Reardon Thomas, Liverpool-Tasie Lenis Saweda O, Minten Bart
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA.
International Food Policy Research Institute, Yangon, Myanmar.
Food Secur. 2021;13(6):1577-1594. doi: 10.1007/s12571-021-01224-1. Epub 2021 Oct 13.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the midstream (processors, wholesalers and wholesale markets, and logistics) segments of transforming value chains have proliferated rapidly over the past several decades in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Their spread has been most rapid in the long transitional stage between the traditional and modern stages, when value chains grow long and developed with urbanization but are still fragmented, before consolidation. Most of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and parts of the other regions, are in that stage. The midstream SMEs in output and input value chains are important to overall food security (moving about 65% of food consumed in Africa and South Asia), and to employment, farmers, poor consumers, and the environment. The midstream of value chains is neglected in the national and international debates as the "missing middle." We found that it is indeed not missing but rather hidden from the debate, hence "the hidden middle." The midstream SMEs grow quickly and succeed where enabling conditions are present. Our main policy recommendations are to support the SMEs further growth through a focus on infrastructure investment, in particular on wholesale markets and roads, a reduction of policy-related constraints such as excessive red tape, and regulation for food safety and good commercial practices.
在非洲、亚洲和拉丁美洲，过去几十年间，转型价值链中游（加工商、批发商及批发市场和物流）领域的中小企业迅速增多。在传统阶段和现代阶段之间漫长的过渡时期，它们的扩张最为迅速，此时，随着城市化进程，价值链变长且得到发展，但在整合之前仍处于分散状态。撒哈拉以南非洲的大部分地区、南亚以及其他地区的部分地方正处于这一阶段。产出和投入价值链中的中游中小企业对整体粮食安全（非洲和南亚约65%的消费粮食由此流转）、就业、农民、贫困消费者和环境都很重要。在国家和国际辩论中，价值链的中游作为“缺失的中间环节”被忽视了。我们发现它实际上并非缺失，而是在辩论中被隐藏起来了，因此是“隐藏的中间环节”。中游中小企业在具备有利条件的地方迅速发展并取得成功。我们主要的政策建议是，通过专注于基础设施投资，特别是批发市场和道路建设，减少过度繁琐的政策限制等与政策相关的约束，并对食品安全和良好商业行为进行监管，来支持中小企业的进一步发展。
