Enhanced Market Access and Knowledge Management in Eastern and Southern Africa

Source:  Netherlands Development Organization (SNV)

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has recently signed a Grant Agreement with the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) for a programme ‘Strengthening Support capacity for Enhanced Market Access and Knowledge Management in Eastern and Southern Africa' (SCAPEMA). This 2.5-year programme seeks to improve effectiveness and capacity of enablers to support market linkage initiatives, through improved knowledge management and capacity building.  

In recognition of the importance of market access to the livelihoods of the rural poor, there have been various development initiatives aiming at facilitating farmer-to-market linkage, such as support to capacity building of farmer organizations and small-scale entrepreneurs along certain commodity chains and linking them to markets and the development of conducive policy and institutional environment.  Both the IFAD's Strategic Framework 2007-2010 and the SNV's strategy identify this as one of the areas of strategic focus for poverty reduction and the both organization have been supporting various programmes in eastern and southern Africa.  It has been recognized that there are a number of development partners piloting and supporting market linkage interventions and yet there are opportunities for better capturing lessons and best practices, as well as for a critical need for strengthening local capacity to support enhancing market access of the rural producers. It is against this background that SCAPEMA was jointly developed; the two organizations share common philosophy, approach and strategy, not only in terms of poverty reduction and the thematic focal area on market linkages, but also the focus on local/national capacity building, knowledge management and partnership.

The overall goal of the programme is to increase incomes to rural poor from participation in more equitable and efficient market linkages. The programme intends to achieve this goal by improving effectiveness and capacity of enablers (local capacity builders) to support market linkages initiatives which is closely linked to SNV's overall strategic goal for 2007 to 2015.  The programme consists of three components:

• Enhanced knowledge and understanding;
• Improving support capacity, regional linkages and networking; and
• Policy dialogue and advocacy.  

There is an emphasis on two major outputs; knowledge generation and capacity building, which are closely linked as one feeds into the other. The knowledge generated through action research, exchange visits, focused group discussions, learning alliances will be documented and disseminated in an appropriate form for users which ties in well with SNV knowledge management delivery channel.  A portal will be created where all the knowledge tools and experiences will be shared and accessed by SNV, IFAD programmes and other market access stakeholders.

The generated knowledge will also be used to strengthen the capacity of local capacity builders to enable them to better implement their programmes.  By establishing linkages of relevant actors across the region, knowledge exchange as well as cross-border economic activities will be enhanced. Moreover, various trainings and workshops on selected topics to facilitate learning and sharing of experiences across countries will be conducted. 

Based on surveys/studies that will be carried out, the programme will identify areas of action and ways to facilitate engagements with policy makers with the aim of promoting debate and influence policy formulation and making for pro-poor private sector investments and commercialization of smallholder agriculture.

While the country/field level programme activities will mainly be in 8 countries (namely, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe), other countries in the region are expected to benefit also from enhanced knowledge sharing and partnership. IFAD provides a grant in the amount of USD 1.55 million, co-financed by the SNV's contribution of approximately USD 0.86 million.