Baseline Study of livelihoods development and agriculture Value Chain linkage based Project in Madhya Pradesh – Action for Social Advancement

Last date for submitting application is 05th March 2023

Terms of Reference for an Independent Baseline Study of livelihoods development and agriculture Value Chain linkage based Project in Madhya Pradesh

Founded in 1996, Action for Social Advancement (hereafter referred to as ASA), a not-for-profitorganization has emerged as a significant implementing organization for promotion of farm-based livelihoods. Celebrating 27 years of committed work on the ground, ASA continues to surge ahead with its mission of ‘’ensuring livelihoods of poor people through providing development services in particular through natural resources development.’’

ASA’s approach to development is ‘’firmly founded upon participatory action at the community level’’ with a focus on ‘’developing livelihood security and local institutional development’’. The relentless engagement of ASA with small and marginal farmers, especially with women, has led to strengthening the farm-based livelihoods, land and water resource development, promoting sustainable agriculture, creation of market access for the farmers for produce, inputs and services and, formation/strengthening of local community-based institutions such as women self help group federations and farmer producer organizations. In recent years, its work with inclusive supply chains has led to an intense focus in the area of source sustainability, carbon neutrality and market
interventions.

ASA currently works in eight states (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra) with over seven lakh smallholder families from 49 districts. More information on ASA and its work including the recognition at various forums can be found on its official website – https://www.asaindia.org/.

ASA recently launched project for Development of FPO driven agriculture value chains based on sustainable production systems with 25,000 smallholders of Madhya Pradesh. The Project will build the capacities of smallholder farmers to support them to collectively address issues related to agriculture production systems, and to support smallholder farmers to develop agri-value chains to  be sustainable and conducive for end markets looking for sustainable sourcing. The ultimate program aim is to enhance livelihoods of smallholders.

Objective for assignment
The initiative aims to cover 25,000, mostly tribal, smallholder farmers. The initiative will also include 7 FPOs which will be play a key role supporting and sustaining the farm and market linkages transformations.

Towards this goal, ASA would like to have an independent baseline study of the FPOs and clusters of operations under project with the objectives of:

1. Profile of the project clusters in reference to production systems, cropping intensity, agriinfrastructure. agri value chains and farmers collectives, etc.

2. Assessing existing FPOs in project clusters with respect Governance structure, Decision making, level of business engagement with shareholders and non- shareholders; Status of agri-business activities and engagement with market players and their financial status.

3. Preparing baseline profile of farmers in project cluster in terms of current Income and their sources of income ( Such as agriculture, Livestock, Labour, other on-farm and non- farm activities), skills related to agriculture, status irrigation facilities, land use pattern, linkages with government schemes, engagement with FPOs and mainstream development. programme such as MGNREG, agriculture, Horticulture and rural development.

4. Assessing the Women participation and their empowerment status within local governance system, Community based Institutions, FPOs.

5. Identify key value chains of FPOs in selected cluster and their commodity line diagrams.

6. Providing recommendations for Project specific results on the themes of sustainable agriculture and value chain development based upon the baseline findings.

Geographical coverage for the study
Five districts of Madhya Pradesh namely, Anuppur, Mandla, Shahdol, Umaria and Chhattarpur

Anticipated Project Results Indicators
Project will ensure enhanced livelihoods for 25,000 small & marginal farmers through the development of sustainable agriculture production systems, through advancement of agriculture value chains (e.g., through storage, aggregation and processing) and through formal market linkages

Major Indicators are:
1. Enhancement of income of varying degree for 80% of the target group.
2. Average Cropping Intensity is increased
3. Women are represented in the community institutions
4. The project management system including monitoring and learning system and dissemination

Project Objectives and Key Inputs:
1. Agriculture Value chain development, primarily managed through FPO engagement and FPO development, for Organic/natural/non-pesticides agri. Crops (rice, wheat, pulses, minor millet, ground nut, vegetables, mentha, soybean, etc.) as well as for conventionally grown commodities that have improved underlying sustainability practices and that are linked to formal market buyers and formal markets systems actors e.g. for credit and related services;

Key Activities :a) Capacity development of FPOs for effective governance; b) Building capacities of FPOs for procurement, processing and marketing of identified commodities

c) Developing digital system for traceability upto producers’ level; d) Building market with brands/processors/large traders including for export markets; e) Facilitating FPOs building, operating and maintenance of infrastructure for processing; f) Developing of Value chain financing models with brands and financial institutions; g) Partnering with Govt. for FPO support ecosystems development

2. Promotion of sustainable agriculture to stabilize farmer field production systems to cater to the growing needs of quality food baskets and contributing towards green growth

a) Developing village level regenerative or sustainable agriculture plan,

b) Training and hand-holding farmers and their FPO institutions for the implementation of the sustainable production transformation plan including –

(i) adopting Organic/natural/ non chemical pesticides farming;
(ii) conducting farmers’ field school for on-farm demonstration;
(iii) facilitating watershed dev. works in partnership with the Panchayat (village level councils) and supporting convergence of interventions

3. Community institutions development for empowerment to sustain the initiatives beyond project

a) Nurturing Community Institutions (SHGs, Users’ group, FPOs, Panchayats) and building effective landscape and ecosystem management governance systems

b) Training and exposure visits of lead farmers, village resource persons, Gram panchayat representatives, front line workers of MGNREGA (development schemes) with special emphasis on training interventions that support women farmers and women leaders for training and organization leadership positions

c) Training of Gram Panchayat functionaries on planning and implementation of MGNREGA
resources for natural resources development

d) Strengthening the Gram sabha (village council) for active participation in the villager development processes

Study Process- Guidelines
The consultant should follow mix- methodology to cover both quantative and qualitative indicators to have baseline as per objective of study and should come out clearly with approach to be followed along with sample design methodology. Few suggested methods are, which can be further crucified with review of project documents.

Desk review-

• Baseline data of FPOs available with ASA
• Reports and data on FPO business plans and other business linkages done so far.
• ASA strategy for sustainable production systems development and agri. value chain linkages Dialogue and interviews-
• ASA staff at different levels
• Community leaders/representatives and local available market players
• Key informants such the FPO BODs & staff, villagers,
• HH Survey of Share-holders and other farmers transacting with FPOs in project clusters.

Report writing-

• Developing and sharing an outline of the approach and Inception report with sample design and methodology.
• Sharing the draft report for feedback
• Submission of final report

Find below the tender process and timeline of the study:

Tender process Timeline

Apply at p.bagde@asabhopal.org with the subject line– Request for Proposal- “Baseline Study of livelihoods development and agriculture Value Chain linkage based Project in Madhya Pradesh.”