Across the developing world, urbanization and income growth are driving massive shifts in consumers’ food preferences and subsequently in the form and functioning of local and regional food value chains.
These changes hold great potential for improving livelihoods and food security in developing countries, but they also carry social, economic, environmental, and health risks. A better understanding of how producers and consumers are interacting with modern food value chains can help researchers and policymakers pinpoint interventions to strengthen these chains and ensure that value chain transformation happens in inclusive, healthy, and environmentally sustainable ways. This webinar presented findings from the recent CGIAR research on food value chains in three regions.
Matty Demont (IRRI) spoke about the rice value chain upgrading in West Africa during 2009-2019, which resulted from policies implemented by African governments after the food price crisis in 2008 and aimed at crowding in investment in the value chain to help domestic rice compete with imports.
Trent Blare (CIMMYT / University of Florida) shared results of the study examining consumers’ purchasing habits and demand in peri-urban Mexico City for three types of tortillas: i) machine-made white, ii) handmade white, and iii) handmade blue.
Tanguy Bernard (IFPRI / University of Bordeaux) presented on the experimental research in Senegal implementing a new contracting arrangement that bundles price premium certainty with training and credit for the purchase of a new quality-improving technology.
Presenters:
Matty Demont , Senior Scientist, Market Analysis Research Cluster Leader, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
Trent Blare, Markets and Value Chain Specialist, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Assistant Professor, University of Florida
Tanguy Bernard, Senior Research Fellow, Markets, Trade and Institutions Division, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Professor, University of Bordeaux.
Moderator:
Nicholas Minot, Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Division Director in the Markets, Trade and Institutions Division, IFPRI. Co-leader of the research on Inclusive and Efficient Value Chains within the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM).
Discussant:
Frank Place, Director, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM)
Read the post-event blog here