Program Activities
SODP objectives are accomplished through a Fellows Program, and a Research Program. All activities are coordinated by Market Matters, Inc., in collaboration with the Emerging Markets Program at Cornell University, and other seed industry stakeholders.
Fellows Program
Small and medium sized seed companies that serve smallholder farmers in Africa are carefully selected to become members of a Fellows Program. The Fellows program consists of five major capacity building, and networking activities: Workshop Training, Distance Learning, Field Visits, Seed Trading Forum, and Student Attachments.
Business Training
Each year, selected managers from the participating seed companies attend the Making Markets Matter workshop in Stellenbosch, South Africa. In addition to the general agribusiness management training received by all workshop participants, seed industry fellows participate in specialized activities and sessions designed exclusively for the seed industry. Starting in 2006, an additional workshop, exclusive to seed companies has been added.
Distance Learning
Management modules suitable for the seed industry are provided to Fellows based on identified needs. Fellows are kept up-to-date with new developments in the global, regional and domestic seed industry through an email list serve.
Field Visits
Fellows are awarded travel grants to allow them to visit successful seed companies in a country of their choice to learn about relevant aspects of seed production and marketing and to explore business opportunities.
Seed Trading Forum
Every year between harvest and the next planting season, SODP brings together managers from participating companies to network and explore opportunities for seed trading and other collaborative initiatives.
Student Attachments
As part of its capacity building effort, SODP, in collaboration with the Emerging Market Program, facilitates attachments for university students to address specific management and marketing challenges facing Fellow companies. See the following link for a news report on a recent field study course: Cornell students take winter break and provide ‘thousands of dollars’ of advice and help to Tanzanian seed companies.
Research Program
The ongoing Research Program conducts and coordinates market analysis of local seed industries in the selected Eastern and Southern African countries. Much of the research focuses on the seed industry’s organizational structure, the participants conduct and the resultant economic performance. Research findings are useful in guiding market and growth strategies for private companies, and in designing seed industry policies and regulations by governments. Case studies of specific seed companies are also being documented and used in workshop training, the distance learning program and for instruction in tertiary institutions. The research activities are coordinated by a Research Associate in the Emerging Markets Program at Cornell University.