SCAPEMA
Strengthening Capacity for Enhanced Market Access and Knowledge Management in Eastern and Southern Africa
SCAPEMA is a regional programme, designed to support market linkage initiatives through improved knowledge management and capacity building. It is funded by IFAD and SNV Netherlands Development Organization. While the field level programme activities are mainly focussed on eight countries (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe), other countries in the region are expected to benefit from enhanced knowledge sharing and partnership.
The programme consists of three components:
1. Enhanced knowledge and understanding
2. Improving support capacity, regional linkages and networking and
3. Policy dialogue and advocacy
SCAPEMA recognizes the importance of market access to the livelihoods of the rural poor. Although there are a number of development partners piloting and supporting market linkage interventions, there are still opportunities for better capturing lessons and best practices, as well as a critical need for strengthening local capacity to support enhancing market access of the rural producers.
The programme identifies areas of action and ways to facilitate engagements with policy makers, with the aim of promoting debate and influencing policy formulation for pro-poor private sector investments and commercialization of smallholder agriculture.
The generated knowledge is also used to strengthen the capacity of local capacity builders to enable them to better implement their programmes. By establishing linkages of relevant actors across the region, knowledge exchange as well as cross-border economic activities are enhanced.
