Africa Region Working Paper Series No. 60

Linking Farmers to Markets:
Exporting Malian Mangoes to Europe

Abstract

European consumers were more likely, until recently, to eat Indian, Israeli or Brazilian mangoes rather than Malian ones. However, since 2001, sea-freighted Malian mangoes produced in the South of the country by small-scale farmers have been successfully exported and retailed in Northern Europe. This achievement was quite a challenge given the prior failure of different similar projects and the overall difficulty to find investors ready to embark on the exportation of perishables from landlocked countries like Mali, with poor transportation connections. The exportation of Malian products are controlled by Ivorian exporters leaving little returns to the producers on the other side of the border. Despite the high quality of its fresh fruit and vegetables, the high cost of air-freight was impeding the actual expansion of the production and exportation.

By establishing a multi-modal shipment system and improving every step of the supply-chain, the mango export pilot project not only proved how feasible but also how profitable such endeavor could be, thus demonstrating the relevance of innovative strategies relying on connecting farmers to markets, promoting private investment in rural areas, furthering multiple and cross-border partnerships, while supporting agricultural diversification, and facilitating trade and export logistics.

This paper presents, through the Malian mangoes case-study, a successful example of agro-business development and rural private sector promotion. It sets out the factors and the role of the different actors that contributed to the results of the operation. This case can be used as an example in the setting up of operations in similar environments. The paper also wishes to highlight the need to promote innovative ways of designing development projects, emphasizing on a multi-sectoral approach (transportation, agriculture, trade), and on the value of indigenous resources (social capital), integrating their idiosyncrasies into new practices (local practices and values, work and business codes of conduct).

Full text of paper. (369KB, In Adobe Acrobat format. Requires Acrobat PDF viewer)