Cover_Rebuilding West Africas Food Potential

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XXXII Rebuilding West Africa’s food potential


is linked to the localized nature of a captive dairy market with only one operating agriprocessor within
the region. These conditions strongly favour a closer business relationship featuring coordination and
collaboration.

Public-private partnerships for value chain development

Both the public and private sectors are essential players in the rebuilding of the region’s food potential,
but with different roles and objectives. Public-private partnerships can be an effective instrument for
creating the synergies required to achieve competitive and inclusive value chains. There are a number
of best practices to illustrate how these can work in staple food value chains. One example is from
the rice value chain in Senegal, where the government, concerned about improving local rice supply,
has supported the creation of a privately-led consortium to process and distribute local rice to urban
markets through a network of rice importers. The consortium is composed of 13 import marketers and
6 producer organizations, plus processors. Within a short period, the company managed to improve the
rice quality offered into the market; it was also working on building up rice collection and processing
capacity, which requires heavy investments in processing machinery.

A second example is from Ghana, which started the Outgrower and Value Chain Fund (OVCF). Through
this programme, the government aims to improve access to medium-term and long-term financing for
productive investment by small-scale farmers participating in outgrower schemes. The OVCF facility
brought together farmers, technical operators (processors, exporters or aggregators) and banks. Several
factors have contributed to the success of the OVCF programme, including: (i) a tripartite contract
arrangement (between farmers, technical operators and banks); (ii) provision of quality technical and
financial services and access to information; and (iii) transparent pricing and knowledge of financing for
value chain links by participating banks. A noteworthy feature of the programme is the enforcement of
merit-based eligibility criteria for each of the three main categories of stakeholders.

Another successful case of a public-private partnership, also from Ghana, is the government-supported,
privately-led Root and Tuber Improvement and Marketing Programme (RTIMP). The programme offers
services to cassava producers and processors to enhance post-production stages. The RTIMP works
with cassava producer groups and focuses on productivity-enhancing activities, such as multiplying
and distributing improved planting material and supporting good practice centres, exposure visits and
financial analysis of chain activities. The programme also supervises a network of small plots in which
participating farmers grow improved varieties, as well as good practice centres to process cassava using
standardized equipment. A noteworthy feature of the programme is that farmers are required to pay
for all training services they receive. Another crucial criterion is pre-screening for producer groups to
ascertain readiness before enrolment. To ensure sustainability of the programme, a business advisory
committee focuses on self-financing options as part of an exit strategy when the government/donor
funding support ends.

2.4 Examining the critical role of intra-regional trade in rebuilding West Africa
food potential

Enhancing access to markets, whether local, regional, or international, is the basis for sustainable
food value chain transformation in West Africa. Yet there is strong evidence that this region as a
whole continues to undertrade, compared with its potential, with intraregional trade being particularly
weak. Locally grown maize, for example, only accounted for three percent of Economic Community
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