Moving decision making closer to points of impact and knowledge
In most developing countries, decisions that affect farmers and rural communities are often made by policy makers and development agencies who do not reside in…
Why everyone should pay attention to knowledge life cycles
If you did not know that knowledge has a life cycle you are not alone. However, that should not be a consolation. Effectively managing knowledge…
How niche markets influence agricultural commodity prices
One of the most persistent myths in African agriculture is that commodity prices are set by traders, negatively referred to as ‘middlemen’. Paying lip service…
Translating common sense into agribusiness models
Knowledge generation and sharing has been happening in every community since time immemorial. However, there has not been enough recognition of the way knowledge is…
Increasing odds of success through characterizing value chain actors
A fine-grained view of agricultural opportunities in most developing countries can result from better characterization of value chain actors such as farmers. In addition to…
eMKambo Masterclasses – First Session
As agricultural niches become congested and highly competitive, evidence-based decision making has never been so important. It is against these trends that eMKambo (www.emkambo.co.zw) will…
Learning from Invisible CoPs: The role of informal actors and relationships in African food systems
Background Climate change-induced food insecurity and global socio-economic instability compels us to continuously revisit food demand and supply models, especially in developing countries. Conventional approaches…
How the market can inform better farmer characterization
In a rapidly changing knowledge economy, it no longer makes sense to continue characterizing farmers in developing countries by the size of land on which…
ANALYSIS:What has gone wrong with the groundnut market in Zimbabwe?
Groundnut has traditionally been a famous cash cow in Zimbabwe. Many Cabinet ministers, captains of industry, academics and bankers can testify to have gone to…
Overcoming misconceptions about involving users in creating knowledge
One of the most enduring misconceptions in developing countries is the notion that if farmers and rural people are not involved in creating knowledge they…