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ValueLead – Value Chains for Poverty Reduction in the Agri-Food Sector – Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education

In Ethiopia and Kenya, the agricultural sector is vital for both economic growth and employment. Production and supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy products are particularly important – and need to meet growing demand. However, coordinated supply or value chains, necessary to effectively ensure stable and high-quality supply, are still lacking in these East African countries.Furthermore, smallholders and landless labourers, including women, are still facing high insecurity of incomes, which results in a constant threat of poverty.

The ValueLead project aims to tackle these issues by building capacities and enhancing expertise in the fresh food sector. The “Value Chains for Poverty Reduction in the Agri-Food Sector – Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education” (ValueLead) project will achieve these goals by enhancing institutional capacities, as well as teaching and curricula in fresh-food chain management. It will also strengthen the university-industry linkage through institutionalised collaboration on multiple levels. This will be implemented through close cooperation and sharing of expertise between Humboldt Universität zu Berlin in Germany, Haramaya University in Ethiopia, Egerton University in Kenya and several associated partners from the agricultural and horticultural sector.

Training African lecturers
The first key set of activities aims to deepen theoretical and practical know-how in
teaching, supervising and research of the African University staff in the fields of Food Chain Management as well as Problem-Based Learning methodology. This will be carried out through extensive staff exchanges between German and African lecturers, and summer schools at each partner university.

Here, the ValueLead partners will train teaching staff of African universities: those who
will teach the newly developed curriculum elements, the supervisors of subsequent
study projects and those involved in developing the quality assurance system of the
curricula. Selected graduate students from local partner universities will also be invited as participants.

Developing poverty reduction focused curricula
In the following phase of the project, new curricula in sustainable and quality-oriented
fresh-food chain management will be developed jointly by German and African lecturers. It will be adapted to the realities of the fresh-food sector in Ethiopia and Kenya and incorporate poverty reduction as a focal point.

The newly developed curriculum will comprise four teaching modules, problem-based
study projects, internships, a mentoring programme and a quality assurance system.
The modules will cover fresh-food chain management and marketing, sustainable and quality-oriented dairy/vegetable and fruit production, as well as smallholder cooperation systems. Study projects emphasise interdisciplinary research. All curriculum elements will be incorporated into an interactive virtual learning environment. Quality management will be developed and institutionalised. This will enable students to assess the curricula and food sector actors to voice their needs for the education of future staff.

Bringing agro-food education system closer to industry
ValueLead partners will also set up institutionalised networks between each African
partner university and local or regional enterprises of the agri-food sector as well as NGOs, extension agencies and development organisations active in the sector. Case studies on specific problems arising in the food sector involving food industry actors and internships offered to students at enterprises, organisations or local farms are two examples of how ValueLead will link universities and the food industry in Ethiopia and Kenya. In addition, professionals from the sector will guide students in a mentoring programme to encourage employment-related qualification.

Network coordination desks will be set up in each African university to promote cooperation between food enterprises and organisations, to assist students in finding internship placements and promote joint university-industry activities. Furthermore, fresh-food industry actors will be involved in the development of new teaching modules – thereby contributing their practical experiences.

Project Coordinator
Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany

Partners
Haramaya University, Ethiopia
Egerton University, Kenya


Empowering African smallholders

Close collaboration with the agri-food sector as well as extensive exchange of relevant
know-how and research outputs between partners will constitute key assets for the
participating institutions. They will lead to further incorporation into regional sector
networks and will enhance both their teaching and research capacities. The universities will have trained human resources, with know-how in sustainable and quality-oriented fresh food chain management and vital skills in using and supervising problem-based learning and inter-disciplinary student research.

Another concrete result of the project will be improved education and career prospects
for students of participating universities. Equipped with skills that are extremely relevant to their country’s socio-economic development, they will act as change managers in the agro-food sector, and contribute to the effective integration of smallholders and other disadvantaged groups into well-organised food value chains.

Most significantly, the project will directly benefit professionals in the agro-food sector
such as farmers, processors, traders, cooperatives, or extension services in the region who become partners for case study projects, mentoring or internships as well as practitioners attending modules, resulting in a two-way exchange of knowledge. Furthermore, having access to university-industry networks and graduates with expertise and problem-solving skills will enable practitioners to learn from best practice, be better informed and improve their bargaining power.

In a longer run close collaboration and practice-oriented education will contribute to
poverty alleviation and enhanced income security of smallholders and disadvantaged
actors in the food chains. Finally, consumers will also benefit from these developments. They will be offered safe and good-quality food at reasonable prices on the basis of efficient and stable supply.

Grant:

194005

Project duration:

36 months (09/08/2008 - 08/08/2011)
EU funding:

EUR 489,691.06
Total budget: EUR 695,489.46
Project contact:

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bokelmann

Katrin Wenz

Humboldt Universität Berlin
Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture  Department of Agricultural Economics Economics of Horticultural Production

Philippstraße 13 Bldg.
D-12-0 10099 Berlin

Tel: 0049-20936128

Email: katrin.wenz[at]agrar.hu-berlin.de 

Project's website
ValueLead – Value Chains for Poverty Reduction in the Agri-Food Sector – Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education
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