From academic and scientific research to commercial and social viability

Posted on April 23, 2019 by eMKambo

When academic and scientific research came into African economies, communities were already surviving on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). In agriculture, for instance, a long tradition of seed selection, multiplication, retention and preservation exists up to today. Conservation Agriculture and other related forms of knowledge have also been part of community assets since time immemorial. The Read more about From academic and scientific research to commercial and social viability[…]

How people’s markets value satisfaction more than colonial measurements

Posted on April 15, 2019 by eMKambo

The formal education system in developing countries has not taken time to explain and justify colonial measurements that continue to be used in attaching value to agricultural commodities. Consequently, smallholder farmers wonder why some commodities are measured in kilograms and liters. In the absence of meaningful explanations, consumers and farmers surmise that these measurements were Read more about How people’s markets value satisfaction more than colonial measurements[…]

How can developing countries build financial systems that work for the majority and for the environment

Posted on April 1, 2019 by eMKambo

Not much research is needed to prove that financial systems in most developing countries do not work for the majority of people and for the environment. To the extent that financial systems are fundamentally urban ecosystems, more than 60% of the populations that live in rural areas are not part of mainstream financial systems. Where Read more about How can developing countries build financial systems that work for the majority and for the environment[…]

What if policies are highly over-rated?

Posted on March 18, 2019 by eMKambo

Policy makers in developing countries are often blamed for lacking the vision to craft appropriate agricultural policies that can guarantee food security and better standards of living for their people. While good policies are considered magic bullets, there is no sufficient proof that countries that have developed their economies have done so through robust policies. Read more about What if policies are highly over-rated?[…]

Who will be future winners and losers in African Agriculture

Posted on March 4, 2019 by eMKambo

While many African countries are competing to lure investors into their agriculture sector, a lot still needs to be done in order to clearly identify winners and losers. A formula for winning in African agriculture https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/winning-in-africas-agricultural-market?cid=other-eml-alt-mip-mck&hlkid=d31b21d5ace243d3b2ce17001f2c9ca1&hctky=2883691&hdpid=235f0b4f-dc4a-4226-98ca-e6c36e7703cd is not yet revealing the extent to which smallholder farmers and other small value chain actors will benefit from Read more about Who will be future winners and losers in African Agriculture[…]

How and why transacting is a small part of market linkages

Posted on February 25, 2019 by eMKambo

Reducing market linkages to transactions is one of the major reasons why efforts to integrate smallholder farmers into value chains have failed to transform agriculture in developing countries. While the notion of market linkages is mostly associated with three to five year projects by development agencies, there is a new realization that linking farmers to Read more about How and why transacting is a small part of market linkages[…]

How can developing countries valuate their fluid economies?

Posted on February 18, 2019 by eMKambo

A major headache for many developing countries is developing criteria for valuating highly fluid and transitory economic activities that are now more prevalent. Employment creation in agricultural markets and informal business ecosystems is now a major domain for women and youth, most of whom are highly mobile. Economic actors in the trading business specialize on Read more about How can developing countries valuate their fluid economies?[…]

The importance of closing knowledge gaps in African agriculture

Posted on February 11, 2019 by eMKambo

Efforts to modernize African agriculture continue to focus on the supply-side at the expense of the demand side. In addition to infrastructure-driven agribusiness models, there is an unfortunate belief that agricultural extension is the only important form of knowledge in transforming the agriculture industry. Instead of embracing a holistic approach that identifies knowledge needs and Read more about The importance of closing knowledge gaps in African agriculture[…]

How climate change is inspiring intelligent experimentation at grassroots

Posted on February 4, 2019 by eMKambo

During times of socio-economic stability, farmers and entrepreneurs can afford to rely on one commodity or value chain. Not when climate change is announcing itself in unpredictable ways. That is why experimentation is no longer a preserve for schools and universities. Farming areas and markets are becoming laboratories for intelligent experimentation among farmers, consumers, traders, Read more about How climate change is inspiring intelligent experimentation at grassroots[…]

The elusive quest for defining a business case

Posted on January 28, 2019 by eMKambo

If defining and executing a business case was easy, many farmers and traders in developing countries would have become business people. In spite of persistent emphasis on agribusiness from development organizations and academic institutions, business schools are not producing entrepreneurs able to translate agricultural resources from ground zero into reliable jobs, incomes and better lives Read more about The elusive quest for defining a business case[…]