Market and Value Chains
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/4
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- This report documents a capacity-sharing study tour conducted in Zambia under the CGIAR CapSHA accelerator, bringing together small and medium enterprises (SMEs) engaged in aquatic food processing from Zambia, Tanzania, and Malawi. The tour focused on peer-to-peer learning, value addition, product quality improvement, entrepreneurship, and market access across aquatic food value chains. Participants shared experiences, visited processing and aquaculture enterprises, and discussed challenges related to packaging, energy access, certification, and scaling. The report highlights practical lessons, innovation pathways, and gender-inclusive business models that support resilient and nutritious aquatic food systems.
- The overall objective of the training was to strengthen participants’ technical, entrepreneurial, and gender-responsive capacities to produce safe, high-quality, and market-ready fish products. The programme integrated practical application of improved fish smoking and solar drying technologies, food safety and quality assurance (including hygiene, GMPs, SOPs, packaging, labeling, and regulatory compliance), business development using the Business Model Canvas, and gender-transformative learning through the Gender Action Learning System (GALS). A blended, experiential learning approach was adopted, combining short theoretical sessions, hands-on processing, group discussions, peer learning, and visioning exercises.
- This policy brief reviews the role of gender in the fisheries sector in Ghana and identifies the gaps that limit the full participation and economic empowerment of women, youth and vulnerable populations. Key among these issues are cultural norms and stereotyping that constrain the potential roles of these groups. Addressing these disparities will require a combination of improved and disaggregated data collection across all subsectors, targeted policy reforms, awareness-creation, and direct support for vulnerable actors in the sector.
- The Gendered Fishery Value Chain Analysis and Fish Loss and Waste Assessment toolkit was developed to provide a structured, gender-responsive approach to data collection across fisheries value chains. It integrates quantitative survey tools and qualitative participatory tools to generate a comprehensive understanding of livelihoods, value chain performance, gender dynamics, and drivers of fish loss and waste. Quantitative tools generate statistically robust evidence across actor groups, while qualitative tools deepen understanding of behaviors, perceptions, power relations, and social norms.
- This report presents the findings of a comprehensive community readiness and technology adoption assessment carried out between 13 and 15 October 2025 across Kakione, Sindo, and Nyachebe Beaches in Homa Bay County, Kenya. The findings reveal that community-level social capital is already in place—anchored in trust, collective responsibility, and established welfare systems. However, technical competence, equipment functionality, and market integration are weak points requiring targeted support.
- This manual will serve as a valuable reference by entrepreneurs (Small and medium-sized enterprises) in agro-processing and value addition in the fish value chain, especially trainers of trainers (TOTs) in the Fish on short-course programs
- This report provides an overview of the market intermediary landscape, value chains related to agroecological products in Lao PDR, based on a desk review, consultations, a validation workshop. Agroecological and organic agriculture in Laos has been supported since 2004 through the PROFIL project led by Helvetas and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which established national organic standards and the Lao Certification Body (LCB). Organic products—primarily coffee, rice, tea, and vegetables—are marketed both domestically and internationally (e.g., Thailand, EU, United States). Many farmers practice organic methods by necessity due to the high cost of chemical inputs but still face challenges meeting formal certification requirements.
- Aquaculture plays an important role in fostering economic growth and addressing rural poverty in numerous regions worldwide. The AQUADMC (Optimising AQUAculture Development and Market Connectivity) project focuses on integrating diverse datasets, including EO-derived information and socio-economic data, to support the development of freshwater and coastal aquaculture in various parts of Bangladesh and Kenya. Using satellite imagery, socio-economic insights, and logistical analysis, the project seeks to optimise site selection, enhance market connectivity, and promote environmentally sustainable practices. The methodology employs advanced satellite technologies to monitor water quality parameters in rivers, lakes and coastal areas. Indicators such as turbidity, chlorophyll-a concentrations, salinity and surface temperature are analysed to evaluate environmental suitability for aquaculture activities. Water quality data obtained through the application of algorithms on satellite imagery are complemented by historical, socio-economic data tracing the evolution of aquaculture practices in the analysed regions. The integration of socio-economic and logistical data in the identification of aquaculture trends seems to demonstrate a strong alignment with water quality data derived from satellites for the monitoring of existing aquaculture sites and the possible location of new ponds. The project is an interactive decision support tool, providing policymakers and stakeholders with a comprehensive resource for making informed decisions. The AQUADMC project represents an exemplary case of international cooperation in Earth observation. These efforts highlight the critical role of collaborative approaches in promoting sustainable aquaculture development in Bangladesh, Kenya and beyond.
- This report forms a key deliverable of the AQUADMC project and provides a comprehensive overview of the Mapping Tool and Final Platform developed as part of the project. This document aims to detail the implementation and functionality of the geospatial web platform designed to facilitate the consultation of geospatial and socio-economic datasets. It provides a detailed account of the consolidated methodologies employed in the two project activities, along with the results of their integration into the platform. The project leverages advanced remote sensing and satellite technologies to evaluate and map potential aquaculture sites. The methodology incorporates environmental, socio-economic, and logistical factors to ensure the suitability and sustainability of each site. The primary output is a mapping tool that integrates data from suitability analyses, socio-economic impact assessments, and logistical evaluations. This tool delivers clear, actionable insights to support the selection of aquaculture sites that optimise operational efficiency, market accessibility, and environmental sustainability. The present report presents the Mapping Tool and Platform in Bangladesh and Kenya.
