Project profile — Improving Bean Markets in Africa

• South of Sahara, regional (77.23%)
• Africa, regional (22.77%)

• Agricultural development:
Agricultural development (31120) (40.00%)
Agricultural research (31182) (20.00%)
• Trade Policy And Regulations And Trade-Related Adjustment: Trade facilitation (33120) (40.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (significant objective)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (significant objective)
• Nutrition (significant objective)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)

This project aims to improve food security, income and health in sub-Saharan Africa by helping farmers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) take advantage of the regional commercial opportunities of the bean crop. This project also addresses the root challenges that farmers and SMEs face in accessing markets in targeted bean corridors, such as a lack of skills, finance, information, insurance, infrastructure and organizational capacity. Project activities include: (1) facilitating linkages and partnerships among value chain stakeholders, through bean innovation platforms and enhancing business skills and collective marketing; (2) facilitating access to market services (information, finance, training, infrastructure, seeds, fertilizer) and advocating support from key actors (for example, non-governmental organizations and governments) for programs benefitting farmers and SMEs in the bean industry; and (3) supporting bean producers to meet production volumes and quality standards. This project expects to reach three million farmers linking them to profitable markets, 10 million households consuming marketable beans, and 10% of SME entrepreneurs trading value-added bean products, and the project targets three million tons of improved bean products to be traded in targeted corridors.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased volume and quality of beans produced and sold by women and men smallholders; (2) increased production and sale by SMEs of beans and value-added bean-based products; (3) increased use by poor households of beans and dry bean products; (4) increased income and food/nutrition security of women and men smallholders; and (5) increased national and regional trade in beans.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (September 2022) include: (1) increased 3.7 million farmers' (50% women) access to markets by directly linking them to 298 small-and medium-sized enterprises working in the bean value chain (28% owned by women); (2) facilitated the trade of 6.5 million tons of beans across major corridors, with an increase of 0.1 million tons from last year; (3) supported the research and production of climate-smart seeds and distributed the seeds to 19.4 million farmers (48% women); and (4) facilitated 19 million people, primarily women and children, to more easily obtain and consume beans high in iron.

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities: Improving Bean Markets in Africa - Monitoring and Evaluation