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Supermarkets could marginalise small farmers in Africa: FAO
New York, Oct 09: The spread of supermarkets could marginalise small farmers in Africa unless they organise themselves into cooperatives to meet new marketing, credit and technology requirements, the United Nations food and agriculture organisation has warned.
New York, Oct 09: The spread of supermarkets could marginalise small farmers in Africa unless they organise themselves into cooperatives to meet new marketing, credit and technology requirements, the United Nations food and agriculture organisation has warned.
"If we don't help small farmers tap into the supply game and become players in this new market, they will be left on the sidelines," said Kostas Stamoulis, a senior FAO economic analyst. "It could be catastrophic."
Farmers who risk being left out of the transformed domestic market need to have new resources and improved training, he said.
Potential assistance might include organising effective farmer cooperatives and associations to supply supermarkets, creating credit programmes to buy the technologies needed to upgrade output and disseminating the knowledge needed to take part in complex negotiations.
Propelled by the forces of globalisation and urbanisation, the rise of supermarkets across the developing world is an inevitable reality, stamoulis said.
Bureau Report
Farmers who risk being left out of the transformed domestic market need to have new resources and improved training, he said.
Potential assistance might include organising effective farmer cooperatives and associations to supply supermarkets, creating credit programmes to buy the technologies needed to upgrade output and disseminating the knowledge needed to take part in complex negotiations.
Propelled by the forces of globalisation and urbanisation, the rise of supermarkets across the developing world is an inevitable reality, stamoulis said.
Bureau Report