Market-based Agricultural Technology Scaling in Fragmented Market Settings: Three Cases

Agricultural technology scaling is a complex, long-term systems change phenomenon that requires many years and many partners to achieve success. One of the most difficult components of large scale scaling is the gradual transfer of the drivers of scaling from public sector research and donor-supported testing and outreach actors to private sector players. Private sector players are successfully incentivized to take on technology scaling that will mostly benefit very poor, small-scale, non-commercial agricultural households. They often receive significant donor support and carry out these market-based investments where there is a strong business infrastructure and viable market systems. It is therefore even more difficult for change agents to adhere to market-based principles and find viable private sector partners where market conditions are weaker, including in physically remote areas, those with lower agronomic potential, or those where there are often humanitarian response conditions and/or a high likelihood of conflict.

This webinar looks at market-based scaling lessons that may apply to both higher-development-potential situations as well as circumstances with greater barriers to economic growth. Invited panelists will discuss the following technologies and the mechanisms through which last-mile scaling challenges in fractured market settings have been or can be addressed:

• Market-based mechanisms for scaling hermetic post-harvest grain storage technologies in regions with poor commercial market infrastructure,
• Assessing opportunities for irrigated seed production to improve nutrition amid climate risks and water insecurity, and
• Provision of privatized community-based animal health (CBAH) systems, particularly for agro-pastoral and pastoral areas with no or limited veterinary service cover.