Agriculture and Agro-processing

"Sylvia Banda is an Ashoka Fellow on the frontline of this rapidly changing economy. She is simultaneously tackling issues of agricultural education, training and market demand all through the medium of promoting local food in Zambia. On the base level, Sylvia educates farmers in techniques to preserve surplus foods so she manages to guarantee their nutrient value. She also organises farmers into clubs – the structure enables them to harness a collective selling power, far stronger than their individual power.

WBCSD have produced an IB case study focusing on Mondi, an international packaging and paper group. We documented how Mondi Zimele, part of Mondi South Africa, addresses the limited economic opportunities of rural communities through job creation and small business development. To date, the program has supported over 80 small and medium enteprises with an employment footprint reaching over 4,200 people and a collective annual turnover in excess of US$ 61 million.

A summary of the study is presented below: Mondi Zimele: Encouraging independence through enterprise in South Africa:

This report summarises the findings from the first phase of the ‘From Islands of Success to Seas of Change’ learning initiative on scaling inclusive agri-food markets. The initiative aims to improve understanding of how agri-food markets can contribute, at a significant scale, to food security and rural poverty reduction while still building profitable commercial relations.

For its second major event of this year, the Inclusive Business Forum of Zimbabwe decided to feature the experiences of six of the organisations with whom SNV Zimbabwe has worked in Zimbabwe, providing technical and/or financial assistance in terms of their Inclusive Business Scan and/or Capacity Building Grant facilities. Some organisations have also used the CREATE Fund (progress on which was reported in our March Newsletter).

The IB projects presented included the following:

Hindustan Unilever: Sustainable Sourcing of Tomatoes in India

By 2020 we will source 100% of our agricultural raw materials sustainably: 10% by 2010; 30% by 2012; 50% by 2015; 100% by 2020.
The World Bank claims that supporting smallholder farming is the best way to stimulate economic development and reduce poverty. Hindustan Unilever (HUL) aims to source 100% of its tomatoes from sustainable sources by 2015. In 2011, 60% of tomatoes used in Kissan ketchup in India were from Sustainable Sources.