The Renewal of Agricultural Market Information Systems in Developing Countries

• Published date: 01 September 2014
• Author: Guy Trebuil
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.18278/wfp.1.2.7
• Date: 01 September 2014

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World Food Policy - Volume 1, Number 2 - Fall 2014

Keywords: (JEL Classication): Agriculture (O13), Food security (Q18), South

Asia (O18), Poverty (I32), Nutrition (I12), Agricultural Market Information

Systems, 2GMIS, Regional Agricultural Trade Intelligence Network, Agricul-

tural Market Watch, Market Information and Consultation System

Agricultural market information

systems (MIS) are designed to col-

lect, process, and disseminate in-

formation on the situation and dynamics

of agricultural markets. MIS may have two

objectives: improve public policies by help-

ing policymakers to take better account

of market realities, and to render markets

more transparent such that resources may

be better allocated (more eciency, greater

equity).

Market information systems (MIS)

are developed in two steps in develop-

ing countries. A rst generation of MIS

emerged in the 1980s when most develop-

ing countries liberalized their agriculture,

and a second generation followed in the

2000s driven by various factors such as the

diculties faced by the MIS of the rst gen-

eration to reach their objectives, the new

opportunities oered by the development

of ICT – Internet and cell phones – and the

increasing organization of market players

(farmer organizations, inter-professional

organizations). Contrary to the rst gener-

ation of MIS (1GMIS), which were almost

all built on the same model, 2GMIS devel-

oped many technical and organizational in-

novations, giving birth to a great diversity of

models. What are the main innovations de-

veloped by 2GMIS? What are currently the

main MIS models? To what extent can these

new models allow MIS to overcome the lim-

itations of 1GMIS to reach their objectives?

What do we know on MIS impacts? e spe-

cial issue of this Cahiers Agricultures jour-

nal addresses these questions.

It kicks o with an article by Galtier

and Clément that places the recent changes

in MIS in a historical perspective. e au-

thors begin by retracing the steps that led

to the emergence in the 19th century of

the rst MIS intended to guarantee market

transparency. en, they analyze the factors

that shaped MIS changes from the 19th cen-

tury till today.

is is followed by six articles, each

presenting a particular MIS: its operation,

the diculties it has faced, and the solutions

implemented to overcome them.

Ngombalu and Massila present the

case of the Regional Agricultural Trade In-

telligence Network (RATIN). is MIS de-

veloped by the Eastern Africa Grain Council

is a typical example of a 2GMIS supported

by a professional organization.

Mukhebi and Kundu analyze the

case of the Kenya Agricultural Commodity

Exchange (KACE). is is a typical example

of an MIS managed by a private company

and based on a business model focused on

the supply of invoiced services.

he Renewal of Agricultural Market Information Systems

in Developing Countries

Guy Trebuil1

1 CIRAD – Agricultural Research for Development; France.