Local economic development for agribusiness

1. Local economic development for agribusiness Workshop The Rural Poor and Tomorrow’s Markets Parma, Italy 23-24 June 2007

2. Local Economic Development (LED) • LED includes activities for spatial growth and economic/commercial opportunities • Local public and private sector stakeholders jointly plan and implement economic development activities • Mainly aimed at improving local conditions for competitive businesses and efficient farmer - market linkages • Does not include activities aimed at social and cultural development (LSD)

3. LED Advantages • Facilitates community involvement in solving local constraints and identifying development opportunities • Addresses shortcomings in services provided by national development institutions and companies to rural communities • Helps to identify an appropriate uses of public resources • Creates opportunities for enhanced private investments

4. Agribusiness Development in LED • Addresses logistical, operational and bureaucratic constraints faced by entrepreneurs, farmers, traders • Strengthens the positive impacts of national agricultural and agro-industrial policies • Addresses local political, organisational and community contexts affecting markets • Develops local skills, thus strengthening the competitiveness of local agribusinesses • Strengthens relationships between associations to support agribusiness

5. Roles of Local Authorities and Organizations Key issues and actions

6. Programme Planning and Monitoring • Identification of problems and needs in the local market • Ensure measures to protect human health and environment • Coordinate and monitor LED programme implementation • Define criteria for land use • Define policies related to the process of LED’s actions

7. Support to Local Communities • Promote and support development of effective local farmers associations • Explain rules, policies and regulations to local communities and associations • Strengthen contacts and relationships between local communities and central government institutions • Exchange technical assistance among members and between associations

8. Farmers Market Linkages • Provide or improve market facilities • Organize meetings to facilitate linkages between farmers and potential buyers • Provide information to help farmers match production efforts to market demand and agro-industry requirements • Provide advice and assistance in farmer-agribusiness contract negotiation

9. Private Sector Engagement • Develop and support collaborative partnership with the private sector • Serve as intermediary between central governments and the local private food sector • Promote private investment • Coordinate timing of public intervention and private initiatives

10. Moving Ideas into Action

11. Recent Conferences • RUR-2 SYMPOSIUM “Latin American rural territories and actors: new practices and new management models”, Brussels, April 2007; • International Conference “Local and regional development to overcome poverty in Asia”, 22 to 24 November 2006, Vientiane, Laos PDR • Local Agro-Food Systems Network’s Third International Congress “Food and Territories” ALTER 2006, October, 18th-21st, 2006, Baeza (Spain)

12. Selected Internet Resources • AGSF: http://www.fao.org/ag/ags/home/en/agsf.html • Food into Cities Collection: http://www.fao.org/ag/sada.htm • Other FAO’s Web sites: http://www.rlc.fao.org/en/desrural/regional/default.htmhttp://www.rlc.fao.org/prior/desrural/fao-bid/des/

13. On-line capacity building • FODEPAL (distance-learning courses) • ”El enfoque territorial del desarrollo regional” http://www.fodepal.org/Cursos/DREIIsem06/DRE3.htm • “Políticas de gestión de pequeñas y medianas organizaciones empresariales”http://www.fodepal.org/Cursos/PGOIIsem06/PGO3.htm;