Michaela Cosijn presented to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Civil Society network in July 2015 in Canberra on how NGO & Business Partnerships can deliver Food Security and Economic Opportunity through Agriculture.

1. NGOs and businesses working together to empower women in the
agriculture sector
Good practice and common pitfalls
Michaela Cosijn • International Development Research Officer, CSIRO
23 July 2015

2. Increasing trend in NGO’s and Businesses working together
- markets are key to livelihood resilience and diversification
- decreasing donor funding
- changing business environment
- triple bottom line and emerging IBM’s
- strategic partnerships designed to tackle both internal operational issues and
the external impacts of corporate activity.
- bottom up approach of NGO’s and local networks
- cross-sharing of innovation
Some examples
• CARE
• ActionAid
• Oxfam
• Catholic Relief
Presentation title • Presenter name
NGO’s working with Businesses
2 |

3. Sustainable Effective Economic Development
(SEED)
NGO’s and businesses working together to empower women by Michaela Cosijn3 •
•7,200 vulnerable HH in
Inhambane Province
(43,000 people)
•25% FHH & 20% households
living with HIV/AIDS) and
•At least 60% female
•Project funded by CIDA and
IrishAid
•January 2006 and ended
January 2013

4. Links to market & value chain
Training of parvets or promotor
Training (improve qual quant production)
Livestock
(1729, 34%F)
Arts & Crafts
(367, 92%F)
Cashew
(1200, 50% F)
Group organisation
Finance
(VSLA)
Gender
/ HIV
SEED Strategy and Components

5. • Value chain analysis with gender focus through systems approach
• Identification of private sector partners committed to WEE and dialogue
• Identification of WEE interventions and mechanisms of engaging with women
• Define shared values
• Clearly defining roles of NGO and PS
• Ensuring model is sustainable and activities identified are completed:
- Production – how to improve quality and quantity
- input supply – who can?
- financing - who needs? And where from?
- payment for services,
- purchasing
• Good M&E systems which track progress and whether women are engaging
• On-going dialogue about effectiveness of intervention
NGO’s and businesses working together to empower women by Michaela Cosijn
Good Practice
5 |

6. • Capacity building NGO & Business
• Communication
• Language
• Trust between NGO’s and business (and confidentiality)
• Differing timeframes
• NGO’s donor demands
• Private sector shorter term
• Finances – who pays?
• NGO’s becoming businesses? Exit strategy for NGO
• Changing the behaviours and beliefs of:
 Men, boys and power holders in communities;
 Private sector actors traders, buyers, financiers and input
suppliers;
 Government officials and civil society
• Leadership
NGO’s and businesses working together to empower women by Michaela Cosijn
Common challenges
6 |

7. Challenges & Solutions for Women’s
Engagement
• Female literacy is much lower and
need a basic literacy component
• Female engagement in VC (e.g.
labour constraints)
• Male dominance in VC
• Limited mobility to engage in
markets
NGO’s and businesses working together to empower women by Michaela Cosijn
Group trainings, VSLA system,
visual & oral material
Analysis of “right” value chains
for women (e.g. chickens &
goats, crafts, cashew), women’s
groups, timing
Identify new VC or entry points
(cashew processing)
New / mobile market location or
intermediaries, mobiles

8. Contact details:
Michaela Cosijn
Email: michaela.cosijn@csiro.au
TEL. +61 7 38335579 / +61477383591
www.foodsystemsinnovation.org.au
• ADD BUSINESS UNIT/FLAGSHIP NAME
Thank you