Behind the many tropical products we consume, there are agricultural supply chains involving a multitude of players. Farmers, industrialists, transporters, researchers, bankers and civil servants are all working to grow, harvest, store, process, transport and sell products.
There is a mainstream vision of sustainability (global challenge, integrated systems). However, the large diversity of value chains and systems requires diversified paths, potentially in interaction between themselves and in permanent re-construction. There are no fixed solutions, no one size fits all. Value chain actors need to remain dynamic and question permanently pathways, means and objectives. Research stakeholders accompany this continuous process and fuel the debate through scientific data and innovations.
You are invited at the European Development Days (15th June from 16:00 – 17:15 hours) here in Brussels (Tour & Taxis), where CIRAD together with the ACP Secretariat organise a Lab-debate with 4 speakers from different geographical locations and diverse value chains. The Moderator will be Erik Kijne of PCM Group in Brussels.
https://eudevdays.eu/sessions/assessing-sustainable-development-global-value-chains
It was a great event with so many interesting topics to attend that it was had to choose. Moreover it was THE place to bump into old contacts. Apparently the development world was gathered there. Our session was ‘over’-attended with participants standing at the back to fill the room. Gosh the airco’s were busy and failed to cool the room properly. My appreciation and compliments to all those who could stand the heat. Thanks to our organisers CIRAD and ACP Secretariat who organised this event so well and managed to set a comprehensive context on sustainability of value chains, a new and very relevant and complex concept with almost any possible variable, like: stakeholders, production themes and influence levels from very local, regional to national policy levels. Pity I can not present the WORD CLOUD produced by the participants as it was well representing the issues at stake. Once more my compliments for the organisers and the 4 panel members who arrived from Indonesia, Senegal and France and who represented smallholders and trade organisations from the coffee, cocoa, oil palm producers and from the investment sector brought together by the research component of CIRAD. So much more to learn here !!!