Engaging Unattached Youth in Small-Scale Ornamental Fish Farming: An Urban Value Chain Approach

1. 2012 Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference Engaging Unattached Youth in Small-Scale Ornamental Fish Farming: An Urban Value Chain Approach

2. Project Partners The Competitiveness Company – Implementing Partner A not-for-profit project management and consultancy firm based in Kingston, Jamaica. Their mission is to enhance the prosperity of the country, improve MSME competitiveness and widen opportunities for the young and unemployed. SEEP Network – Technical and Learning Partner A global network of over 130 practitioner organizations dedicated to combating poverty through promoting inclusive markets and financial systems. Jamaica Ornamental Fish Farming Project

3. Why Urban Value Chain Development?

4. Why Urban Value Chain Development? How can we harness the resources of today’s cities to reducepoverty and benefit the vulnerable populations?

5. Urban Value Chain Development Practitioner Learning Program India ACCESS Dev. Services with 4 other orgs. JaipurJewellery Artisans Development Project 2008/05: Bill Tucker to annual conference in Tunisia 2008/11: Karim Fanous elected to SEEP Board 2009/01: Training in Cairo… 2009/05: Bill Tucker and Jenny Morgan present at annual conference in Beirut Etc. Jamaica The Competitiveness Company with 2 other orgs. Jamaican Ornamental Fish Urban Value Chain Kenya AMPATH with 2 other orgs. Value Initiative Program (horticultural value chain) Indonesia Mercy Corps Indonesia with 3 other orgs. VIP (Tofu and Tempe)

6. What We Are Learning www.seepnetwork.org/value

7. Who Are the Youthin this project? Unattached Youth • Unemployed • Not looking for work • Not in School • Not in Vocational Training • More likely to join gangs • More likely to be pregnant at a young age

8. Jamaica and The Urban Youth High unemployment among youth and in Urban Areas • Long term economic stagnation • High rates of crime • High rates of slum conditions

9. Program Objective The development of competitive and export-oriented niche value chains that result in sustainable profitability of urban youth entrepreneurs.

10. Methodology – Value Chain Selection

11. Project Development Process

12. Why The Ornamental Fish Value Chain? Existing & Potential Market Demand • Total export value – Over US$300 Million per year • Total value of aquarium industry US$ 27 Billion • On average, over 1.5 billion fish traded • 104 exporting countries vs. 144 importing countries • Resilience: Industry rebounded well from 1997, 2001 and 2008 Recessions • Annual Growth of 8% per annum

13. Why The Ornamental Fish Value Chain? • Jamaica’s climate is ideal for year-round production • Proximity to the high demand markets: Canada & the U.S. • Logistical cost advantages through air freight • Fish breeding already a Youth entrepreneurial activity Good fit with Local Conditions and Target Group

14. Major Value Chain Challenges • Ineffective farming methods and backward technology • Community Divisions affected economic activity • Low levels of technical knowledge • Few support services (training, extension, quality control) • Access to Finance (Given profile of target group) • Low levels of market knowledge both locally and internationally. • Very little State support for exporting.

15. Overall impact goals Wealth creation, and stability in communities Objectives Increased local and export sales Improved market knowledge andrelationships Accessible Market-based support services Intended results Market Driven and productive Farmer Groups. Strengthen links between farmers and local exporters Effective and affordable Support Services Market development interventions • Identify and train new young urban farmers; • Upgrade production systems; • Introduce demanded species; • Develop breeders • Develop extension services ; • Negotiate with suppliers; • Increase access to technical information • Expand Breeder capacity • Engage MOA to support farmers with QA. • Build capacity of local exporters; • Conduct market research; • Build farmer – exporter relationship Program Causal Model

16. Interventions – Activities & Results Updating skills and available technical knowledge and training

17. Interventions – Activities & Results Introduce new technology to improve efficiency and productivity in a backyard setting.

18. Interventions – Activities & Results Aggregate production and minimize operational costs through collaboration

19. Interventions – Activities & Results Market learning and penetration exercises to gain market knowledge and initiate exporting relationships

20. Interventions – Activities & Results Link Urban Youth Farmers to local sources of micro-finance where necessary.

21. Ornamental Fish Value Chain Foreign Consumers Engage Lead Firms to Link Large number of Small Farmers to Export Markets Build Capacity Of Trainers to deliver Training and Advice Market information Domestic Consumers Exporters Consolidators/ Agents Micro-Lenders Pet Shops Trainers Train-the-trainer Urban Fish Farmers Extension Officers Fish-Farm Technicians Build Capacity Of Para Vets and Technicians Input Supply Breeders and Brood stock Importers Hardware Fish Food & Supply Wholesalers Suppliers or Packing Materials

22. Key Lessons and Challenges • Working with at-risk youth in volatile urban communities requires • Enhancing and matching existing skills to sustainable markets • Identifying and involving influential voices within their communities • Selecting and working with exemplars • Learning about the power structure and daily life in the community • Include several group exercises that require communication and interdependence. • Value Chain Selection must be rigorous and based on current data, context. • Clusters/Production Groups are a useful mechanism for Economic Development in Urban Context.

23. More resources, publications, and information about The Value Initiative www.seepnetwork.org/value Thank You! Nicardo NeilProject and Marketing ManagerThe Competitiveness Companynicardo@thecompetitivenesscompany.com Yibin Chu Program Manger The SEEP Network chu@seepnetwork.org