Major stakeholders in the first five projects under the Food and Business Global Challenges Programme, have met in Accra towards improving the synergies between the public-private partnerships and small-holder farmers to make the Programme more impactful.
Under the auspices of NWO-WOTRO Science for Global Development and the Food and Business Knowledge Platform, 19 science and non scientific experts from across the world deliberated to increase global food sovereignty, develop more inclusive and innovation platforms, and sustainable landscapes, using the projects as their focal points
The projects cover Public-Private Partnerships with small-holders involved in Tree Crop Systems in Ghana and South Africa; the Nutritious-system Pond Farming in Vietnam; Enhanced Nutrition Security through Traditionally Fermented Foods in Zambia, Helping Farmers Grow Money in Sierra Leone; and Adapting Pork Production to Local Conditions in Brazil.
The Food and Business Global Challenges Programme, a Netherlands initiative, couched in the five research projects, addresses international, regional and global challenges of food and nutrition security as a global public good.
The workshop, also attended by representatives of government and Non Governmental officials and representatives of knowledge institutes, was meant to deepen the knowledge on issues to enhance understating of the concept and to identify linkages to other relevant initiatives.
Dr Mirjam Ros-Tonen, a Lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, speaking on the topic, ‘’Inclusive Business-Smallholder Partnerships in Ghana and South Africa’’, said the researched project aimed to clarify the terms of engagement covering public-private partnerships with small holders involved in tree crop systems.
Mrs Sheila Assibey-Yeboah, the Deputy Programme Leader of Business Platform GhanaVeg, who shared the success story of Ghana Veg, explained that it was funded by the Netherlands Embassy, in Accra, to address issues of commercial development of the vegetable sector.
She said the Inclusive Value Chain approach by the Company fostered knowledge and experience-sharing across different levels and professionals, which had worked appropriately for the success of the programme.
