Conference Themes

International Conference on Sharing Innovative Agribusiness Solutions: From Farms to Markets, Providing Know-how and Finance, 26-27 November 2008, Cairo, Egypt

Supply/value chains, market access and linkages

Farmers, especially small farmers, and SMEs need viable business solutions to be able to participate in a sustainable manner in the food industry supply/value chain. Transaction-based mechanisms must be developed to fill gaps along the chain in order to facilitate market access for these farmers and food processors and link producers with buyers.  An important goal is the empowerment of farmers, both by developing greater access to small-scale infrastructure (e.g. compact processing units and packing houses) and by providing them with greater market information, thus increasing their competitiveness and helping to overcome the vulnerability of their position in the supply chain.

Compliance with standards and conformity assessment

Agribusiness actors must comply with standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures throughout the supply chain, including private standards and SPS measures, in order to overcome barriers to trade. This will include compliance with international, national and individual company standards (e.g. ISO standards, CODEX, GLOBALGAP, etc.), and compliance with regulations and trade agreements (WTO, regional/bilateral, EU food safety laws, FDA, etc.). Greater compliance will increase the quality and safety of food and protect consumers in both developing and developed countries and increase access to domestic, regional and global markets. An important example is traceability – building the capacity of developing countries to comply with the traceability requirements of the EU and other export markets.

Technology and value addition

Food producers in developing countries need to progress from producing and exporting commodities to adding value and increasing quality, safety and productivity through sustainable processing and manufacturing. Such changes also contribute to domestic food security, by reducing post-harvest crop losses.  Important aspects include: product development, quality and productivity, upgrading enterprises by introducing management and sustainable technological solutions (e.g. processing, ICT, TQM), research and development that is relevant for developing countries, and introducing more ecologically sustainable means of production relating to the use of water, energy, chemicals and other inputs.

Innovative forms of financing

The development of domestic farms, enterprises and suppliers and strengthening of agribusiness related infrastructure requires innovative forms of financing to support technical cooperation, business development and investment.  This includes investment in domestic enterprise development (patience capital vs. venture capital) and in public and private infrastructure (e.g. transport, ports, warehousing, cold chain). Some mechanisms are: public-private partnerships (PPP), “Social Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)”, debt-for-development swap and carbon emission trading.