How can we measure the cost of lost knowledge in the agriculture sector?

Posted on July 11, 2016 by eMKambo

One of the enduring challenges in African agriculture is defining effective metrics to measure the value of knowledge. In most agricultural value chains, knowledge is not considered a cost component. Farmers and other value chain actors consider inputs, labour and equipment to be the only elements in calculating profit. Excluding knowledge, which is apparently becoming Read more about How can we measure the cost of lost knowledge in the agriculture sector?[…]

From individual rewards to community incentives

Posted on July 4, 2016 by eMKambo

Socio-economic challenges facing many developing countries are revealing the shortcomings of rewarding individual performance. Most problems have become so complex that individual people or organisations cannot solve them alone. In agricultural-driven economies, rewarding agricultural performance should be seen to be moving from individuals to community incentives. That’s one of the indicators of knowledge sharing. Incentives Read more about From individual rewards to community incentives[…]

African agriculture is witnessing a shift from physical to value chain collateral

Posted on June 27, 2016June 27, 2016 by eMKambo

While African financial institutions are still stuck with traditional banking models invented in the West, African agricultural value chains have shifted in ways that threaten to render banks irrelevant to agriculture. Rural and agricultural finance modeling is being forced to consider value chain collateral and the existence of a market as opposed to physical forms Read more about African agriculture is witnessing a shift from physical to value chain collateral[…]

How can agricultural policy makers stay ahead of trends?

Posted on June 20, 2016June 23, 2016 by eMKambo

The way public and private institutions have been set up in most developing countries does not create space for adequately absorbing feedback from many people. Bureaucratic structures such as government ministries continue to privilege certain sources of information and knowledge at the exclusion of what is coming from outside. However, in the prevailing digital era, Read more about How can agricultural policy makers stay ahead of trends?[…]

How informal markets are redefining agricultural extension

Posted on June 13, 2016 by eMKambo

Given their openness and competitive nature, informal agriculture markets enable farmers to see their knowledge gaps. This shows up in a comparative sense where farmers use consumer choices, quality and prices to compare their commodities with those from their peers. If a fellow farmer gets a better price, one who receives an inferior price strikes Read more about How informal markets are redefining agricultural extension[…]

From acronyms and buzzwords to building local institutions

Posted on June 6, 2016 by eMKambo

In spite of promises surrounding mobile technology, African communities still face enormous barriers to accessing reliable, relevant and usable information and knowledge. Over the past decades, international organisations like the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) have generated and shared remarkable knowledge. While these institutions Read more about From acronyms and buzzwords to building local institutions[…]

How do we stop financial inclusion from becoming financial slavery

Posted on May 30, 2016 by eMKambo

Financial inclusion has become one of the buzzwords in many African countries including Zimbabwe. It is as if financial institutions, development agents and policy makers have suddenly discovered the need to bring marginal communities into formal financial systems. However, financial inclusion that does not fully take into account socio-economic circumstances of those to be financially Read more about How do we stop financial inclusion from becoming financial slavery[…]

How can Africans move from chatting to serious wealth creation?

Posted on May 23, 2016 by eMKambo

Like any other innovation, the explosion of ICTs and social media has come with merits and demerits in most developing countries. Although it is always tempting to look at the advantages and ignore disadvantages, we can learn a lot from examining both sides. Africa now has millions of WhatsApp groups and other social media-driven platforms. Read more about How can Africans move from chatting to serious wealth creation?[…]

Why producers should always get a clear view of the competitive landscape

Posted on May 16, 2016May 19, 2016 by eMKambo

While African countries seem to be encouraging their farmers to produce for exporting to developed countries, those countries are looking at African countries as their customers. Competition has become so real that it is very easy to find chickens from Brazil and Chinese noodles in remote corners of Africa. This means all producers, including smallholder Read more about Why producers should always get a clear view of the competitive landscape[…]

Why farmers should understand consumers and the pains of knowledge sharing

Posted on May 9, 2016 by eMKambo

In a world increasingly driven by ICTs, farmers should not be satisfied with feedback from supermarkets and contract companies. Nothing stops them from speaking directly to consumers who are the final end users of what they produce. A majority of consumers particularly those in urban markets have more information than producers. That means farmers have Read more about Why farmers should understand consumers and the pains of knowledge sharing[…]