Scampis project (2009-2012) Lessons Learned - Completion Report

1. ANNEX 4: Lessons Learned
Overall lessons learned
 Investments should not be driven by chose of technology but by a more integrated approach
to farmers’ livelihood needs and opportunities.
 Trust in the agencies, MIS agriculture and markets was built up based on servicing farmers’
priorities first.
 Market approach to MIS equipment relevant for the rural poor
A market approach to MIS equipment relevant for the rural poor is feasible conditioned to the
(decreasing) use of subsidies, preferably coupled to rural financial services (credits & savings).
o Local production versus import: MIS technologies need quick adaptation to farmers’
needs and specificity of plots. Importing MIS is not a cost/quality-effective choice
(e.g. Madagascar and Guatemala). The minimum critical volume for a micro-
enterprise to maintain good manufacturing and sales operations is 20-30% of the total
income of the enterprise.
o It is appropriate to identify a community based focal person who provides farmers
with technical and agricultural support, new technologies or spare parts (direct link
with retailer). This services should create income to the focal person as well satisfy
farmers’ needs (e.g. India)
o Farmers must trust the investment they will undertake. This happens when they
believe they could gain more than what they invest (e.g. India, Madagascar) and
having the cash at hand to do so.
Recommendations
 Strengthening the supply chain: new MIS technology and spare pieces should be made
available locally to satisfy the demand (to expand cultivated area or fix parts of technology)
and to do not lose client credibility.
 Client diversification for market sustainability: manufacturers and dealers should sell to
various types of clients or groups of producers (not only vulnerable farmers): cooperatives,
agricultural-enterprises, NGOs, rural livelihood enhancing programs, individual middle-class
farmers. Poorest farmers alone do not constitute a sufficiently large critical mass.
 Promotion of pro-poor MIS technologies
Promotion of MIS needs to be complemented with skill development of prospective clients in
intensive irrigated agriculture and coupled to home consumption and marketing of surplus products
(see table A below).
o To attract farmers’ interest in an innovative technology, they need to be provided
with knowledge of intensive agricultural practices (often completely lacking); an
appropriate amount of time should be dedicated to capacity building at least in the
first phase (see table B below) (e.g. Guatemala)
ANNEX 4: Lessons Learned

2. o The private sector should be involved in promotion activities, in order to understand
their clients’ characteristics and needs (e.g. India)
o Women and youth have been specifically targeted in the promotion strategies as they
are crucial in decision making processes and correct use of MIS (e.g., Guatemala).
Recommendations
 Farmers capacity building has to be strengthened especially on preparation and use of natural
pesticides and fertilizers (avoid expenses for chemicals or crops losses) and high value
production for the market.
 Saving and credit institutions should accompany the promotion activities (the farmers will
immediately know which are the options to make the investment)
A. Examples of complementary skills for MIS adoption
Info obtained from farmers and staff interviews (MSC)
- Food security and nutrition
- Vegetable storage/conservation
Food security
- Natural pesticides& fertilizers preparation/use
- Seeds reproduction; use of native species
- Youth and women participation
- Income generation production methods
- High value crops
Income
generation/market - Savings methods and micro-financial institution linkages
- Processing food (for market purpose)
- Market chain development and strengthening group production dynamic and
strategies
Technical - Grey water reuse for agriculture
complementarities - Health and medicinal plants cultivation and use
- Improved water caption system (e.g. for multiple purposes)
B. Time for effective MIS introduction and production
Info obtained from staff interviews
First month: 1 time
Land preparation; identification appropriate water source; plot
per week
Installation design; technology installation and maintenance.
and use of MIS
Following 10 months: Main issue: correct use and storage of technology
1 time/month
First 4 months: 1 time Training in preparation and use of fertilizers and natural pesticide;
Intensive every 2 weeks seeds planting and reproduction; vegetables diversification and
agriculture rotation of vegetables.
production
Following 10 months: Main issue: correct technique implementation.
1 time/month
ANNEX 4: Lessons Learned

3.  Targeting the rural poor
Women and youth are crucial in decision making over purchase and use of MIS, hence they need to
be included in targeting strategies.
o Collaboration with local organizations trusted by vulnerable farmers, will help in
targeting and securing effective follow up on the farmers’ learning process (e.g.
Madagascar)
o Youth and women are important entry points to address rural livelihood improvement
needs: targeting schools (creating school gardens) and groups of women (e.g. Guatemala)
are appropriate means to introduce MIS
o A dynamic and participatory monitoring and evaluation system is useful to secure,
real impact on rural poor (e.g. Guatemala).
Recommendations
 Identify specific strategies to target women and youth with MIS directly or through
local organizations.
 The project strategy should be flexible enough to change the activities if required by
beneficiary needs.
 Subsidies to open the market of MIS equipment relevant for the rural poor
Smart use of (decreasing) subsidies at end user level could be useful to create the minimum critical
volume of clients for small entrepreneurs and to attract farmers’ interest. The subsidies strategy
should be coupled to rural financial services (credits & savings).
o Subsidies at farmer levels created the basis for the development of a MIS market not
existing before (e.g. Guatemala and Madagascar).
o Where a quick decrease in subsidies is enforced, demand was badly affected. It
should be coupled with credit-savings initiatives (e.g. Madagascar).
o Subsidies strategy should be coupled with intensive promotion activities, where
farmers learn the value of the technology and are convinced to invest. (e.g. India)
Recommendations
 Avoid high level of subsidies (the lowered demand or growth has to be actively managed) and
couple them to saving-credit strategies.
 Subsidies could be used to support micro-enterprise start-up (manufacturers, retailers).
ANNEX 4: Lessons Learned