Overview

Our goal is to enhance incomes and employment opportunities of people through a strategy of improving agricultural producers’ and processors’ access to markets and stimulating new market demand, through activities that for us on improving post-harvest techniques, quality, peanut processing, peanut product development and access to market information and linkages. We propose to address the global constraints with the developing/implementation of a model in peanut processing, marketing and utilization. Some peanut farmers are involved in post-harvest and processing activities, while others are successful entrepreneurs marketing peanut products. The approach will be based on the existing Peanut Innovation Incubator Model (PIIM) conceptualized, developed and successfully implemented by the investigators while working in the Philippines, Thailand and Bulgaria. Using the PIIM, the investigators have demonstrated commercialization or increased market-share of peanut products to a position of dominance. The model is appropriate for peanut processing activities by a village-based business or a larger business enterprise with nationwide distribution and exports. This project will focus on processing aspect of peanut based products and will work closely with other two projects (PIs – Dr. Florkowski; Dr. Resurreccion) which have emphases on product development, consumer preferences and marketing. The proposed research will help achieve the mission of USAID and the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of poverty reduction, greater value of peanuts, improved public health and food security, gender equity, and development of partnerships.