Month: June 2016

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

Posted on 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 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 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 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[…]