Agricultural Value Chain Development and Market Linkages Course

Hello Colleagues,

Indepth Research Institute is pleased to welcome you to an upcoming 5-day training workshop on the Market Systems Development course.

A value chain is a set of linked activities that work to add value to a product; it consists of actors and actions that improve a product while linking commodity producers to processors and markets. Agriculture value chains encompass the flow of products, knowledge and information, finance, payments, and the social capital needed to organize producers and communities. These include activities such as designing, production, marketing, distribution, and support services up to the final consumer.

This approach combines the strengths of value chain analysis with the promotion of sustainable market-based solutions (MBSs) that respond to the recurrent needs of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, (MSMEs) including farmers. Value chain analysis is important in understanding markets, inter-firm relationships, and critical constraints that limit growth and industry competitiveness. Collaboration among all the actors in the value chain at all levels to address value chain constraints can result in MBS that are sustainable in the long run and that do not render market failures and information asymmetry. This training course aims at guiding participants towards the development of sustainable value chains.

DURATION

5 days

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

This course is intended for various actors in the Agriculture Extension (Agricultural extension officers, senior agricultural officials, and policymakers) working with communities, governments, funding agencies, Research organizations, and non-government organizations among others for Agriculture support activities and other Development programs.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• By the end of the course, learners will be able to:
• Understand guiding principles of value chain programs that seek to improve competitiveness and benefit MSMEs through sustainable market-based solutions.
• Design value chain development projects.
• Understand the foundations of market development and value chain promotion.
• Enhance your analytical skills to determine market requirements and identify competitive challenges.    
• Understand the different roles that relevant stakeholders play in value chains.
• Understand intervention strategies, the kinds of intervention, and the criteria selected in value chain development.
• Identify the advantages and disadvantages of a value chain approach.

TRAINING VENUE

The training will be held at the IRES Training Centre. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and lunch.

All participants will additionally cater for their, travel expenses, visa application, insurance, and other personal expenses.

TOPICS TO BE COVERED

Module 1: Principles and key concepts

• Introduction to climate change and climate change adaptation
• Strategy development and planning for Climate Change Adaptation
• Legal frame work for Climate Change Adaptation
• Characteristics of Vulnerability and Scope of the Assessment
• Vulnerability Assessments and the DPSIR Framework
  • Defining vulnerability
  • Vulnerability to climate change
• Monitoring Vulnerability

Module 2: Introduction to GIS for Climate change

• Introduction to GIS software
• Planning for a GIS system installation
• Working with a GIS software
• Introduction to GPS
• GPS data collection
• GPS data download

Module 3: Impacts of Climate Change and their Assessment

• Economic sector
• social structure
• Agriculture
• Natural resources
• Migration and disasters

Module 4: Climate Change Response

• Creating Responses: Determining the adaptation options     
• Mainstreaming climate change into development decisions     
• Developing adaptation responses
• Contingency Planning

Module 5: Knowledge resources for Climate Change Adaptation

• Climate modeling climate forecasting and applied technologies for Climate Change monitoring
• Vulnerability assessment
• Uncertainties and risk management
• Capacity building for Climate Change Adaptation
• The role of GIS and Remote Sensing in climate forecasting and modeling

Module 6: Prioritizing Adaptation Responses

• Developing a Basic Implementation Plan and a Communication Strategy
  • Implementing adaptation responses
  • Communicating climate change and adaptation