1. The document describes a learning initiative taking place from October 8-14, 2017 in Kenya focused on linking smallholder farmers to commercialization practices through farmers' organizations in the Kenyan dairy sector. 2. A total of 20 participants from different world regions will be selected to participate in activities including visits to successful dairy farmers' organizations, panels with experts, and developing innovation plans to apply lessons back home. 3. The goal is to strengthen participants' expertise on how farmers' organizations can help smallholders commercialize, through exploring best practices in governance, business models, and promoting institutional dialogue.

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Learning Initiative
Linking Smallholders to
Commercialization Practices:
The case of Farmers Organizations in the
Kenyan dairy sector
Kenya, 8th - 14th October 2017
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Learning
Initiative

2. 2
Brief on the Learning Initiative
Context: Farmers organizations (FOs) are key contributors to achieving the goals of improving the
livelihoods of poor rural people, reducing poverty and attaining food security. Through the services they
offer their members, they can provide assistance in improving smallholders’ production and incomes.
Evidence demonstrate their potential to link smallholders to markets, accelerate the adoption of
technologies and inputs and encourage the sustainable management of land, water and other natural
resources. In Africa, Farmers’ Organizations (FOs) are becoming increasingly relevant stakeholders able
to provide support to small producers, contribute to their livelihood and link them to the market. Since
farmers’ structuring process is improving in most of the countries, FOs are more and more organized
from local to district, national and regional levels, enabling local issues faced by farmers in the field to be
dealt with within policy dialogue processes conducted by apex organizations.
The Initiative: “Linking smallholder farmers to commercialization practices: the case of Farmers
Organizations in the Kenyan dairy sector” is a joint learning initiative promoted by IFAD (International Fund
for Agricultural Development) and Procasur developed under the Large Regional IFAD-Procasur Grant
Programme "Strengthening Capacities and tools to scale up and disseminate Innovations" (2016-2018). This
topic was selected resting on the consolidated results of the (i) online survey lunched by PROCASUR in
April 2016 in the ESA region, (ii) in depth interviews to project managers of IFAD funded projects in the ESA
region, and (iii) experts’ consultation undertaken among specialists in the area of Farmers Organizations.

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Main Activities: As part of the learning initiative, the core activity of the initiative will be to implement one
Learning Route (LR) built to analyze some of the best practices and main experiences experimented by
dairy Farmer organizations in linking smallholders to dairy commercialization in Kenya.
The objectives of the Learning Route:
The main objective is to improve IFAD projects' and main stakeholders' expertise on how to strengthen
FOs' capacities to intergrate smallholders into commercialization mode. It aims at achieving the
following specific objectives:
1. To explore some of the most promising internal governance practices for effective leadership and
management applied by successful dairy FOs;
2. To gain an overview of various business (or service delivery) models adapted by dairy FOs to better
link members to dairy commercialization support services;
3. To analyze how different approaches, mechanisms, and tools can contribute to the promotion of pro-
FOs institutional and political dialogue at local, national, and regional levels.
The methodology: Participants of the LR will be given the opportunity to learn directly from the local
champions and host experiences and with the support of thematic experts all along the Route. During
the journey, country-teams will be supported in the elaboration of an innovation plan aimed at replicating
innovations in their country / organizations / projects.
Participants: A total of 20 participants from different Regions will be selected to be part of this initiative.
Country-teams composed by 2 to 4 persons are encouraged to apply: candidates will be selected amongst
IFAD’s projects staff, public and private stakeholders, NGOS and CSOs. Being a cross regional learning
initiative, participants from WCA, ESA, NEN, APR and LAC will be considered for selection; however,
priorityintheselectionwillbegiventocountryteamsofIFAD’sprojectsworkingonfarmersorganizations
as a major thematic focus.
Costsandscholarship:Thecostforeachparticipantis3.000,00USD:thiscostincludesmealsandbeverages
(three per day), accommodations during the whole duration of the route, internal transportation, training
fees to the host cases, learning route materials.
Limited scholarships are available upon request. VISA costs, health insurance for the travel and the round-
trip flight from your country are not included in these costs.
A total of 20
participants:
from WCA ESA, NEN,
APR, LAC regions will
be selected.
Costs and scholarship
The cost for each
participant is 3.000,00
USD
Location and dates
Kenya
8- 14 October 2017
Brief on the Learning Initiative

