Market Access for the Rural Poor – through Value Chain Promotion

Project completed
Photo by SCO Vietnam's partner

12 million poor farming households, many from ethnic minorities, live in rural Vietnam. Their livelihood depends on agriculture, but their access to the market is restricted for reasons ranging from limited information to lack of services. Switzerland supports projects and organisations that strengthen linkages and cooperation along agricultural value chains in order to improve access of 10’000 rural households to the market and to create processing jobs. Income and employment so generated is expected to help the rural poor out of poverty.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Vietnam
Agriculture & food security
Agricultural development
01.05.2012 - 30.06.2016
CHF  5’000’000
Background

Despite a remarkable achievement in overall poverty reduction over the last 20 years, poverty remains high in upland and mountainous areas (up to 40%) and is even more pronounced amongst Vietnam’s ethnic minorities (up to 50%). Rural households have moved beyond subsistence production and now depend on agriculture and forest products for most of their income and on off farm employment. The effort of poor rural households, especially ethnic minorities to have better market access and to so improve their income is often hindered by insufficient information, poor linkages between different actors along the value chains, and a lack of strategic market development.

Objectives

To reduce poverty of poor households, especially ethnic minorities, through generating additional income and employment in selected value chains in which the poor can participate.

Target groups

Rural poor, ethnic minority households; men and women as actors along value chains including collectors, pre-processors, traders, enterprises or government agencies including research institutes. Particular emphasis on economic activities of women.

Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1: To increase market access and participation of poor rural household in selected value chains (in agriculture and non-timber forest products).

Outcome 2: To generate and disseminate knowledge and experiences on value chain intervention at local and national levels, and in specific cases in the Mekong region.

Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
International or foreign NGO
  • Other international or foreign NGO North
  • National and international NGOs, Associations to be identified in a two-step selection process with an open call for proposals in the last quarter 2012


Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    5’000’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    4’393’164
Project phases

Phase 1 01.05.2012 - 30.06.2016   (Completed)

Documents

Factsheets of MARP program in both English and Vietnamese

Factsheets of Projects under MARP program can also be found hereunder:

1. Developing High Quality Tea Value Chains for Poverty Reduction for Ethnic Minorities in Northern Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar (English and Vietnamese).

2. Pro-poor Rattan and Bamboo Value Chain Development for Women and Ethnic Minorities (English and Vietnamese).

3. Spice of Life: Leveraging the Spice Sector for Povery Reduction amongst Ethnic Minority Communities in Vietnam (English and Vietnamese)

4. Improving Livelihoods of Ethnic Minority Women through Sustainable Development of Ethnic Textile Value Chain (English and Vietnamese).

 

MARP Final Evaluation Report, May 2016 in English

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