Linking Communities of Practice with Value Chain Development in Smallholder Farming Systems

Kristen Lowitt, Gordon M. Hickey, Wayne Ganpat and Leroy Phillip

World Development, 2015, vol. 74, issue C, 363-373

Abstract: Value chains are an increasingly popular approach to understanding complex policy challenges in agricultural development. However, value chain research and development has often been too narrowly focused on the structural elements of production, resulting in lack of adaptive capacity. Drawing on the concept of communities of practice, this paper seeks to operationalize an understanding of how the social relations that underpin smallholder-related value chains can be better supported to enhance resilience. Case studies from the Caribbean are then used to illustrate how a community of practice approach to value chain development might facilitate the formation of social capital.

Keywords: Small island developing states; Community-based development; Rural development; Food security; Food policy; CARICOM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:74:y:2015:i:c:p:363-373

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.05.014

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