: Cooperative Development West Africa 2018-2020 Agriterra supports farmer-led businesses: companies in which farmers are (in)directly in control. Control is in place because the business is a membership organisation or because agricultural organisations are the shareholders. These agribusinesses – usually cooperatives – become our clients because they know that Agriterra contribute to their aim: have a strong, competitive position in the chain from producer/farmer to consumer.  Strong cooperatives contribute substantial to needs of members' farmers (technical, economical, social) with ultimate the goal to increase farmers’ income (and household wages). Strengthening cooperatives supports the BHAG of Agriterra, becoming the world renowned cooperative development expert par excellence. In this approach it's paramount that Agriterra uses strict entry and exit criteria for clients. Agriterra WA tends to work with cooperatives with likewise business minds and approach, willing to change and improve and to invest time, resources and money in the development of the cooperative. Cooperatives are aware of their position and exemplary role in their covering area and topics like inclusiveness (youth, women), environment (climate change) and employment are in their genes, like Agriterra.  Notwithstanding the common Agriterra criteria to become client, in West Africa we aim for the upper level cooperatives, to build swiftly showcases, showing the results from our approach, and also to facilitate to fund our activities. Diverging to lesser developed cooperatives with bigger challenges to solve will be the next step, also much depending on our partners. Apart from selecting which cooperatives to work with, we also choose the strategic commodities/crops to be active in, like cash crops (cocoa, cashew or palm oil), food crops (fruits/ vegetables, rice) and possibly dairy, fattening (meat) and cotton. Selection is also dependent on Agriterra's partners and their interests. Agriterra has the ambition to quickly build up a client portfolio in Ghana and Ivory Coast, aim is to grow from 0 to 6 clients in half 2019.



Starting form 1st July 2018 Agriterra will be present (again) in West Africa. For 2018 we plan to have three advisory missions (partially for scoping, assessing, partially for stakeholder visits) to Ghana and Ivory Coast, and we will hire one consultant for a fact finding and scoping mission in Ghana and one in Ivory Coast. As outcome of the consultant and advisory missions we will have an overview of potential cooperatives to work with (fitting in the Agriterra West Africa client criteria), have a confirmation of the choice for specific crops and the coverage area and have concrete financiers and/or funders for Agriterra’s projects/programs in West Africa. Further development of projects and/or programs with these funders of course will take more time, we expect around Q2-2019 to have concrete financing/funding partners available. 
  
From HQ side we will support the work in West Africa by further investigate on potential partners to support us, work with us or hire our services in Ghana and/or Ivory Coast. We will develop and use a standardized pitch (of Agriterra’s approach, results and outcome) to approach partners and to propose cooperation. Furthermore, as Agriterra we will (pro)actively follow the proposals' market to tender either as single or as consortium partner.  We expect to execute also some Incidental and short-term mission in neighbouring countries (e.g. service provision as trainer, advisory missions with Agripool etc.) provided that these missions support the Agriterra BHAG and contribute to our interest in West Africa. Decisions to execute (or not) these short-term missions will be based on (i.e.):
  
1.         important potential partner/financier of Agriterra, 
  
2.         access to networks, cooperatives, crops etc. helping us in the future growth ambitions and thirdly resources invested to 
  
3.         showcase Agriterra as the cooperative expert (access to future programs to fill the cooperative niche). 
  
The outcome of the supportive missions and the consultant missions will be 2-3 clients per country, strategy towards partners developed, strategic crops selected and agreed upon and concrete outlook towards third parties financing of Agriterra's work.
  
Choices for strategic value chains and/or commodities will be made upon:
  
·                having (high) comparative advantage in Africa (advisory services to clients; business linkages with (Dutch) companies/potential buyers worldwide)·                having Agripool specific knowledge available (e.g. potato, horticulture, dairy) and African/LATAM peer-to-peer specific knowledge available (e.g. staple crops, oil seeds/pulses, coffee, cacao etc.). Specially the regional peer-to-peer expertise and knowledge will be build                         and extended around regional strategic commodities: having regional commodity/value chain BA leaders·                Access to local Markets (e.g. horticulture, food crops, potatoes etc.)·                Possibilities to contribute to rural industrialization (contribution to mobilised funds, loans, internal capitalisation, business development)·                Having possibilities to contribute to inclusive farmer led business (rural employment (youth), gender inclusiveness, young cooperative members programme etc.)
In all these choices innovation will be key: think of deployment of blockchain technology, online services (use of training, light versions, follow-up) and usage of dedicated ITC and apps (SoilScan, coop data management, Agri-Wallet etc.) and adaption to clients wishes and demands (customized standard, i.e. &gt;80% standard AT, 20% adapted).
  
At the beginning of 2019 Agriterra WA has:
  
1.         in both countries a BA 
  
2.         2-3 clients fitting the WA-criteria
  
3.         Outlook for office location or already have a location (local team depends on further developments, see no. 3)
  
4.         concrete outlook on financing and funding our expansion from third parties
  
5.         the stepping stones for building the WA cooperative development masterplan in 2019
  
The WA-project will be in line with the general Agriterra's approach, using the appropriate products, training and exchanges, including and, not least, the deployment of the Agriterra Agripool. Agriterra WA will also aim to address the advocacy topics using the FACT approach with applicable cooperatives and Farmer Organisations, although these FO's are not our primary target, but within a FACT trajectory, will of course be included. 
  
To increase our visibility as Agriterra we will participate (both in Ghana/Ivory Coast and at HQ level) on different platforms and in networking events. The topics in which we can take the lead are:
  
1.    Financial Management (access to finance), 
  
2.    Governance and  
  
3.    MY.COOP
  
4.    Developing viable business plans
  
5.    Advisory Services Improvement 
  
This means we believe that in WA these products and approaches really can make the differences: Agriterra is unique and has something special to offer, which adds value. This is not easy to copy (people’s business rather than just an approach) and thus can serve as USP.  
  
Other topics relate more to a serving role in programs with our consortium partners (like deploying HR-tool, Value chain, Female leadership, Youth Workshop, Marketing Basics etc.). The precondition in these cooperation’s is always if Agriterra can plays her trump card (being the renowned specialist in cooperative development), she can add value to the consortium. 
  
The consortia and strategic partnerships we will deploy, are i.e.:
  
·                Participate as cooperative development specialist (see TIDE, Hortinvest, Sugarcane RVO, CSA, South Soudan, ACDI VOCA, FAO).
  
·                Offering our product for paid service (Rootcapital, AJF etc.) eventually to acquire a long-term position or contract.
  
·                International partners: ILO, SNV, OXFAM etc. 
  
·                Agricord network: One4all, EU
  
·                Impact investors etc.; SIDI



Be the expert cooperative development advisory services Agri Agency in West Africa by creating solid relationship with key stakeholders and institutions and actively participating in events and knowledgesharing workshops on agricultural cooperative development.