Our team at Rikolto in East Africa is engaging in an array of activities, depending on the results we want to achieve.
Establishing Structured Trading Systems We pilot a structured trading system in the grains and horticulture chains provides efficient services (BDS, financial services, transparent information systems) that enable small holder farmers to benefit
- Business modelling and planning for FOs
- Identifying most relevant and innovative Market information system tools for market intelligence gathering by FOs
- Linking FOs to Financial institutions
- Promoting inclusive value chains by integrating more women and young farmers in our interventions
- Linking FOs with market actors
- Investment analysis
Developing Farmers’ Business Management We develop flexible, adaptable approaches and models for farmers’ business management stimulate the inclusiveness of smallholders in the grains and horticulture chains
- Training FOs on record keeping and financial management
- Empowering FOs to lead service provision to their members (training on use of inputs, post-harvest handling, seed supply, access to finance, extension services, etc.)
- Training FOs and partners on contract negotiation and arbitration
- Support governance in FO structures
- Strengthening SACCOs and VSLAs
Ensuring sustainable, quality and safe food production and consumption We develop market systems for grains and horticulture incentivize sustainable production (GAP and EA Grain Standards processes) and consumption of safe food
- Training farmers in climate SMART agriculture practices
- Promotion of quality food production through trainings and dissemination of information material
- Support cluster areas to adopt food safety and quality systems
- Setting up demonstration farms
However, each cluster demands specific attention and together, cluster members will define priority actions and interventions, where Rikolto will act as facilitator for change. In Arusha Region for example we need to ensure that land is managed well and soil erosion is reduced; we need to ensure water is managed well as the Pangani River Basin is one of the most water stressed parts of Tanzania; we need to ensure that farmers have the skills and incentives to produce safe and healthy food; we need to ensure that services to farmers and traders are driven by demand and not just by charitable donations.
One of our groundbreaking pilots in the Arumeru horticulture cluster at the moment is the Safe Food Initiative with Arusha city