A The Role of Multi-Actor Engagement in Improving Market Access for Lead actors- A Case of Pineapple Value Chain in Uganda

Abstract

In Uganda, the Participatory Market Chain Approach, an innovative methodology was used to enhance collaboration among market actors to improve the competitiveness of the pineapple sub-sector. Due to limited evidence on how the multi-stakeholder interactions support actors to access markets, this study used the Innovation Systems Function Framework to analyze how the functions and activities of platform actors enhanced the visibility of the pineapple innovations. The study employed a qualitative approach involving focus groups discussions with 75 pineapple farmers and 44 key informant interviews with pineapple chain actors. Eleven respondents from the public and private sectors who participated in the participatory market chain approach process were also interviewed. The findings show that functions of entrepreneurial activities, knowledge exchange and development, knowledge dissemination and diffusion, guidance of search, market formation, and resource mobilization contributed greatly to enhance market access for pineapple innovations. Collaborative engagement is therefore important to obtain knowledge about user behavior and preferences for integration into the product development process.