Member's Documents
Rural Competitiveness Development Programme
Published by: Independent Office of Evaluation, International Fund for Agricultural Development
Implemented between 2017 and 2022, RDCP adopted an ambitious, innovative public-private partnership model to link non-commercial smallholder farmers to value chains and high-value markets. It also promoted governance structures for value chain development.
RCDP successfully connected smallholder farmers to high-value markets through contract farming, contributing to increase farmers’ incomes and productivity. Cluster Stakeholder Platforms (CSPs) strengthened overall agri-business sector engagement and outreach to poor, scattered regions.
While RCDP has boosted farming incomes, smaller farmers must still seek non-farming income to attain sustainable livelihoods. Programme business plan models took longer than expected to develop and adapt, causing procurement delays and implementation challenges. IFAD’s reduction of RCDP duration from 10 to 5 years hindered the establishment of long-term, functional value chain governance systems.
The PPE’s recommendations for the future include providing a clear long-term strategy for IFAD’s support to rural poverty eradication in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and developing systems to track value chain performance and governance arrangements beyond the duration of a programme.
