Value Chains – Value Chain Development and the Poor: Promise, Delivery, and Opportunities for Impact at Scale, edited by Jason Donovan (CIMMYT), Dietmar Stoian (World Agroforestry), and Jon Hellin (IRRI) is published by Practical Action Publishing. It's available as a free download.
A quick entry here as I want to point people in the direction of new collection of studies on value chains. Value Chains – Value Chain Development and the Poor: Promise, Delivery, and Opportunities for Impact at Scale, edited by Jason Donovan (CIMMYT), Dietmar Stoian (World Agroforestry), and Jon Hellin (IRRI) is published by Practical Action Publishing. Its available as a free download, or you can order a physical copy.
The collection of 16 papers/chapters from practitioners and researchers is broken down in three sections:
Part I: Context for Value Chain Development
Part II: Design and Implementation of VCD
Part III: Assessment and Outcomes of VCD
The first entry, Chapter 1, “Putting value chain development into perspective: Evolution, blind spots, and promising avenues”, I found particularly interesting as it provided a nice snapshot of the development of thinking in the value chain sector. The progression of ideas in the VC field is less than straight forward, with a slew of terminology with ambiguous and overlapping meanings. As a practitioner, I am frequently asked to explain the difference between ‘Value Chains’, ‘Market Systems’, ‘Markets for the Poor (M4P)’, ‘Market-Based’, and a whole host of other terms. What represents a new approach or new methodology and what is simply a rebranding?
It’s not surprising at all when even the experts can debate over where the lines are drawn: At the start of conferences and meetings in the sector, it is not uncommon to have to those leading the meeting define the terms to be used.
The author’s take on this is to frame the development of concepts and focuses since the early days of the field (1980s) as driven by ‘Issues-Attention Cycles’. As ever, we are eager to move on the next ‘big thing’ or silver bullet. Whatever the driver, the authors snapshot is helpful for putting our work in perspective:
Another point of interest for me was that while the authors highlight the successes of the approach, they acknowledge the need to blend in non-market-based approaches to ensure that the most vulnerable can be reached and made market-ready. In chapter 12, “Value chain development for rural poverty reduction: A reality check and a warning” the authors highlight the need to take an asset-based approach, encouraging practitioners to assist households to meet a minimum asset threshold before being enabled to engage in value chain programming.
The authors are interviewed by CGIAR, assessing their own book.
And yes, I did provide an official endorsement for this book (in the ‘Praise for this book’ page). I am firmly of the view that promotion of a book in which you provide a promotion is not self-promotion.
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Unlocking Value Through Regenerative Agriculture
One of the most important questions facing the coffee sector is whether regenerative agriculture can deliver measurable economic value. The evidence emerging from Blue Harvest suggests it can. Participating farms reported an average yield increase of 49%, income gains ranging from 43% to 52%, and significant improvements in nitrogen use efficiency. These results suggest that healthier soils can support stronger farm economics while reducing reliance on costly external inputs, creating value for producers, cooperatives and supply chain partners alike.
Water Security Is Coffee Security
Water is one of the most critical resources underpinning the future of coffee. Coffee processing water use has been reduced by 76%, saving more than 40 million liters of water annually. At the same time, partnerships among cooperatives, communities, and local organizations have helped improve water access for 50,000 people. These results show that investments in water stewardship can generate benefits that extend beyond the farm, supporting both community well-being and long-term supply chain resilience.
A Climate Solution Rooted in Working Landscapes
Using the Cool Farm Tool, Blue Harvest Regenerative has documented greenhouse gas emission reductions of more than 50% through improved nutrient management, agroforestry systems, enhanced soil cover, and better management of coffee processing byproducts and wastewater. At the same time, coffee cooperatives and community groups are helping protect and conserve more than 260,000 acres of critical landscapes. Together, these results show that regenerative approaches can deliver climate benefits while supporting productive coffee landscapes.
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A Shared Opportunity for the Coffee Sector
The experiences emerging from Honduras and Nicaragua suggest that productivity, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity are not competing goals, but are essential parts of a resilient whole. When producers, cooperatives, companies, and communities work together, these outcomes reinforce one another. As the coffee sector looks ahead, regenerative agriculture offers a pathway toward stronger farms, healthier watersheds, lower emissions, and more resilient supply chains. Across Central America, producers are showing that resilience is not only a response to climate challenges—it is an opportunity to build a stronger future for coffee.