A critical aspect for the success of any project, including FNS-REPRO, is to guarantee a stable and reliable market for small and medium-scale producers engaged in sustainable agriculture practices. To this end, the project team in Sudan has started engaging with private sector companies. Through working in partnership with the private sector, FNS-REPRO aims at closing the supply-demand gap by contributing to the development a sustainable and fair gum arabic value chain in Darfur, an area characterized by protracted crises.
FAO will provide technical expertise and capacity building to farmers and producer associations in North and East Darfur states, enabling them to supply high-quality organic gum resin. The private sector will then guarantee a stable and reliable market for small-scale producers engaged in sustainable agriculture practices, through contract farming agreements. Since the gum arabic market is international, FNS-REPRO beneficiaries will also benefit from the marketing and selling of their organic gum arabic to the European market, in line with the organic and fair-trade principles.
