Hans Vermaak

Joost Oorthuizen

Carla Romeu Dalmau

Elea Papaemmanuel

What does it take to make real change toward sustainability in international trade? IDH and its partners have spent the last 10 years learning the art of collaborative transformation, accumulating tacit knowledge on what works and what doesn’t to make change within the complexity of international trade. This book distills their insights, presenting 5 key dimensions that are critical for stakeholders to attend to while working toward sustainability. The relational dimension involves building and convening different stakeholders into strong and effective coalitions. Through the discursive dimension coalitions must forge a framework for a common future out of diverse interests and concerns. Collaborative transformation also involves an institutional dimension, as a variety of formal and informal structures lend critical support to the coalition’s efforts. And those involved must continually learn by critically inquiring into their ongoing work together: this is the reflective dimension. The fifth dimension concerns implementation: change only happens when tangible shifts are happening at many different levels – in the field, along the value chain, in business practices and in policy. To break down this complexity and to make it concrete, IDH gives examples from their partnerships involving a wide range of industries: from cotton to tea to cocoa. They show that collaborative transformations are not only possible: they hold the key to our shared future.

The Art of Making International Trade More Sustainable

Collaborative Transformation

Giel Ton

Jos Bijman

The role of producer organizations in market chains has received increasing attention in recent years, both from governments and donors. In order to lower transaction costs, markets demand that smallholder farmers operate in an organized manner. However, though the policy openings for support seem promising, smallholder market access through farmer-The role of producer organizations in market chains has received increasing attention in recent years, both from governments and donors. In order to lower transaction costs, markets demand that smallholder farmers operate in an organized manner. However, though the policy openings for support seem promising, smallholder market access through farmer-led economic organisations is not easy.This book presents various approaches to support producer organisations in terms of providing economic services to their members, with a focus on developing countries. Markets are increasingly fragmented in value chains that link farmers with specific processors, retailers and consumer segments. Several contributions in this book analyse these dynamics in specific value chains, such as the fair trade and organic agriculture and their potential to provide market outlets for smallholder farmers.The sixteen contributions in the book are organized in three sections:- organisational support for producer organisations;- value chain development with producer organisations;- changes in the institutional environment for producer organisations.This book is the result of a Dutch partnership between policy makers, researchers and practitioners designed to confront ideas with realities. Organized in a platform called Agri-ProFocus, members aim to provide more and better support to producer organisations in the South. Through so-called expert meetings, staff from donor organisations and knowledge centres, government officials, and business representatives, share their experiences and lessons learned.The experiences presented in this book are not recipes for instant success, but instead, highlight that support processes are often more fragile and slower moving than policy makers realise. This book is essential reading for scholars, practitioners and researchers interested in supporting and facilitating trajectories of change led by producer organisations in developing countries.

Facilitating trajectories of change in developing countries

Producer organisations and market chains

Joost Oorthuizen

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