Tropentag 2023, September 20 - 22, Berlin, Germany "Competing pathways for equitable food systems transformation: trade-offs and synergies."

The roles and potentials of micro, small and medium scale enterprises for inclusive value chains in developing regions

Michigan State University, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, United States

Abstract

In the last three decades, agri-food value chains (AVCs) have been growing and transforming rapidly in developing regions. This transformation is driven in part by urbanisation, population & income growth, and market deregulation. These have caused shifts in consumption patterns which have stimulated significant supply response; largely domestic. This transformation has been facilitated by enormous aggregate investment on the part of the many micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the “midstream” and “downstream” of AVCs, comprising the wholesale, logistics, processing, and retail segments of value chains. Despite their critical role in making nutritious and safe foods available to consumers, limited attention in research and national or international policy discussions has been directed toward these value chain segments. In this talk, I will draw from several research projects to reflect on the potential roles of these MSMEs (particularly in the midstream and downstream of food supply chains) in making the transformation of these value chains more inclusive and the associated implications for policy and research.

Contact Address: Lenis Saweda Liverpool-Tasie, Michigan State University, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, East Lansing, United States, e-mail: lliverpmsu.edu