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 tools

Policy advice and advocacy

Market linkages

Communication &awareness building

Knowledgemanagement

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

Impact

Outcome

Output

Intervention

Our target groupsL

and

res

ou

rces

Large farmers

Eco

no

mic

res

ou

rces

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 facilitationand market access

Improve skills and employment opportunities

Economic drivers

Economic drivers

Our working fields

Value chainsMarket

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 partnersFair & 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 Sciences

Agridea, 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.