Autumn Webinar Series // Webinar 1: Rural producer agency and agricultural value chains

While policies and programmes aim to integrate small-scale rural producers into agricultural value chains, questions remain over how best to: recognise the possibly divergent visions, interests and constraints of different value chain actors; address often substantial power imbalances in value chains; and ultimately promote agency among rural producers and their communities – that is, their ability to choose, act and influence realities around them.

To engage more deeply in these issues, please join us for this webinar at which Dr. Lorenzo Cotula from the IIED will present insights from the recently published research report 'Rural producer agency and agricultural value chains: What role for socio-legal empowerment? The report was prepared for the Empowering Producers in Commercial Agriculture (EPIC) project, which is funded by the UK Department for International Development and supports small-scale rural producers and their communities in Malawi and Nepal.

Drawing on the report’s review of trends in commercial agriculture and experience of supporting rural producers and communities, Lorenzo will lead a discussion on approaches to enhance the agency of rural actors as they engage with, or are affected by, commercial agriculture.

Lorenzo Cotula is a principal researcher on law and sustainable development at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), based in the United Kingdom. He leads research, policy engagement and field-level projects on natural resource governance and resource-based investments. Lorenzo has over 18 years of experience working with civil society, governments, the private sector, donors and multilaterals, and extensive country experience in Africa and Asia. He has published widely on natural resource rights and investments in low and middle-income countries. Before joining IIED in 2002, Lorenzo collaborated with the Legal Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization, and with two Italian NGOs. He holds academic qualifications in law, development studies and sustainable business from Sapienza University of Rome, the London School of Economics, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge.

• Welcome and introduction – 5 min
• Presentation – 15 min
• Q&A and discussion – 40 min

There is limited space to participate in the Webinar. Please confirm your participation to emily.kilham_consultant@donorplatform.org

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