Marketing works magic for rural entrepreneurs

Rural communities are a motherlode of delicious, nutritious and diverse foods. But it’s often hard for them to make their products known to consumers who might want them, especially in developing countries.

When they don't, everyone loses: the rest of us miss out on the fantastic foods grown on small-scale farms, while farmers themselves don’t get the right price for their goods.

But with IFAD's support, farmers across North Africa and the Middle East are marketing effectively – and their quality products are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

The farmers of Wadi Al-Sayada have always known that their hibiscus, sesame and basil can compete with the best in Upper Egypt. But with the nearest market 25 kilometres away – too far for them to routinely go and market their products at fair prices – they once had to settle for the low prices offered by middlemen.

That was before the IFAD-funded SAIL project helped create a marketing association to boost agricultural production, product value and market access. Across six villages, including more than 5,000 households, the association has supported unprecedented collective marketing power for Wadi Al-Sayada's farmers.

Farmers received training and equipment to better package their goods, while together they started exploring new marketing channels and exhibiting products at fairs in Cairo and Aswan. New crops, including soybean and sunflower, were introduced to diversify their products further.

The results were immediate. The association secured contracts for more than 350 local farmers to supply their produce to buyers and businesses around the country – and their income quickly took off.

“The marketing association secured a contract for myself and other local farmers,” says Abdel Moneim, a participating farmer. “Now, we sell our hibiscus for 30 per cent more than before.”

In the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the apple orchards are vibrant with blossoms in the spring and heavy with ripe fruit in the autumn. To stop this bounty going to waste, Mouna founded TIMICHA: an agricultural cooperative that turns excess apples into vinegar.

But Mouna knew that to take the vinegar from mountain to market she needed more than a great product. She needed marketing – and she knew this began with demonstrating the quality of her product.

That's why Mouna liaised with the National Office for Food Safety to get her vinegar certified. Armed with this seal of approval, she set to work marketing the cooperative online and on social media with support from PDRMA – and soon started to see sales increase.

Today, TIMICHA is going from strength to strength. Business is booming, Mouna is navigating partnerships with national supermarket chains, and the cooperative was recently recognized by the government for its role in empowering women.

In Jordan, IFAD supports rural entrepreneurs in packaging and branding increases consumer trust. One of them is Jamelah, who is famous in her community for her delicious pickles and preserves.

With training and a small start-up grant from REGEP, Jamelah put her talent to good use and set up a small business to sell the food her family and friends had enjoyed for so long. The next step? Persuading others to buy it further afield.

“I had no idea about marketing and I was very embarrassed to do it, but I learnt and developed all my products,” she says. “Now I have a brand!”

Thanks to effective marketing strategies including informative QR codes, Jamelah's brand is now well known at local fairs and markets – and she's even started selling her preserves online. Buyers on her lively Facebook shopfront just can’t get enough, and she now has to keep five freezers full of products to meet the demand.

Rural people across North Africa and the Middle East already produce delicious food for their families and communities. But with investment and training in effective marketing, they can ensure that their products stand out well beyond their local area – and get a better return for their hard work. And with consumers further afield able to enjoy them too, everyone wins.