Value chain governance and endogenous growth

How can NGOs, Firms and governments achieve inclusion and poverty reduction?

Tags: , Knowledge programme
Additional tags: Value chain , Poverty reduction , Endogenous growth

This two year process aims to improve the development and poverty reduction outcome of policy measures and development interventions in value chain governance. Activities include an academic and position paper write shop, set up of a digital library, policy review of intervention theories used by firms, NGOs and governments, and translation into intervention strategies through online discussion and an agenda-setting conference.

Value chains receive a lot of attention from various economic actors and for several reasons. In the context of globalizing markets companies want to assure the supply of their key inputs and the quality thereof. Also corporate social responsibility has generated interest in value chain organization and its governance.
Recent research shows that civil society organisations and Dutch co-financing agencies define their interventions in the area of economic development and poverty reduction increasingly in the framework of a value chain approach. With regard to public development policy the value chain is considered an instrument to fill the meso gap between general macro policy and interventions at the micro level.
When several actors, each from their own perspective, adopt a particular approach, it would seem possible to achieve considerable progress in the effectiveness and efficiency of their interventions when these actors exchange their policies and experiences in order to achieve greater mutual fine tuning and alignment.

For some time researchers from different disciplines and with different research experiences are coming together in an informal thematic network with regard to value chains. This concerns the thematic CERES network "Value Chains, social inclusion and local economic development". In the context of the Development Policy Research Network which has originated from the CERES research school, these researchers want to make a contribution to a process of dialogue between the private sector, CSOs and co-financing agencies and government whereby researchers play a role in systematizing knowledge and contribute to the development of intervention theories and evaluation thereof. The ISS together with Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have initiated this process entitled: "Value Chain Governance and endogenous growth. How can NGOs, Firms and governments achieve inclusion and poverty reduction?" Partners include, Agro Fair BV; Hivos, ICCO and Woord en Daad, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

Please visit the Value Chain website to be informed about recent activities of the project.