rural economy working area strategy 2013-2017
DESCRIPTION
HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation focuses its interventions on improving the lives of poor and disadvantaged women and men who want to actively improve their situation. In the area of Rural Economy, projects target small scale farmers, landless / land-poor workers, as well as micro enterprises active in the rural economy. Depending on the focus group of a project, the focus of our interventions shifts between production and value chain facilitation to employment and business opportunities. We recognize the important role of larger farmers and local entrepreneurs as economic drivers of activities that also benefit the poor. While bigger private companies, rural advisory service providers and financial institutions do not form part of our target group, projects work in collaboration with these actors in order to improve their service delivery to our target groups. For more details, please go to: http://vietnam.helvetas.org/en/activities/face_to_face_workshop_2013/rural_economy_working_area_strategy_2013_2017/TRANSCRIPT
Rural Economy Working Area Strategy 2013-2017
What have we done so far?
• People-centred approach to achieve livelihood
improvements for rural households
• Project interventions:
• Sustainable management of natural
resources
• Value chain facilitation
• Organic production, fair trade
• Access to financial and non-financial services
• Advisory services: mainly for our projects, but
also for external clients
Smallholder
Producers
Cooperatives
or Companies
Processors,
Traders
Final
consumers
Retailers,
Brands
Internal Control
Systems
Production
System Design
Business environment
Services (financial, certification, advice etc.)
Access to services
Business management
know-how and toolsPolicy advice and
advocacy
Market linkages
Communication &
awareness building
Knowledge
management
Input
providers
Our main focus and interventions so far
What have we learned?
1. Multifunctional production systems are needed that
cater to the requirements at household level, national
markets and/or export markets.
2. A rights based approach to productive assets (land
reforms, governance) and employment opportunities
needs to be applied.
3. We need to strive towards accountability and economic
as well as institutional sustainability of producer
organisations.
4. Pluralistic rural advisory services are needed that
are based on a variety of service providers (public/
private) and their respective business models.
Orientations for the future
• Facilitation focus: Inform, motivate, and link value
chain actors, without taking over core functions; only
start projects with a clear and viable exit strategy.
• From Innovation to up-scaling: Develop scaling-up
strategies and strategic alliances for mainstreaming.
• Policy dialogue and sector development: Influence
sector policies and encourage collaboration among
stakeholders.
• Social inclusiveness: Systematically approach gender
relations and skills building for young people.
Our intervention logic
Advice, training, facilitation, knowledge sharing, partnerships
Transformation
of production
systems
Land rights and
improved water
management
Quality of
financial and
non financial
services
Enabling
environment
for market
actors
Sustainable
and resilient
production
systems
Access to
resources
(land and
water)
Access to
markets (goods,
services, labour)
Increased
food security
Increased
income and
wealth
Reduced ecological
and environmental
risk / vulnerability
Imp
act
Outc
om
eO
utp
ut
Inte
rventio
n
Our target groupsL
an
d r
eso
urc
es
Large
farmers
Ec
on
om
ic r
es
ou
rce
s
Small-
holders
Landless /
land-poor
Businesses
SMEs
Inte
rven
tio
ns
Primary target groups
of Rural Economy
Improve production and
resource management
Improve business
opportunities
Value chain facilitation
and market access
Improve skills and
employment opportunities
Economic
drivers
Economic
drivers
Our working fields
Value chains
Market
Systems
Sustainable
Agriculture
Food security
Natural resources Business development
Rural advisory +
financial services
Markets for the Poor
Livelihood approach
Our working approaches
The Sustainable Livelihoods
Framework
The M4P Approach
The seven elements of our strategy
1. Sustainable farming systems
2. Food security, food sovereignty
and market oriented agriculture
3. Organized smallholders
4. Opportunities in market systems
5. Value chain facilitation and value
chain governance
6. Rural advisory services
7. Access to financial services
Transversal themes in Rural Economy
1. Gender and social equity: in depth analysis of different
social groups
2. Advocacy: for more equitable rural development and
conducive environments
3. Knowledge and learning: Stimulation of innovation,
knowledge sharing and learning
4. Capacity development: constantly improving our own and
our partners’ competencies in rural economy.
Interfaces with other working areas
• Water for Food
• Adaptation
• Disaster risk
reduction
• Agro-forestry
• Access to land
• MitigationSkills Development
& Education
Environment &
Climate Change
Water and
Infrastructure
Governance and
Peace
• Green jobs
• Vocational skills
• Rural roads,
trail bridges
• Policy framework
• Migration
• Land rights
• Employment
• Value chain
governance
Our partners (1)
Core Implementation partners
Fair & Sustainable Advisory Services (of ICCO) Regional partner organisations (IC offsprings)
FiBL – Research Institute for Organic Agriculture Swisscontact, HEKS
HAFL – School of Agricultural, Forest and Food
SciencesAgridea, Springfield Center
Core alliances and networks
FANRPAN – Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Analysis Network
IFOAM International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
GFRAS – Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services ILC -International Land Coalition
SFRAS – Swiss Forum for Rural Advisory Services ISEAL Alliance (Sustainability Standards)
SFIAR - Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research M4P Hub
Textile Exchange DCED - Donor Committee of Enterprise Development
FLO (including Max Havelaar Switzerland) Social Performance Task Force
ICAC - International Cotton Advisory Council responsAbility Social Investment AG
CGAP - Consultative Group to Assist the Poor
Our partners (2)
Donors and associates
SDC – Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
ICCO – Dutch Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation
SECO – Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs Coop Fund for Sustainability
AFD – French Development Agency Rabobank Foundation
DFID – Britisch Development Agency SIPPO – Swiss Import Promotion Programme
SIDA – Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
ITC (International Trade Centre, particularly Trade for Sustainable Development, T4SD)
Hivos (NL) IDH – Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative
Competence development
1. Diversification of production systems
2. Business planning and management
skills
3. The Market Systems Develop-
ment approach
4. Livestock management
5. Non farm value chains
6. Financial services
7. DCED standard for results
measurement
8. Gender, in particular women economic
empowerment, and social equity
The role of the Rural Economy team
• Support project planning and provide technical
advice during implementation.
• Provide field staff with approaches and tools,
capacity building.
• Identify and document best practice cases and
lessons learned.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and joint development of
approaches and tools.
• Develop joint initiatives with other working areas,
initiate joint learning events with other teams on
specific issues.
• Support design and implementation of effective results
measurement systems and impact assessment in the
field of rural economy.