The role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in ensuring technology access for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Public-private partnerships in agriculture are collaborative mechanisms in which actors in research fields and the private sector share resources, risk and generate innovation for the development of the agricultural sector, including the livestock, forestry, and fisheries sectors. Possible partners include research institutes, universities, and public extension agencies, producer associations, businesses, and individual producers in the private sector. In sub-Saharan Africa countries, these partnerships are often supported by government and international cooperation agencies. Collaborative partnerships are a key mechanism in developing reliable delivery streams for technology. Collaborative partnerships can also effectively bridge the gap between the distinctive competencies of the public and private sector, respectively, to better meet the needs of farmers. Interactions between publically-funded institutions and private sector entities occur in several areas such as seed production, farm implements and machinery production, disease diagnostics and vaccines manufacture, value-addition, and post-harvest agricultural processing and product quality testing and evaluation. This review focuses on the role played by PPPs in disseminating acceptable technology to farmers, explores the current state of the field, and details approaches and methods for establishment and promotion of PPPs in sub-Saharan Africa.