• providing business expertise so that farmers can take part in joint ventures as equal partners with the private sector
• providing access to financial resources so that farmers can take advantage of emerging opportunities helping them overcome poverty
• building farmers’ processing capacity and providing them with better access to markets
• increasing on-farm productivity leading to better farm-gate prices

The programme organizes and helps poor rural farmers to form companies, to own shares in processing centres, and to ultimately get an income from business contracts with private companies and community-based organizations.

Specific programme activities include:

• companies and community-based organizations co-financing processing and marketing investments under approved business plans
• financial institutions providing microfinance and extending available financial resources
• public extension services and research institutions providing technical knowledge.