As a rationale; most farmers in developing countries face weak formal institutional structures to facilitate market access. This has led to high transaction costs in accessing market information and linking to buyers. With impending weak formal institutional structures, what networks do farmers forge to access markets, particularly for African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs)? what constraints and opportunities do such networks present for smallholder value chain inclusion? To answer these questions, this study addressed three key objectives
1) Mapping smallholder networks and their properties in the ALV value chain 2) Assessing rules governing network interactions and trade of ALVs and, 3) Analyzing the effects of social networks in ALV commercialization.
From the findings of this thesis, we recommend the need for network creation and network building among smallholders; and this could be through extension training that is targeted towards network linkages among value chain actors. NGOs/extension officers can as well play the ‘in-between’ role in linking smallholders with high-value markets.
Market-related training and third-party market linkage activities by extension/NGOs needs to transcend beyond producer co-operatives/ farmer groups to targeting non-farm associations like welfare and religious groups who engage in collective marketing.