The fundamental transformation of agrifood systems is becoming increasingly important as an approach to international development cooperation. The core area strategy 2021 „Sustainable Agri-Food Systems“ of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) aims at supplying food in sufficient quantity and quality within planetary boundaries, with the least possible use of resources and in compliance with a human rights-based approach.
For working towards transformation, the core area strategy outlines three fields of intervention:
- Food and Nutrition Security: including “measures in production, access to healthy food, nutrition interventions”
- Rural Development: “a territorial approach is at the core”
- Agriculture: “strengthening, above all, sustainable agricultural value chains and food systems, …, increase local value added, boost income and employment, protect the environment”
It is this context in which we are now placing the action-oriented methodology VL4AFS that provides the framework for a systemic approach to transforming agrifood systems with a value chain perspective.
Objectives of the seminar
The objective is to enhance the skills of participants in designing, implementing and monitoring transformation of agrifood systems and value chain upgrading projects. The know-how covers both technical subjects and facilitation skills to work with groups of entrepreneurs, business associations and public institutions.
Organisers
The seminar is organised by IDC Unternehmensberatung GmbH in Aachen, Germany. IDC runs ValueLinks training seminars regularly in different countries since 2008 and has already organised or co-facilitated more than 150 ValueLinks Introductory Training and Training-of-Trainers seminars.
Participants
The training seminar is intended to serve consultants, planners and practitioners at development agencies, consulting firms, government organizations and business associations.
Main contents of the training seminar
The seminar gives participants a profound introduction into the concept of agrifood systems transformation and the VL4AFS methodology. The training follows an interactive method, in which the presentation of concepts, facts and methodology alternates with exercises to apply hands-on tools and know-how to concrete cases in working group sessions.
In particular, the training covers the following subjects:
- The scope of agrifood systems transformation and value chain promotion
- Selecting agrifood systems and high potential value chains
- Structural, environmental, social and economic analysis of agrifood systems and value chains
- Developing a transformation strategy
- Process design for getting transformative action underway
- Introducing ecological and social business models
- Facilitating reliable and fair horizontal and vertical business linkages
- Promoting innovative services
- Strengthening finance and insurance arrangements
- Ensuring supply of healthy food and introducing standards
- Contributing to favorable policies and institutions
- Conducting impact monitoring & evaluation.
Training Material
Participants will receive a seminar binder and the complete set of the presentations and additional information on the transformation of agrifood systems online.
Venue, duration and number of participants
The seminar will take place at the Naeglers’ Hotel in Oestrich-Winkel, https://www.naeglers-hotel.de/, at the river Rhine, some 50 km from Frankfurt, for the duration of 4.5-days and is limited to a maximum number of 20 participants.
Language
The seminar language will be English.
Trainers
The seminar will be facilitated by three experienced ValueLinks trainers and founding members of the ValueLinks Association: Andreas Springer-Heinze, Alfons Eiligmann and Annemarie Matthess.
Registration and Fees
Training fees are 1,450 € per person without accommodation if you register before September 20, 2024. After September 20, a training fee of 1,650 € will be applied.