- The training was designed in response to the results of the capacity assessment conducted with producers in August 2025, which identified fish processing, post-harvest handling, and cost–profit and loss analysis as the most critical needs. The training also bridges the importance of strengthening linkages among various actors, including aquaculture farmers, fish processors, technical experts, ingredient suppliers, packaging suppliers, and both retail and wholesale markets within and outside the agricultural cooperative. The main purposes of the training were: (1) to provide participants with techniques in family-based fish processing; (2) to build capacity in post-harvest fish handling; and (3) to create opportunities for experience sharing and learning among farmers, processors, market actors, and technical officers, with the broader goal of improving household income through green products
- This report presents the outcomes of a comprehensive needs assessment, capacity building, and technical facility intervention initiative conducted under the Multifunctional Landscapes (MFL) program in Cambodia and Lao PDR. The assessment aimed to identify technical, managerial, and infrastructural gaps among producer groups and agricultural cooperatives, and to design targeted interventions to strengthen their business and market engagement.
- The information sheets contain information about how to handle and care for fish as a fisher, fish vendor or customer, to make sure that fish stays fresh, healthy and safe for human consumption. They are structured according to four rules: care, cool, clean, and quick. The information sheet for customers also includes a guide for how to choose the freshest fish.
- The purpose of this handbook is to introduce improved practices that help fishers, processors, and traders maximize the value of the fish they catch, process, and sell, while also reducing post-harvest losses. It supports the national food safety standards related to fishery products and serves as a practical guide for trainers in rural fishing communities. By promoting the adoption of these standards among fishers, processors, traders and fish farmers, this handbook aims to enhance the production, consumption and trade of high-quality seafood in coastal and rural communities throughout Solomon Islands.
- Fish seed traders play a vital role in enhancing fish production and supporting the rapid expansion of aquaculture by supplying healthy, high-quality seed and providing technical advice to farmers. This guideline presents practical recommendations for identifying good-quality seed, conditioning and safe transportation to reduce mortality, and improving handling practices. It also emphasizes the advisory role of seed traders in pond preparation, appropriate stocking density, feeding, water quality management, and harvesting. Based on the principle that quality seed combined with proper management leads to successful fish farming, these guidelines aim to improve productivity, farmer incomes, and the overall sustainability of the fish seed supply system.
- Incorporating fish and other aquatic foods in School Meal Programs (SMPs) can improve nutrition for schoolchildren while providing market opportunities for local food producers, creating healthier and more resilient island food systems. A new analytical tool for Timor-Leste applies a ‘mosaic of approaches’ framing for planning safe fish supply to schools – considering fresh fish and fish-based products, from marine and aquaculture sources. This brief presents the tool as a proof of concept and outlines its potential applications, including strengthening planning capacity and multisectoral partner engagement. Detailed results will be further tested and refined in upcoming work.
- Fish smoking in Madhya Pradesh is largely a women-driven activity. Indigenous fisherwomen are deeply involved in the entire value chain, from harvesting fish in rivers and reservoirs to processing, smoking, and selling the final product in local markets. In districts such as Mandla, Narmadapuram, Betul, and Jabalpur, this work plays a crucial role in household food security and income generation.
- This report presents the outcomes of a field study of fish production and marketing of aquatic foods conducted from October to December 2024 across 15 local government areas (LGAs) and local council development areas (LCDAs) across the states of Lagos, Ogun and Ondo in Nigeria. Information was obtained as a multivalue chain framework for aquatic food production, focusing on various marketing practices in coastal areas using a structured, qualitative and rapid reconnaissance approach. It features diverse categories of aquatic foods, including finfish and shellfish
- Practical manual on the safety and quality of fish, the objective is to show how to maintain the safety and quality of fish available in the markets, from handling to display for consumers, without spoilage.
- Polyculture of fish is a common pond-based aquaculture system practiced by small-scale producers in developing countries to improve input use efficiency, and increase productivity and profits. We conduct a cross-country comparison to examine whether the economic and productivity benefits are seen in data of 1,651 ponds from 1,307 fish farming households in three countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, and Myanmar. Among these ponds, polyculture is the prevailing system, as it is practiced in 66% of them. The surveys of these households were completed in 2019. We use propensity score matching to match the ponds based on household and pond characteristics, so that ponds are compared with other similar ponds. Results indicate that the aquaculture revenue and profit of polyculture ponds are higher than those of monoculture ponds by US$4,993 and US$6,985, respectively, per hectare per cycle. The increase is also observed in the systems of tilapia polyculture and rohu polyculture, which are the two most common systems among the sampled farmers. The increase for rohu polyculture at US$7,992 in revenue and US$9,366 in profit per hectare per cycle is higher than the increase for tilapia polyculture at US$4,649 and US$6,649, respectively. However, tilapia polyculture farmers save more harvested fish for household consumption, by 72 kg per cycle, than farmers of other systems. The higher profits for general polyculture, tilapia polyculture, and rohu polyculture are statistically significant after controlling for country-level factors and have high critical value of gamma in the Rosenbaum sensitivity analysis, indicating that these results are robust. This analysis from fish farming households complements the results from pond experiments and can help to inform decision-making in aquaculture policy and training..
- This research aims to incentivise key public and private actors to perform critical market and support functions more effectively and inclusively. It also aims to sustain change beyond project timelines through adaptive, market-driven models.