This webinar explores how companies can create strategies to develop the smallholder bases that supply their soft commodities. Listen to it here.The webinar had a particular focus on sugar cane farming but also explores the transferrable lessons that can be taken from other crop experiences.
The speakers addressed such questions as:
- What is the general state of smallholder farming globally? What are the major risks and opportunities on the horizon?
- What opportunities do smallholder development programmes present to the major corporates such as Unilever and Coca Cola? What is the commercial case for them to bother?
- What are the common issues that keep smallholder yield and productivity to a faction of its potential?
- When designing a programme to systematically improve the state of a corporate smallholder base, what are the key strategic decisions to take into account?
Speakers on the webinar:
- Juni Sul, private sector advisor, agricultural markets and enterprise, Oxfam
- Sven Sielhorst, programme coordinator, sugarcane, Solidaridad Network
- Jon Walker, product manager, sugar, Fairtrade Foundation
Listen to it here.
I'm Tobias Webb, founder of Innovation Forum and Sustainable Wine. I write on this blog, with others, about areas of interest to me in supply chains, circular economy and sustainability in general. I hope you find it useful. I've worked in sustainability for about 20 years, and work with large companies, NGOs and governments all over the world. I often act as facilitator, at our conferences, and other meetings, either private or multi-stakeholder. I also work as a 'critical friend' advisor to companies on strategy and stakeholder engagement. I have a separate wine website on sustainability in wine at 
