Month: September 2016

African agriculture requires serious disruptive thinkers

Posted on by eMKambo

If African agriculture is to be truly transformative, there is need for disruptive thinkers who can  revisit boundaries between smallholder and large scale farmers. These boundaries have extended from physical (size of land) to the mind-set, creating unsustainable mental blockages.  Most smallholder farmers have bought the myth that they cannot think big and challenge conventional Read more about African agriculture requires serious disruptive thinkers[…]

How informal agricultural traders capture and preserve customer loyalty

Posted on by eMKambo

They may not advertise their products in the formal media, but informal agricultural traders have results-driven ways of capturing customer loyalty. Most of their skills have been honed over generations into unwritten intuitive laws that almost every trader is aware of. They understand customers more than customers know about themselves.  According to traders in Harare Read more about How informal agricultural traders capture and preserve customer loyalty[…]

How much should farmers and consumers know about something?

Posted on by eMKambo

The formal education system in many developing countries is organised in such a way that the depth and breadth of knowledge imparted determines grades and qualification levels. Unfortunately, it is difficult to translate this arrangement into real life where societies do not function according to grades and degree qualifications. For instance, farmers and rural communities Read more about How much should farmers and consumers know about something?[…]

How to move from ordinary to best agricultural practices

Posted on by eMKambo

‘Best practice’ is not even a mouthful but what it means in practice remains unclear to many people who use the phrase. In African agriculture, it takes a lot for a farmer or trader to become a best practitioner.  Most value chain actors face challenges in identifying sufficient quality evidence that can be translated into Read more about How to move from ordinary to best agricultural practices[…]