Exploring the implementation of an Inclusive Short Food Supply Chain

Abstract: Developing and strengthening the agricultural sector is an important tool for reducing poverty, hunger and inequalities in developing economies. Successful linkages between small-scale farmers and the business sector through supply chains and business models are necessary to bridge the current gap between them and create mutually beneficial partnerships within the modern food industry. The concepts of Short Food Supply Chains and Inclusive Business Models have been developed to address different aspects of these issues, but few practical examples have been made as to how these could be combined and implemented in a developing context. This study attempts at exploring this through a single case study of a project in Kenya run by KOAN and financed by SSNC. The study found that the volatile environment that characterises a developing economy, where a lack of trust in business and society at large is prominent, demands a strong intermediary organisation in the link between farmers and business sector. The study resulted in the introduction of a new concept called Inclusive Short Food Supply Chains and the suggestion of 10 necessary building blocks for the successful implementation of the concept in a developing context.