Title
Collective action for market chain innovation in the Andes
Date Issued
01 February 2009
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Publisher(s)
Elsevier
Abstract
The Papa Andina network employs collective action in two novel approaches for fostering market chain innovation. The participatory market chain approach (PMCA) and stakeholder platforms engage small potato producers together with market agents and agricultural service providers in group activities to identify common interests, share market knowledge and develop new business opportunities. These forms of collective action have generated commercial, technological and institutional innovations, and created new market niches for Andean native potatoes grown by poor farmers in remote highland areas. These innovations have benefited small farmers as well as other market chain actors. This paper describes Papa Andina's experiences with collective action for market chain innovation. It then discusses the implications of these experiences for the understanding of collective action and the policy implications for research and development organizations. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Start page
31
End page
38
Volume
34
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Agricultura
Temas sociales
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-58249137333
Source
Food Policy
ISSN of the container
03069192
Sponsor(s)
INIAP’s potato program initially attempted to create a national-level consortium of market chain actors and development organizations to address macro-level problems. When this effort failed, attention shifted to local stakeholder platforms to develop better collaboration among local institutional actors and farmers’ organizations. With financial support from the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), it has provided small grants for ‘collaborative projects’ that link small potato farmers with specific markets.
We would like to thank the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for supporting Papa Andina and the work reported on here. Additionally, the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK supported work in Bolivia, and New Zealand Aid supported Papa Andina’s regional program beginning in 2007. We are grateful to Helen Markelova and Ruth Meinzen-Dick from CAPRi and two anonymous reviewers for their perceptive comments, and to Sophie Higman for skilful editing. This work would not have been possible without the collaboration of many individuals and partner organizations in the three countries, who have contributed to the development of Papa Andina’s approaches.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus