Management lessons learned in supply chain development: the experience of PICS bags in West and Central Africa

• Published in: The international food and agribusiness management review Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 427 - 438
• Main Authors: Nouhoheflin, Theodore, Coulibaly, Jeanne Y, D'Alessandro, Stephen, Aitchedji, Codjo C, Damisa, Maiyaki, Baributsa, Dieudonne, Lowenberg-DeBoer, James
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Edition: 1030
• Subjects: cowpea; Farm Management; hermetic storage; input distribution; PICS bags; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies; storage innovations; supply chain development; West and Central Africa
• ISSN: 1559-2448; 1559-2448
• DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.264234

In order to facilitate the transformation of African agriculture, Africa’s smallholders will require more and better access to input markets that deliver context-specific and well adapted innovations. This article summarizes the management lessons learned in developing supply chains for Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags in West and Central Africa. PICS bags are hermetic grain storage bags that are leading a revolution in the post-harvest handling of grain on smallholder farmers in Africa. The bags have been very popular with farmers, but the major challenge has been developing supply chains to make those bags available for purchase at the village level. This article: (1) describes the PICS supply chain in West and Central Africa; (2) identifies constraints (i.e. financial, structural, social) that impede the development of the PICS supply chain; and (3) analyzes strategies used by businesses to expand distribution channels and increase bag sales.