INTERNATIONAL CENTRE TROPICALAGRICULTURE

Published purpose

This project aims to improve food security, income and health in sub-Saharan Africa by helping farmers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) take advantage of the regional commercial opportunities of the bean crop. This project also addresses the root challenges that farmers and SMEs face in accessing markets in targeted bean corridors, such as a lack of skills, finance, information, insurance, infrastructure and organizational capacity. Project activities include: (1) facilitating linkages and partnerships among value chain stakeholders, through bean innovation platforms and enhancing business skills and collective marketing; (2) facilitating access to market services (information, finance, training, infrastructure, seeds, fertilizer) and advocating support from key actors (for example, non-governmental organizations and governments) for programs benefitting farmers and SMEs in the bean industry; and (3) supporting bean producers to meet production volumes and quality standards. This project expects to reach three million farmers linking them to profitable markets, 10 million households consuming marketable beans, and 10% of SME entrepreneurs trading value-added bean products, and the project targets three million tons of improved bean products to be traded in targeted corridors.