Connecting smallholder farmers to markets

Private sector investment is increasingly fueling agricultural growth, opening up income-generating and employment opportunities for rural populations, and for smallholder farmers in particular.

The 500 million small farms in the developing world represent a huge opportunity for companies to source products and inputs sustainably and inclusively. IFAD’s public investments are helping to connect smallholder farmers to markets and bridge market gaps to help build productive, profitable and inclusive value chain partnerships in developing markets.  

Some key partnerships include:

• Mars help small farmers to increase cocoa production in Indonesia.
• Olam Nigeria Limited provide training, inputs and a market for rice farmers in Benue, Nigeria.
• Unilever work to improve food security and build production capacity of small cassava farmers in Nigeria.
• Intel Corporation deliver innovative ICT tools to local  entrepreneurs to help farmers to test soil, buy seeds and connect to markets.
• Hilton source fresh fruits and vegetables from small local producers for their resort properties in the Seychelles.
• Heinz buy more than 6,000 tonnes of tomatoes a year from small farms on reclaimed desert in Egypt and provide jobs for young people.
• Kaoka work with IFAD to train farmers in Sao Tomé and source high quality cocoa from them, resurrecting the island's cocoa industry and reviving the economy.

“It is very important to have a partner who is present on the ground. IFAD has the connection in the country. It has relationships with the people there. Then we, the private partner, can bring logistics and experience to establish the market chain between the consumers and the producers.” 
Sébastien Balmisse, Director, Kaoka