Event Information

Chemonics, joined by Making Cents International, Land O'Lakes International Development, and IFDC, cordially invites you to a learning and exchange symposium entitled "Enabling Market Intermediaries for Improved Market Systems."

Our featured speakers will include:

• Dr. Tom Reardon, professor of agricultural, food, and resource economics at Michigan State University
• Robert Anyang, chief of party of the Feed the Future Uganda Commodity Production and Marketing (CPM) Activity
• Esther Karwera, co-founder of Akorion Company Limited
• Aliyu Samaila, former director of agriculture productivity for the Feed the Future Nigeria Maximizing Agricultural Revenue in Key Enterprises and Targeted Sites (MARKETS) II project
• Arelis Gomez, chief of party of the USAID Colombia Rural Finance Initiative

Inclusive agricultural market system development is a cornerstone of USAID's and other donors' efforts to foster sustainable, agriculture-led growth and food security. There are many possible pathways for an agricultural market system or specific value chain to become more inclusive and sustainable. What is important is that projects take into account the patterns of behavior that either advance or hinder a well-functioning, inclusive market system when they assess potential pathways.

A feature that characterizes many value chains is ineffective competition and poor cooperation, with entrenched mistrust among value chain actors. To foster more effective vertical and horizontal relationships among actors and create a system that is competitive, inclusive, and resilient, the role of intermediary business models is increasing in importance as a lever for changing behaviors and processes. By sending services and extension messaging along their value chains and offering price differentiation, end buyer-linked intermediaries can incentivize farmers to produce high-quality products in consistent quantities. When supported by enabling environment reforms and integrated with cross-cutting considerations like gender and youth inclusion, the intermediary approach can yield impactful, sustainable results.

During the symposium, we will share knowledge, good practices, and lessons learned to leverage market intermediaries to transform market systems, advance food security and resilience, and foster inclusion of women and youth.