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This Learning Initiative will focus on cross-regional learning in three cross-thematic areas relevant to
FOs identified as follows: (1) Internal-organizational strengthening: finance, administration, legality; (2)
Market access: market diversification, chain-linking (value chains), public markets, innovation-value-
added; and (3) Social inclusion: Youth and gender
The main objective of having a cross regional LI is to identify the tools for the improvement of IFAD
projects in their work with FOs; and to identify the tools for improving the work of the FOs within rural
communities.
The specific objectives of the cross regional LI are to:
1. Strengthen the spaces of dialogue and learning cross-regionally in relevant themes;
2. Diversify the tools of dissemination of experiences, training of capacities and technical assistance
based on good practices and innovations highlighted in the field,
3. Increase the participation and incidence of local talent in all stages of the learning-innovation
cycle and its specialized advisory role to the teams participating in the initiatives,
4. Deepen the cycle learning-scaling up of innovations, seeking to increase relevance and impact.
Final venues of the Learning Route will be confirmed shortly.
Two leading Farmer Organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean: During this Learning
Route, there will be the presence of TWO leading FOs from LAC to present and share their
experiences contributing to the debate and to South to South learning.
Cross-Regional Focus:
Learning Route

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What is a Learning Route?
A Learning Route (LR) is a planned journey with learning objectives that are designed based on i) the
knowledge needs of development practitioners that are faced with problems associated with rural
poverty and, ii) the identification of relevant experiences in which local stakeholders have tackled
similar challenges in innovative ways, with successful results and accumulated knowledge which is
potentially useful to others.
The Route allows for the experiential encounter between travelers and hosts, both having mutually
useful experiences and knowledge. For more information on LRs, visit www.africa.procasur.org/
1. Ex-ante the Learning Route
1. Access to a specialized digital library with material and links of interest on the subject, as well as the
Route’s technical papers and case studies;
2. Support for the development of a poster to be presented to all participants in the Experiences Fair space;
3. Participation in an on-line workshop (webinar) including specialists and relevant experiences, aimed
at preparing the Learning Route and discussing potential spaces and interests of participants as
related to the main thematic of the route.
4. Online spaces prior to the Learning Route activities in the field to introduce the theme of the LI,
methodologies and logistical aspects as well as to advance In the idea of the previous diagnosis as a
basis for elaborating the Innovation Plan. There will be a "guided" review of the case study documents
BEFORE the Route, including a thematic induction allowing internal self-analysis of the projects and
material prior to the trip, and complementary didactic and communicational materials. This will be
done through the multimedia virtual library, • Thematic Webinar • Video / skype / videoconference
with cases / talents ("Virtual Route")• Elaboration of thematic situational diagnosis (prior technical
support) and pre-design / targeting of Learning / Innovation Plans.
2. During the Learning Route
1. Spaces for dialogue, learning and sharing in the field with key agents and local champions from each
of the host cases;
2. Thematic panels with key actors from the institutional environment and experts from both host countries;
3. Guided activities of analysis, experience exchange and feedback between host cases and participants;
4. Support the development of an Innovation Plan (IP) with the aim of: (i) Identifying problems to be
solved back in their country / project / community; (ii) Proposing a plan with possible strategies to
solve these problems thanks to the exposure to successful practical solutions implemented by local
actors and visited during the Learning Route, and; (iii) Identifying potential activities for ex post.
Learning Route

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1. Documents set with results and lessons derived from the Learning Route, including technical and
audio-visual report;
2. Participation in a Community of Practice, facilitating networking for the exchange of information and
good practices on the thematic of the route;
3. Technical support by PROCASUR for dissemination, implementation and monitoring of Innovation
Plans, including possible activities: internships, exchanges, fairs, technical assistance from local
champions and/or specialists, participatory and/or training workshops, systematizations, and/or case
studies, political dissemination and advocacy actions, among other potential ones to be defined in
conjunction with the project and institution.
4. Support to socialization and validation / improvement of Action Plans through: Technical assistance
/ mentoring and thematic specialists (on line and through WhatsApp); "Pro-innovation"; Joint
(cross-regional) ex post workshop: progress in the implementation of innovation and TL plans;
Documentation and dissemination of learning.
Detailed accompaniment to each Innovation Plan will be defined with the participants, under a co-
financing mechanism and depending on available resources. Plans to be accompanied shall be defined
in conjunction with IFAD and according to criteria such as relevance, commitment, feasibility and impact.
Innovation Plan: During this Learning Route, participants (country –teams) will be assisted by
PROCASUR and IFAD to elaborate their innovation plans for adapting and adopting the best practices
and bring innovations in their organizations and/or projects.
3. Ex-post the Learning Route
Learning Route

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Operational information
Application Procedures
The Learning Route dates are 8th to the 14th of October 2017. The venues will be confirmed shortly.
Potential candidates for this Learning Initiative will be welcome to submit their application forms and
endorsement letters before the 28th
of August 2017, to vlikhanga@procasur.org and l.irungu@procasur.
org. Early applications are encouraged. We will be happy to provide you with more information on the
Learning Route and guide you in the application process.
For more information please email or call PROCASUR:
Ms. Vivienne Likhanga: vlikhanga@procasur.org Phone: +254 020 2716036
Ms. Loise Irungu: l.irungu@procasur.org Phone: +254 797 624 916
Ms. Valentina Sauve: vsauve@procasur.org Phone: + 254 706 046 742
We will be pleased to assist you!