Business knowledge and development

And the winner is…

Patricia Wagenmakers

Min. Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation

p.s.wagenmakers@mineleni.nl

Agriculture and food: who’s in charge• Private sector: Horticulture: ‘world solutions for world challenges’ Agrofood: ‘export of system’s solutions for sustainable food’

• Public sector: common goals on food security, sustainable agriculture and climate change (adaptation/mitigation, reshaping production/consumption, land use)

• Knowledge institutes: scaling up initiatives, monitoring and evaluating, keeping balance between fundamental and applied research & valorisation

Way of working

• Precompetitive, objective knowledge development and capacity building

• Combination of new technology and local knowledge -> innovation

• Making use of each others networks

What enables win-win situations?• Local involvement, demand drivenness

• Good relationships industry-farmer (organisation)

• Knowledge of local market potential

• Cofinancing or in-kind contributions

• Bilateral profits (labour vs technology)

Case: potato Ethiopia• Growing demand in Ethiopian diet• 3-4 higher yield perspectives than current staple teff• Low seed quality on informal market, low inputs (water, fertilizer,

pest and disease control), low processing, lack of credit facilities

• System change: development of a product-market combination: local urban demand, export to neighboring countries and Middle East

To do: 1. organize growers 2. Variety screening and multiplication3. Post harvest production lines

The challenge of PPP’s• Who’s in charge?

• Who wins?

• What is the right balance between production and valorisation of knowledge?

Pitfalls and tensions

• Lack of commitment and communication

• Lack of ability to change roles, positions, habits

• Lack of strategy for follow up (isolation)

• Lack of reflection/learning

• Lack of money?