SIP Symposium: Day 1 presentations

This presentation is prepared as part of the Rethinking Food Market Initiative: Science, Innovation and Policy Symposium held on 10 - 11 December 2024, in Washington DC. The event gathered researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners to reflect on four years of pioneering research aimed at transforming agri-food value chains to enhance inclusivity, sustainability, and efficiency.

Day 1 presentations include:

• Opening remarks by Rob Vos
   
• Keynote: Re/Thinking Institutions of Exchange for Food Systems Transformation by Johan Swinnen (also available here)
   
• Plenary Session A: Improved logistics to reduce food losses, improve incomes and value-chain efficiency moderated by Ruth Hill.
  As part of the session two presentations were delivered:
   
  • Impacts of Bundled Innovations for Cold Chain Development, Food Quality, and Food Loss Reduction in Nigeria’s Horticulture Value Chain WP2 Nigeria by Futoshi Yamauchi and Bedru Balana 
     
  • More Inclusive Business Models for Cold Chain Logistics: Challenges and Opportunities WP2 Nigeria by Hyacinth Edeh and Bedru Balana

    In addition two parallel session were delivered as part of this plenary session:
     

  • Parallel Session 1: Digital innovations for product tracing and making market information accessible - I moderated by Kate Ambler
    As part of the session two presentations were delivered:
     
    • Cluster panacea? Evidence of three interventions on smallholder shrimp farmers in Bangladesh by Sudha Narayanan
       
    • Improving vertical and horizontal coordination in fragmented value chains by Federico Ceballos and Jenny Wiegel
       
  • Parallel Session 2 Innovations for product quality upgrading and food quality standard certification - I by Rob Vos
    As part of the session two presentations were delivered:
     
    • Introducing improved seed varieties in Nigeria’s vegetable value chain by Marrit van den Berg
       
    • Markets for quality of food crops in Ethiopia: Updates on a research agenda by Tanguy Bernard and Gashaw Abate (separately available here)
       
• Plenary Session B: Food standards and certification for inclusive and sustainable value chain development: Challenges and opportunities (separately available here) by Matin Qaim
  As part of the session 4 parallel sessions were delivered:
   
  • Parallel Session 3: Digital innovations for tracing products & making market information accessible moderated by Christine Chege
    As part of the session two presentations were delivered:
     
    • Raising awareness of about the EzyAgric Digital Platform by Susan Ajambo
       
    • Digital innovations for monitoring sustainability in food systems by Eva-Marie Meemken
       
  • Parallel Session 4: Innovations for product quality upgrading and food quality standard certification - II moderated by Nicholas Minot
    As part of the session two presentations were delivered:
     
    • Bundling technical messages and on-site quality testing for smallholder bean producers in Honduras by Byron Reyes
       
    • Farmer and consumer adoption of biofortified crops and foods: the role of seed pack labelling on WTP by Bho Mudyahoto
       
  • Parallel Session 5 Inclusive agribusiness models and market information moderated by Rajalakshmi Nirmal
    As part of the session three presentations were delivered:
     
    • Improving the bargaining power of smallholder sesame producers in Ethiopia through information and collective marketing by Girma Kassie and Nicholas Minot
       
    • Innovations to improve quality in dairy value chains by Bjorn van Campenhout and Richard Ariong
       
    • Disease management and value chain up-grading: tick control in Uganda's dairy value chain by Sarah Kariuki
       
  • Parallel Session 6 Inclusive agribusiness models and market information moderated by Christine Chege
    As part of the session three presentations were delivered:
     
    • Bundling input and cash loans through digital financial service providers in Nigeria by Eduardo Maruyama
       
    • Micro-equity contracts for livestock in Bangladesh by Kate Ambler
       
    • The Unmet Financial Needs of Intermediary Firms within Agri-food Value Chains in Uganda and Bangladesh by Jeff Bloem