The Missing Link in the Value Chain: Financing for Rural Farmers and Microentrepreneurs

This document is a concept note on SEEP network's Pracitioner Learning Program (PLP) and talks about how this program can be used to develop rural financial markets and improve the value chain in which rural farmers and micro-enterprises operate. The document deals with the following:

• The purpose of PLP;
• Factors affecting the financial flows in rural market and how they can be improved upon;
• The learning process that would guide this project;
• Projects comprising the PLP learning network.

The document further elaborates on the PLP learning framework, the different stages involved in it and how these stages can be used to achieve the project milestones which include the following:

• Carrying out a market assessment;
• Selecting appropriate partners and creating strategic alliances to develop rural financial markets and problems associated with such alliances;
• Finalizing the steps involved in implementing solutions to the problems identified.

Finally, the document discusses how the learning from this project can be disseminated among different partners and how this learning can be utilized in developing a value chain in rural financing.