This article reports on a study that investigated the adoption of sustainable rice farming practices and its social and cultural impact on rural women in Myanmar through the use of semi-structured interviews. The findings show that adoption resulted in a great variety of changes, which have impacted on both a personal level and at a community level. Families use extra income to invest in farming, nutrition and in their children by enabling them to acquire formal education rather than assisting with farm work. Much time and finances are also spent on community activities, which appear to strengthen community bonds and contribute to improved infrastructure, such as roads.

Ageing farming communities and youth abandoning agriculture are serious issues, with attracting and retaining youth in agriculture a key challenge. This article reports on a gender-sensitive study of rural youth conducted in eastern India. The willingness to be involved in agriculture varies across region and gender, with the high readiness of female youths signalling a feminisation in agriculture. Involvement in value chain activities has a significant and positive impact on career choice. Youth policy needs to address the different preferences and facilitation requirements of male and female youth, in order to change youth’s aspiration and be inclusive of both genders.

Ageing farming communities and youth abandoning agriculture are serious issues, with attracting and retaining youth in agriculture a key challenge. This article reports on a gender-sensitive study of rural youth conducted in eastern India. The willingness to be involved in agriculture varies across region and gender, with the high readiness of female youths signalling a feminisation in agriculture. Involvement in value chain activities has a significant and positive impact on career choice. Youth policy needs to address the different preferences and facilitation requirements of male and female youth, in order to change youth’s aspiration and be inclusive of both genders.

RiceAdvice is a decision support tool with potential to improve rice productivity and profitability of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. A rapid appraisal of agricultural innovation systems approach was used to assess opportunities and constraints in scaling the tool. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews, multi-stakeholder workshop, and questionnaires distributed to 368 farmers in Kano State, northern Nigeria. Results show that scaling RiceAdvice requires: (i) improved access to financial and input supply services through partnerships; (ii) identifying and testing business models where RiceAdvice can be used; and (iii) a dissemination approach where female service providers reach female farmers.

The recent shift towards agricultural innovation systems recognises that agricultural development is complex and must involve multiple actors. This makes innovation through a project framework inherently challenging. This article draws lessons from a project that fostered post-harvest innovations in Uganda. First, a two-stage design allowed scoping out business cases with partners to identify potential innovations. Second, stakeholders used the Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA) to flexibly develop the innovations. Third, flexible funding made it possible to seize new opportunities along the way. Fourth, the project was attentive to surprises in implementation and encouraged reflection.

The recent shift towards agricultural innovation systems recognises that agricultural development is complex and must involve multiple actors. This makes innovation through a project framework inherently challenging. This article draws lessons from a project that fostered post-harvest innovations in Uganda. First, a two-stage design allowed scoping out business cases with partners to identify potential innovations. Second, stakeholders used the Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA) to flexibly develop the innovations. Third, flexible funding made it possible to seize new opportunities along the way. Fourth, the project was attentive to surprises in implementation and encouraged reflection.

Building inclusive businesses with small-scale producers in the agro-food sector presents challenges, most notably in terms of governance and sustainability. These issues were explored through a Danone Egypt Ecosystem Project that sought to promote a replicable business model of milk collection centers to secure a dairy plant’s sourcing while contributing to the socio-economic development of smallholders. Quality management was used to link a value chain approach and a localised agri-food system approach. The study showed that an inclusive business relying on non-inclusive coordination had limited efficiency. Decreasing power asymmetries and distances between partners seems central to ensuring sustainability.

International audience | Building inclusive businesses with small-scale producers in the agro-food sector presents challenges, most notably in terms of governance and sustainability. These issues were explored through a Danone Egypt Ecosystem Project that sought to promote a replicable business model of milk collection centers to secure a dairy plant's sourcing while contributing to the socio-economic development of smallholders. Quality management was used to link a value chain approach and a localised agri-food system approach. The study showed that an inclusive business relying on non-inclusive coordination had limited efficiency. Decreasing power asymmetries and distances between partners seems central to ensuring sustainability.

Livestock productivity for pastoralist households, who depend upon their livestock as a source of livelihood, is constrained by infectious diseases among other factors. Pastoralists in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of the Horn of Africa lack access to livestock health inputs and services. To assess the profitability of private animal health service delivery, mobile veterinary clinics were piloted in three ASAL counties in Kenya. Our findings reveal the positive impact of the clinics on animal health provision as well as policy and regulatory factors that affect its viability.

Livestock productivity for pastoralist households, who depend upon their livestock as a source of livelihood, is constrained by infectious diseases among other factors. Pastoralists in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of the Horn of Africa lack access to livestock health inputs and services. To assess the profitability of private animal health service delivery, mobile veterinary clinics were piloted in three ASAL counties in Kenya. Our findings reveal the positive impact of the clinics on animal health provision as well as policy and regulatory factors that affect its viability.

Participation has been proposed to improve agricultural extension programmes in developing countries. This paper reports on experience with COCREATE, an approach to agricultural extension programmes that supports agricultural chain actors in self-directed learning in action research with smallholder farmers and local traders in Indonesia. This approach resulted in the changes in relation and task division between farmers and their local traders in the agricultural production and supply and chains, improved their market position and in new institutions.

Participation has been proposed to improve agricultural extension programmes in developing countries. This paper reports on experience with COCREATE, an approach to agricultural extension programmes that supports agricultural chain actors in self-directed learning in action research with smallholder farmers and local traders in Indonesia. This approach resulted in the changes in relation and task division between farmers and their local traders in the agricultural production and supply and chains, improved their market position and in new institutions.