Latin America Roundtable Report

A Knowledge Programme and a global learning network has been established by Hivos, Mainumby and IIED, to map, elicit and integrate knowledge on the dilemmas confronting small-scale producers in the context of globalising markets. A series of regional roundtable meetings were held in Latin America, Africa and Asia to: Present the concept of the knowledge programme and its associated learning network, which will drive knowledge generation; Have an open and frank discussion to validate the con...

Asia Roundtable Report

As part of the “Small Producer Agency in the Globalised Market” KP, Hivos, in association with IIED and Mainumby, held the third international Round Table on 4 February 2010 in Bangalore. The first two round tables were held in Latin America and Africa in August and November 2009 respectively. The round table was held at the Indian Institute of Management (IIMB). Participants in this round table included NGO functionaries, corporate representatives, academics and entrepreneurs from India, Ca...

Innovative Thinkers and Practitioners Looking Ahead

Farmer leaders, agribusiness entrepreneurs, researchers, nongovernmental organisations from across the world gathered near Geneva from the April 26- 29 to convene a new Learning Network on small-scale farmers, markets and globalisation. After four intensive working days in Geneva the Learning Network (LN) agreed on the main topics that they will work on over the next eighteen months. As the central pillar of the Knowledge Programme, the sixteen members of the LN discussed the dilemmas that s...

Video Changing perspectives in Latin America

Today, more than ever, after the food crisis of 2007 - 2008, governments and private sector are showing greater interest in agriculture and food supply for a fast growing and more urban world population. Today small scale farmers are facing great challenges. This video is a contribution for the debate by: IIED, Hivos and Mainumby.

Summerschool LANDac

This course is part of the IS-Academy on Land Governance, a partnership of IDS (UU), the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and several other knowledge institutions (ASC Leiden, CDS Wageningen, KIT Amsterdam) and NGOs (Agriterra, HIVOS) and the private sector (Triodos Facet). The IS-academy conducts research and training on how land governance may contribute to equitable and sustainable development in line with the Millennium Development Goals.

Inclusive Chocolate: Towards more integrated certification of Tropical Commodities

In the 17th century, Dutch companies introduced Europe to the global trade and processing of cacao, coffee and tea. Four centuries later, the Dutch food industry proclaimed that all the cacao it processes will be sustainable in 2025. This implies that the whole cacao value chain, from producer to supermarket, will have to be fully certified. The question arises what objectives should be met, e.g. ecological sustainability, poverty reduction or fairness in trade. Various standards organisatio...

Book on Value Chain Finance

In large parts of the world, small-scale farmers, traders and processors are constrained in their business operations due to a lack of finance. Farmers want to be paid immediately, but traders do not have the ready cash to buy their produce. Traders need working capital so they can buy and transport produce, but lack the collateral to get loans. Processors cannot get the money they need to buy equipment or ensure a steady supply of inputs.

Book on Value Chain Finance

In large parts of the world, small-scale farmers, traders and processors are constrained in their business operations due to a lack of finance. Farmers want to be paid immediately, but traders do not have the ready cash to buy their produce. Traders need working capital so they can buy and transport produce, but lack the collateral to get loans. Processors cannot get the money they need to buy equipment or ensure a steady supply of inputs.

Human rights NGOs have to think more strategically

Do NGOs and other civic actors undertake the most effective measures to hold governments accountable to their international obligations to protect human rights, and in particular to protect vulnerable populations? Jeff Handmaker, ISS lecturer and member of the Hivos/ISS Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme team, explores this question in the book ''Advocating for Accountability, civic-state interactions to Protect Refugees in South Africa". The work of human rights organizations i...

Presentation by PhytoTrade @ Hivos

On Monday, February 15th, Gus le Breton, CEO at the Hivos partner PhytoTrade Africa gave a public presentation on a new biobased produce that PhytoTrade wants to bring from the very rural areas of Africa to the world market: Baobab Superfruit. The meeting was attended by about twenty people from various academic institutes, companies and organisations that are all active in the promotion of sustainable economic development and the access of the poor to the market.