There are 175 undeveloped countries, with over 550 million smallholders in them. Each country, culture, crop, history, politics, and farmers differ. So much variation; can we have a blueprint, a model, to lead those countries and farmers from poverty to prosperity? Could there be such a business model? These questions kept my mind occupied for years while working with smallholders. Then it occurred to me; the answer was always in front of me. As a farmer from toe to head, I know what farmers, and particularly smallholders, want. They are not looking for someone to sell them more high or low agro-tech. They also don’t look for advice from those they don’t trust. Smallholders are looking for long-term partners, those ready to walk the talk, take personal risks, and will work hard to help farmers, and investors, benefit! After decades of repeated disappointments, smallholders expected only one thing – to increase their income. That’s it. They do not want charity, subsidies, philanthropy, or any of that kind. They are ready and want to work hard to increase their income from its current $1.5 to $5 per day. Looking through my farmer’s glasses, I set a target to help smallholders increase their income based on tested working business model principles. My goal remained unchanged, to move into the prosperity zone with as many farmers as possible. TOXIC VS HEALTHY PRINCIPLES TOXIC Having a goal of coupling smallholders’ success to business principles is not apparent – especially in times when multi-billion $ projects like AGRA aim to do the same. An endless stream of money energizes those projects from philanthropists like Bill Gates and funds like USAID. AGRA’s project, like others, believes that the lack of money to buy advanced technologies is standing between farmers’ poverty and their future prosperity. Sadly, 15 years and $60B after the AGRA program began, farmers in the program are not doing better than control groups (without the program support). Furthermore, if we consider taking AGRA’s route, we would need to invest over $100B annually (!) with little hope for a substantial income increase. Do you see this happening sometime soon or ever? History shows that philanthropy does not create prosperity but preserves poverty. HEALTHY In contrast, when we run a program based on solid business principles, the more extensive the project is, the more profit it generates. But unlike philanthropy, if it is ineffective, it immediately stops. With good intentions, philanthropy creates human suffering, while the business approach creates prosperity. In the past two columns (1, 2), we discussed how and why Senegalese mango growers, under the Dream Valley 2,500 hectare program, doubled their income, and the country doubled its mango export with an additional 13 million kg to EU premium markets. All this in a single(!) year. Please think of the impact size when Dream Valley cooperates and extends its activity, and works with a hundred times more farmers. This would mean a hundred times more farmers would benefit, and so will investors. Now, think of what it will do to those countries economies. What would be the impact when Dream Valley is run with a thousand times more farmers? In light of this, you may realize that programs like AGRA are, in practice, “poisonous” to Africa. Such multi-billion $ failed initiatives don't bring the expected results. They give a bad reputation to Africa and smallholders, keeping business people and investors away, seeing Africa and smallholders as “toxic” investments, a game they can never win. In contrast, Dream Valley is business-oriented and designed to bring results that must satisfy farmers and investors. As a pure business, Dream Valley must satisfy its clients and investors and must profit, or else it is doomed. Proven results, good business, and high profits attract more farmers and investors to join the Dream Valley program and increase everybody’s satisfaction and prosperity, as indicated by the message below. Isn’t it what we want!? Prosperous businesses are the only way out from poverty to prosperity. |