Track Record

SNV has been active in Agriculture since 1965. SNV’s long-term on-the-ground presence has positioned us as a trusted (local) partner, provided us with in-depth understanding of local dynamics and equipped us with the strong networks needed to facilitate change.

Innovation

SNV has a multi-actor approach, we connect farmers and farmer organisations with markets and business, but also engage with service providers, NGOs and governments to enable value chain activities and create a conductive environment. This leads to innovative solutions. In Zimbabwe, SNV addressed systemic issues in the agriculture sector while focusing on the restocking of agro-dealers with agricultural inputs. In this way key needs and risks of smallholder farmers were addressed, and more than 110,000 farmers were able to access inputs through supporting 659 agro-dealers. Read more about this case here.

Scale

Scaling up programmes effectively enables us to engage large numbers of farmers with agri-food chains, as well as addressing the needs of business actors. In Lao PDR, SNV trained rice millers to provide agricultural extension services to local farmers, improving yields of more than 21,000 farmers by 20%, and income from rice by around 60% within 18 months. Almost 40% of millers in the programme have now gone on to organise new producer groups outside the programme without any additional support. Read further here.

Gender

In stimulating good governance, SNV pays particular attention to gender equity, social inclusion of marginalised groups and sustainability. Gender mainstreaming has become an area of expertise within SNV through years of practice and experience. In Asia, women face problems with access to and control over productive resources, service delivery and market opportunities. SNV identifies underlying gender constraints in various ways and addresses these through an explicit focus on women’s economic and social empowerment. Read more in our Practice Brief on Gender and Agriculture.

Partnerships

SNV values partnerships as an important way to realise change and extend the impact of initiatives. We partner with like-minded organisations at the global, regional and country level. In partnership with Fairtrade International we realised producer support programmes in 11 countries in 2009. For example, these programmes helped a leading coffee cooperative (Kopagi) in Rwanda to double its sales in one year. Our partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Inter-American Development Bank has brought together the Ecuadorian government and leading companies in an Inclusive Business initiative to improve the livelihoods of over 250,000 people. The partnership between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and SNV has evolved from a base in advisory services to a consistent programme with strong focus and practice in Knowledge Development, Networking and Policy Dialogue.

Awards

SNV’s beekeeping project in Mozambique was nominated for the Nature-friendly Award at the Small and Medium Enterprise Forum in 2010.