Description

Value chain platforms bring together all the actors directly or indirectly involved in a value chain (e.g. farmers, processors, marketers, regional service providers and support structures). The promote the integration of agriculture into the agri-food value chain and improve the actors' mutual understanding. They may also improve the range of services available for actors along the value chain.

A neutral facilitator may provide support for consultation processes, institutionalised dialogues (e.g. public / private dialogue), multi-stakeholder platforms (e.g. round tables), cross-sectoral networks and associations to promote cooperation between private and public sector actors and civil society. The initiation and organisation of multi-stakeholder dialogues and formal networks is one of the most important tasks of international cooperation actors, by virtue of their independence. The aim is to ensure that the needs of vulnerable and marginalised groups are sufficiently respected in change processes.

Requirements

• In-depth value chain analysis
• Interest and willingness on the part of the parties involved to engage in dialogue
• Participation of all stakeholders involved, e. g. science / research, agricultural advisory services, civil society, public and private sector (incl. farmers and their interest groups)
• Neutral facilitator

Possible Negative Effects

• Lack of interest on the part of actors
• Organisation and management, e.g. initiated by international cooperation ac-tors, may be impossible to sustain beyond the support provided by the state or international agencies, due to a lack of interest and funding on the part of the actors
• The independence of the initiating organisation (e.g. actors in international cooperation) is not guaranteed or is not perceived as a given by the actors involved
• Certain key actors are left out
• Ownership of the platform by local actors is limited