The Market Map guides a process of engagement and interaction between market system actors.

Participatory workshops can promote dialogue and improve understanding between actors. The process needs careful facilitation as the case of coir in Sri Lanka demonstrates. These workshops aim to lead to actions and ultimately to transformations in the market system.

The role of multi-stakeholder forums in taking forward issues for action is discussed with examples from Sudan and Peru. Transforming relationships between market actors is crucial to increasing competitiveness, a key issue for the poor in market chains. The case of livestock in Zimbabwe shows what is possible in an extreme context if market actors have the incentive and desire to work together.

In the final section, the challenges for practitioners to become effective facilitators of market system development are explored, sharing tips from Practical Action’s team leaders. In addition to changing organizational mindset and culture, the paper highlights the future challenge of dialogue with donors and others on the pro-poor impacts of market system development and the need for a more flexible and less controlling approach.

Authors: Alison Griffith and Luis  Osorio, 2008

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“How are we doing?” is a simple question – but answering it can be surprisingly complicated. This case study chronicles the development of Farmer Group Space, a web-based system for the information sharing that creates a foundation for effective project monitoring. Special attention is paid to identifying the data that is important to key stakeholders (farmers, partners, development agencies) and to overcoming common challenges to data collection and analysis. The case discusses the use of laptop computers and mobile phones in data collection, and describes a series of useful toolkits. This case is one in a series that describes how CRS and its partners work with farmer groups and other stakeholders to develop agroenterprises. CRS and its partners created the series to share what they learned from their experience, what new skills were developed, and what team members discovered in reviewing their approaches. The series draws from a range of value chains and across a range of countries; each one focuses on a particular stage in the agroenterprise development process.  

Principal Author: Ben Watkins, Rob Rose and Margaret Mwangi, 2009

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This case study focuses on the effort to scale-up development impact through the introduction of new business models – specifically, through Fair Trade certification. CRS is interested in such models because they can operate in mainstream markets and hold the promise of an exit strategy; as trading relationships become self-sustaining, development staff can disengage and transfer resources to new areas. Fair Trade is a scheme where retailers and other chain actors aim to ensure that disadvantaged farmers, organized into cooperatives, get a fair share of the profits from their produce. It fosters the provision of market information credit and technical assistance to farmers. Farmers receive a guaranteed minimum price, plus “social premiums.” The case finds, however, that the real benefit of fair trade may not be in the additional income that it generates, but in the way it induces farmers to organize themselves to supply a particular market. This case study is one in a series that describes how CRS and its partners work with farmer groups and other stakeholders to develop agroenterprises. CRS and its partners created the series to share what they learned from their experience, what new skills were developed, and what team members discovered in reviewing their approaches. The series draws from a range of value chains and across a range of countries; each one focuses on a particular stage in the agroenterprise development process. 

Principal Author: Michael Sheridan, 2009

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It is important that farmers participate in the market opportunity identification process so they become aware of the dynamics of the market. It helps open their eyes to new production and marketing opportunities. This case study follows a CRS team as they work with five farmer communities in Burkina Faso to identify broad market opportunities, and to narrow in on the best fit. The rigorous and participatory process involves interviewing buyers, creating a matrix of potential market opportunities, and holding a series of community meetings with men and women farmers. Checklists are provided, including sample survey questions and an example of tabulated data. This case study is one in a series that describes how CRS and its partners work with farmer groups and other stakeholders to develop agroenterprises. CRS and its partners created the series to share what they learned from their experience, what new skills were developed, and what team members discovered in reviewing their approaches. The series draws from a range of value chains and across a range of countries; each one focuses on a particular stage in the agroenterprise development process.

Principal Author: Justin Ilboudo, 2009

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Agroenterprise development can result in greater gender equality by involving women in the facilitation and encouraging them to contribute at various stages in the analysis, planning and engagement of the supply chain. Involving women in discussions can also make the contributions of women in production and marketing more visible, so that more men recognize them and other women copy them. However, agroenterprise programs cannot solve all the problems of gender inequality. Barriers to women’s involvement may be so entrenched that they will take a long time, and sustained effort, to overcome. Agroenterprise activities should therefore be part of a more comprehensive program. This resource provides definitions, support and guidance for the integration of gender issues into agricultural development programs. 

Authors: Jennifer Overton and Dina Brick, 2009