This guide is the fifth in a series of documents designed to address the entrepreneurial development needs of institutions that support rural communities. This manual is designed to help service providers advise small-scale farming communities in ways of increase the value of their saleable goods, using group marketing strategies. The manual outlines the benefits of collective marketing and the strategies that different types of farming communities in Uganda can use to gain benefits from economies of scale. These benefits and strategies can be obtained through democratic decision-making, allocation of specific tasks to individual members, accurate record-keeping, developing relationships with traders and credit providers, using available market information, and negotiating with produce buyers and input suppliers. 104 p. 21.5 x 27 cm.  

Keywords: Marketing; Small farms; Partnerships; Cost benefit analysis; Common markets; Trade associations; Market research; Case studies; Teaching materials; Agroindustrial development; Participatory research; Uganda; Africa

Territorial Approach to Rural Agro-enterprise Development: Identifying and Assessing Market Opportunities for Small-Scale Rural Producers. Manual 2. This guide is the third in a series of documents designed to address the entrepreneurial development needs of institutions that support rural communities. The guide provides a participatory method for identifying new marketing opportunities based on specific agro-enterprise selection criteria, production needs, marketing needs and profitability. Using rapid marketing analyses methods a systematic method for data collection, the process aims to promote diversification from low value undifferentiated goods into higher value, or valued added products. This method is novel in that it offer users an objective means of selecting a "most marketable" product from a basket of many options. This avoids the more conventional approach of selecting a product for farmer groups based on production levels within an area or on traditional production histories. This guide manual was the first to be published by the rural agro-enterprise project and was originally published in Spanish in 1992. It was translated into English in 1995 and has been used as training material in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Now extensively updated, this edition combines new information on methods for incorporating market research, product concept evaluation, and business analysis techniques within a practical, innovative approach for identifying market opportunities for smallholder producers. The final output of this manual is a detailed market analysis which prioritises products in terms of their attractiveness for agro-enterprise development. The prioritized list is proposed to farmers for their selection as a product for more detailed market chain analysis. 144 p. 21.5 x 27 cm. Also available in Spanish. 

Keywords: Market research; Small farms; Marketing; Teaching materials; Planning; Data processing; Agroindustrial development; Participatory research; Latin America

This book is based on experiences with "scaling up and out" presented at CIAT's 2002 Annual Review by the Center's scientists and partners. This new approach to agricultural research and development (R&D) aims to ensure that R&D activities achieve widespread, lasting, and positive impact on the rural poor in terms of sustainability and equity. Through various case studies, the book discusses issues such as how to achieve widespread impact with R&D results, tools, institutionalizing successful procedures, and innovation and its sustainability. 293 p. 16.5 x 23 cm. 

Keywords: Manihot esculenta; Phaseolus vulgaris; Research; Watershed management; Soil management; Natural resources; Resource management; Rural development; Pest control; Integrated control; Technological changes; Innovation adoption; Decision making; Planning; Case studies; Community involvement; Cassava; Beans; Participatory research; Research impact; Philippines; Latin America; Caribbean; Africa

ISBN:958-694-064-0

Agricultural development workers can take advantage of farmers being natural experimenters, that is, always trying out new ideas and technologies to improve their farming practices. By adopting participatory approaches in their research and extension work, development workers can help small farmers living in remote areas tackle the issues involved in low-input, upland production systems. The booklet provides starting points in terms of ideas, practical tips, and basic tools. The booklet is a new title in the CIAT in Asia Research for Development Series. Other titles available in this series are: "How to Select the Best Varieties to Offer Farmers in Southeast Asia", and "How to Grow, Manage, and Use Forages". All language versions of the books (currently English, Indonesian, Lao Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and soon to include Burmese and Khmer) are available from the CIAT office in Vientiane. Individuals and organizations from both developing and developed countries may request a free hardcopy of the book. Orders for multiple copies are sold at US$5 per copy (which includes postage).  

Keywords: Participatory research; Agricultural development; Farmers; Indigenous knowledge; Extension activities; Partnerships; Decision making; Appropriate technology; Rapid rural appraisal; Innovation adoption; Technology transfer; Asia

[CIALs data base] Detailed information on more than 270 Committees of Local Agricultural Research (CIALs, their Spanish acronym) in several Latin American countries has been compiled in this data base. Farmers, technicians, rural communities, and even facilitating institutions will find the information provided on the different CIAL research projects of interest and useful in their decision-making processes. You can consult this data base by country, by research topic, and by CIAL, or you can cross-reference variables such as crops, topics, altitude, and country in an advanced search strategy.  

Keywords: Databases; Community development; Rural development; Development projects; Farmers; Farmers associations; Decision making; Innovation adoption; Technology transfer; Participatory research; Directories; Bolivia; Colombia; Ecuador; Honduras; Nicaragua

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