Second European Rural Forum calls for dialogue between donors and supermarket chains

The Second European Forum on Sustainable Rural Development took place during the week of 18 June 2007 in Berlin. The event brought together 400 participants, including policy makers and practitioners from the European Commission and EU Member States' governments and development agencies, parliamentarians from EU and African countries, as well as expert speakers from developing countries governments, civil society organisations, research institutes and international organisations.

The Theme 1 session "Rural livelihoods in Africa in the face of globalisation" had a number of recommendations, including the following:

"There is a need to support their farmers' organisations so that they can intervene in policy dialogue with governments, in risk management, in trade dialogue with retailers and traders and in the innovation processes"

"In supporting farmers to participate in the global supply chains, donors should exchange experience, develop a common understanding of the supermarket revolution and establish dialogue with these supermarket chains.

The final report of the Forum (November 2007) contains the following recommendation:

"Farmers need to be linked into markets. The rise of supermarkets in developing countries poses both an opportunity and a threat for smallholders. It has quickly changed the traditional ways of retailing in agrobusiness and the preferences of customers. To adapt to the new environment, farmers must be appropriately organised and able to supply the required quantities and qualities of products certified according to food quality grades and safety standards. They must also build their capacity to capture more of the value chain."

For more information, see www.ruralforum.info