Inclusive & Resilient Agriculture Market Systems
Vibrant, dynamic, and inclusive markets are critical to achieving sustainable development
NIRAS’ excellence in delivery helps to drive efficiencies and promote inclusivity throughout value chains, seeking positive developmental returns for producers and consumers. Women and youth are key actors in the agriculture sector and we aim to provide them with equal opportunity to thrive in the sector. We use an analytical and data-driven approach to identify and scale solutions for enterprises and sectors that unblock market constraints and realise transformational opportunities. NIRAS works closely with local actors to stimulate positive sustainable change to the market system. Invigorating the local private sector is key to achieving change and a resilient market system at the local level, as local actors thrive when the communities where they source their produce and sell their wares thrive. Our expertise in working at the value chain grass-roots level is valuable not only to public sector funders but also to major private sector companies, national, regional or international, which are seeking to enhance livelihoods and community development through building their supply chains in a responsible and inclusive manner.
NIRAS applies a resilient market systems approach based on our long experience working with agriculture value chains in challenging settings. We stimulate change through addressing the main constraints at different points of the central value chain and by strengthening its supporting functions (e.g. Research & Development, market information) and the rules and regulations of the enabling environment.
Our specialist services:
Highlighted Projects
Drive global investment into inclusive climate-resilient agri-food systems that increase smallholder incomes.
The Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA) programme is a £20m effort, funded by FCDO. The CASA approach builds linkages from smallholder producers to large agribusinesses that develops value and supply chains which leads to increase of smallholder productivity and commercial viability. CASA’s Market Systems Development team has focused on building inclusive market structures and improving the pipeline of investment-ready climate resilient agribusinesses across Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda. Through close monitoring and analysis across all CASA components, NIRAS brings out evidence and communicates learnings to create a better understanding of what is needed to stimulate change and to de-risk investments into agriculture market systems.
CASA has reached 400,000 smallholder farmers (53%women) and leveraged £13 million in investments to smallholder market systems.
Strengthen the competitiveness of selected value chains in Mozambique
VaMOZ Competir, funded by GIZ, aims to strengthen the competitiveness of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and smallholder farms in rural and coastal areas. Implemented by NIRAS in collaboration with the Mozambique Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER), the project focuses on fostering more efficient and productive MSME operations, contributing to a dynamic sector with positive impacts on employment and income generation, particularly for women and youth. To encourage diverse agricultural output, the initiative is developing integrated business models that connect leading firms in the agricultural industry with MSMEs and smallholder farmers (SHFs). This model addresses gaps within the public agricultural extension system by promoting the responsibility of lead firms to train MSMEs and SHFs in areas such as Good Agricultural Practice—utilising methods like Farmer Field Schools—while simultaneously enabling lead firms to access products and Business Development Services (BDS). An additional component of the project works to enhance access to finance by supporting the bankability of lead firm activities and assisting financial institutions in the development of tailored financial products for MSMEs.
The project is working with 10 leading firms and 70 MSMEs (35% women-led) using inclusive business models connecting them to 8,000 smallholder farms in rural and coastal regions (50% women/30% youth).
