“Needs Survey” under the Governmental Commission on the Projects for ODA Overseas Economic Cooperation (FY2012) in Laos, Sri Lanka, and Rwanda

Processing, distribution and safety-evaluation techniques are among the most effective and useful for improving food quality in developing countries. Japanese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have accumulated experiences in the techniques above and are expected to work with developing countries in order to strengthen the value chain by reducing loss of food and increasing the marketability of agricultural products in domestic and foreign markets. The survey sought to connect targeted value chains that require enhancing techniques in processing, distribution, safety-evaluation with SMEs.

IC Net, in association with Mizuho Information & Research Institute, Inc. carried out surveys of value chains in Laos, Sri Lanka, and Rwanda with an aim to find critical points to improve by introducing techniques developed by Japanese SMEs.  The team conducted surveys on the techniques in processing, distribution, safety-evaluation and other aspects developed by these firms that may be used for improving the value chains in Lao, Sri Lanka and Rwanda; delivered workshops for government officials and private companies to collect their needs for technical improvement in various sectors in agriculture; and finally identified the needs in Laos, Sri Lana and Rwanda, and the techniques available in Japan.