Value chains for transforming smallholder agriculture

6–9 November 2012. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Over 500 private sector representatives, government officials, donors, civil society representatives, farmer organisations and academics have come together at “Making the Connection: Value Chains for Transforming Smallholder Agriculture”, an international conference that will discuss the future of agricultural value chains and how to incorporate smallholders in them to promote agricultural and rural development.

Hosted by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), with the support of many other organisations, the conference takes a novel, market-based approach to solving the challenge of how smallholder farmers can continue to play a major role in meeting consumer demand at domestic, regional and international levels.

This unique four day event brought together international experts and practitioners to:

CTA director Michael Hailu and 

Jethro Greene, Caribbean Farmers Network

• discuss how best to incorporate smallholders into value chains to promote agricultural and rural development,
• debate how to transform smallholders into entrepreneurs,
• identify conditions necessary to create a broader and more solid knowledge base for the promotion of sustainable value chains,
• identify training and information-sharing needs.
• share the floor with key experts and debate how best to incorporate smallholders into value chains and help foster entrepreneurship. 
• discover best practices and lessons learned from leading organisations around the world in a dynamic environment. 
• play your part and join representatives from the private sector, government, civil society, and farmer organisations in discussing ways of promoting sustainable agricultural value chains.

Michael Hailu, Director of CTA, said: “This is the first event of its kind to bring all sectors together to specifically explore agricultural value chain development from the perspective of the smallholder farmer. Giving smallholders the resources, entrepreneurial skills and knowledge they need has the potential to increase global food production and offers farmers a chance to work themselves out of hunger and poverty.”

Web streaming

2012 - Value ChainsFull details and download