Early 2008 ICCO, Agriterra and Terrafina took the initiative to join forces concerning their value chain, producer organisation and rural finance oriented programs in Rwanda. The Agri-ProFocus support office was requested to start a trajectory and explore the interest of other Agri-ProFocus members in intensifying collaboration in Rwanda. Progressively, SNV, Oxfam Novib, KIT and WUR/VHL and IFDC joined the coalition. ICCO assures overall coordination of the Rwanda coalition on rural entrepreneurship that has developed into one of the Agri-ProFocus country programmes.
The coalition’s joint objective is the enhancement of rural entrepreneurship, through capacity development of local economic actors (farmers’ organisations, input dealers, MFI’s and SACCO’s, researchers, BDS’s, …), agribusiness cluster formation and commodity value chain development. As many partners are active in honey, rice, maize, cassava and potato value chains, these were identified as first entry points for the Agri-ProFocus initiative.
The value chain development training (11-15 November 2008), the kick-off workshop (24-25 November 2008) and the APF Rwanda coalition meeting (26 November 2008) marked the operational start of collaboration among APF members. The two-day kick-off meeting, organised at Gicumbi and attended by some 50 participants allowed for discussing a range of subjects and gave a good idea of the expectations and challenges as perceived by Rwandan partners.
In April 2009 Rwandan partners have been asked to identify for each value chain, several agribusiness clusters (ABC’s), which will be accompanied by business development services (BDS’s). Activities in the different value chains will linked to one of the APF member organisations, who will act as focal points. The focal point coordinates the support that BDS’s provide to the ABC’s and ensures the collaboration and exchange among agribusiness clusters in the same sub-sector.
Access to inputs, rural finance and innovation services (research, extension) are likely to be important challenges for all value chains. Pro-poor impact, gender and social inclusion are specific points of attention and motivate the work of all Dutch development organisations. The learning and action process, of which action research is part, concerns all sub-sectors and Rwandan actors involved.
Each Dutch organisation will make a proposal as to how it envisages playing its role as focal point, either for a specific sub-sector and/or for a cross-cutting issue. WUR, in collaboration with KIT and VHL, will take the lead in proposing the content and process of the action research and learning component.