Investing in farmers through public-private-producer partnerships Rural Empowerment and Agricultural Development Scaling-up Initiative in Indonesia. Investing in farmers – or agriculture human capital – is crucial to addressing challenges in our agri-food systems. A global study carried out by the FAO Investment Centre and the International Food Policy Research Institute, with support from the CGIAR Research Programme on Policies, Institutions and Markets and the FAO Research and Extension Unit, looks at agriculture human capital investments, from trends to promising initiatives. One of the nine featured case studies is the Rural Empowerment and Agricultural Development Scaling-up Initiative in Indonesia. This programme adds perspectives on investing in human capital in agriculture through public-private-producer partnerships, using lead farmers, cocoa doctors and farmer field schools. The case study shows that the training and coaching provided increased knowledge of and practical skills in cocoa farming, including technical skills, soft skills and empowerment, leading to better productivity and cocoa quality. The programme increased farmers’ confidence to take on new activities and sell a quality product. In addition, farmers developed group cooperation and decision-making skills, and group members learned communication, entrepreneurship and marketing skills. This publication is part of the Country Investment Highlights series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme.

`This is a "must read" for anyone interested in value chain finance.---Kenneth Shwedel, Agricultural Economist --Book Jacket.

Investing in farmers – or agriculture human capital – is crucial to addressing challenges in our agri-food systems. A global study carried out by the FAO Investment Centre and the International Food Policy Research Institute, with support from the CGIAR Research Programme on Policies, Institutions and Markets and the FAO Research and Extension Unit, looks at agriculture human capital investments, from recent trends to promising initiatives in Cameroon, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Peru, Rwanda and the United States of America. It also includes 11 shorter case studies, ranging from pastoralist training centres to the inclusion of indigenous communities. The global study aims to provide governments, international financing institutions, the private sector and other partners with the evidence and analysis needed to make more and better investments in agriculture human capital. This publication is part of the Directions in Investment series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme.

About 1.5 billion people, most of the world’s poor, live on small farms in developing countries. Improving livelihoods requires investing in their “agriculture human capital”: skills, abilities and knowledge, social and personal attributes and experience to enable them to farm productively and sustainably. These include technical agricultural skills in crops and livestock, business skills in marketing, records, as well as functional skills such as empowerment, leadership, and innovation. There is high demand for human capital development but public agencies often cannot provide it and smallholders cannot afford to pay for it. There is great need for it as agriculture becomes more commercial, information- and skill-intensive and climate change increases weather hazards. This brief aims to assess the private sector’s role in developing smallholder human capital, and the advantages, limitations and challenges of this involvement. It outlines how development agencies and governments can facilitate the private sector to increase investment. The brief concludes with recommendations on how development agencies and governments can support and facilitate private sector investment. The main providers of non-formal agricultural train ing are extension and advisory services (EAS), mainly government, private companies, NGOs and farmer organizations. Other providers include agricultural technical and vocational education and training centres, on-the-job training such as internships, and informal interaction between farmers.

One of the concepts most commonly discussed in value-chain development projects is that of the 4Ps: the Public, Private, Producer Partnerships. This refers to the strong cooperation arrangements between a government, business agents and smallscale producers, who agree to work together to reach a common goal or carry out a specific task while jointly assuming risks and responsibilities, and sharing benefits, resources and competencies. A 4P arrangement ideally serves multiple development objectives. For example, it can be a mechanism to include a specific target group in value chains led by private companies. Private investment can also facilitate access to markets, technical assistance, knowledge, technology and capital. Finally, intensification of production and development of value chains can generate significant employment opportunities.

Investing to promote agricultural growth and poverty reduction is a central pillar of the World Bank's current rural strategy, 'Reaching the Rural Poor' (2003). This 'Sourcebook' addresses how to implement the rural strategy, by sharing information on investment options and identifying innovative approaches that will aid the design of future lending programs for agriculture. It provides generic good practices and many examples that demonstrate investment in agriculture can provide rewarding and sustainable returns to development efforts. It is divided into eleven self-contained modules. Each module contains three different types of subunits that can also be stand-alone documents: I. Module Overview II. Agricultural Investment Notes III. Innovative Activity Profiles. The stand-alone nature of the subunits allows flexibility and adaptability of the material. Selected readings and web links are also provided for readers who seek more in-depth information. The 'Sourcebook' draws on a wide range of experiences from donor agencies, governments, institutions, and other groups active in agricultural development. It is an invaluable reference tool for policy makers, professionals, academics and students, and anyone with an interest in agricultural investments.

With the introduction of Feed the Future the private sector has been named a priority partner. The U.S. food and agriculture sector is a thriving, complex industry that has benefited from a legacy of exceptionally strong partnership with the public sector. International markets have expanded dramatically over the past 30 years, in large part due to trade liberalization and increasing demand driven by a growing global population and rising incomes. As private companies learn how to operate in key emerging markets, they gain insights, credibility, and goodwill for future investments. Although companies have a number of opportunities to collaborate with U.S. government programs, matching up with FTF priorities and target countries can be a challenge, and it can be difficult to find the right connection between FTF and a company's specific skills and goals. Going forward, maintaining and supporting the focus of FTF priorities are important, but ways must also be found to encourage investment and work in countries that, while not FTF countries, could generate strong results from private investment in the agriculture sector.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested that the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources of the National Research Council (NRC) convene a panel of experts to examine whether publicly funded agricultural research has influenced the structure of U.S. agriculture and, if so, how. The Committee to Review the Role of Publicly Funded Agricultural Research on the Structure of U.S. Agriculture was asked to assess the role of public-sector agricultural research on changes in the size and numbers of farms, with particular emphasis on the evolution of very-large-scale operations.

Investing in farmers – or agriculture human capital – is crucial to addressing challenges in our agrifood systems. A global study carried out by the FAO Investment Centre and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), with support from the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) and the FAO Research and Extension Unit, looks at agriculture human capital investments, from recent trends to promising initiatives. This toolkit aims to provide investors including policymakers, government officials, international and national development banks and the private sector, with the evidence, analysis, guidance and processes to make sounder investment decisions on projects, programmes and policies that strengthen farmers’ capacities. This publication is part of the Investment Toolkits series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme.

There are few wage-earning opportunities for the 223 million unemployed or underemployed youth in developing and emerging economies. Many of those young people are in rural areas where the local economy is largely agricultural. Agripreneurship – entrepreneurial activity in agriculture – increases youth employment while teaching them the hard and soft skills they need to manage enterprises profitably and sustainably. This improves their revenue, reduces business failure and fosters innovation in the agrifood systems of tomorrow. The brief explains the principles of investing wisely in such programmes for maximum benefit. This publication is part of the Investment Briefs series under the FAO Investment Centre’s Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme.