ProAgri 4: Agribusiness cluster coaching

Strengthening agribusiness clusters for local growth and market access

Through the ProAgri 4 project we built trust-based business partnerships within 73 agricultural clusters in Benin. Clusters bring together actors from the whole ecosystem around a specific commodity. They include producer cooperatives, buyers, input suppliers and credit service providers. Our training equipped the cluster members with skills to negotiate essential resources such as credit and inputs and access the market access more effectively. The project has led to a sustainable improvement in both the quality and quantity of products marketed. For example, in the shea value chain, clusters measured a 112% increase in production volume between 2020 and 2021. Between 2021 and 2022 the production continued to rise by 85%. In turn, this has increased the incomes of family farms within the clusters.

To achieve these results, iCRA trained coaches to guide sustainable agribusiness clusters. We trained the coaches to mentor clusters in partnership building, action planning, financial management and marketing. Our coaches also support cluster members develop interpersonal business skills, such as negotiation. We trained 21 master coaches who trained, supervised and certified 146 internal coaches. Using this training-trainers model we were able to scale the project’s impact and ensure sustainable knowledge transfer, even after the project. To support further lasting impact we developed of the Agribusiness Cluster Coaching Manual.