How to support small-scale farmers in negotiations with agribusiness Presented at IIED webinar, Monday 16th April 2018 By Hopewell Zheke is systems thinking advisor at Practical Action, based in Zimbabwe

1. Empowering Small scale farmers to
engage with other market actors
Hopewell gift Zheke
Systems Thinking Advisor
Practical Action
Hopewell.Zheke@practicalaction.org.zw
www.practicalaction.org

2. Brief introduction to PMSD
 Key principles:
– Participatory
– Systemic
– Facilitation
 Empowering marginalised Actors
– Why?
– How?
– Examples from Zimbabwe – Paprika project.

3. Paprika project
 Components of the contract:
– Commercial crop
– Financial & Agronomy support
– Ready market

4. Core competencies strengthened
Competencies and Skills required:
 Representation and mobilisation e.g. Paprika APEX body
 Training for transformation
 Financial & market literacy training
 Skills and attitudes to interact with multiple actors

5. Challenges
1. Mistrust
 Between farmers and other market actors (MFI, Service
providers and buyers)
 MFI and NGOs
2. Risk Sharing
3. Side marketing
4. ‘Fine print’
5. Subsidy vs market led lending

6. Top tips
1. Invest in empowering SSF as well as other
market actors
2. Allow enough time for farmer group maturity
before contracting (subsistence to commercial)
3. Trust building
 Between farmers and other market actors (MFI, Service
providers and buyers)
 MFI and NGOs
4. Risk Sharing
5. Acknowledge and use farmer knowledge
6. Co-creation of financing model is critical

7. Thank you
Hopewell.Zheke@practicalaction.org.zw
www.practicalaction.org