Overview

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.

1. Training African lecturers
   Aims at deepening theoretical and practical know-how in teaching, supervising and research of the African University staff >> more
2. Developing poverty reduction focused curricula
   New curricula in sustainable and quality-oriented fresh-food chain management will be developed jointly by German and African lecturers.>>. more
3. Bringing agro-food education system closer to industry
   Institutionalized networks will be set up between each African partner university and local or regional enterprises of the agri-food sector.>> more
4. Empowering African smallholders
   Involves constituting key assets for the participating institutions to further incorporation into regional sector networks. >> more

   Reproduced from www.acp-edulink.eu