The White Sorghum value chain development project in Burundi is done by SPARK, an international private sector development organization, in collaboration with Mobinc, a local expert network organization. The project is part of SPARK’s Agri-Business Creation programme (ABC).  The objective of the program within the post-conflict context of Burundi is rapid job creation for rural youth in general. This is all the more relevant due to the threat that groups of youth pose, as the Imbonerakure, in the run up to the elections this summer. Farmers that cultivate sorghum could employ formerly armed youth, returnees from refugee camps, migrants, returnees, landless, etc. aimed at maintaining stability. To maintain stability while there is such an influx of labor force, it is essential to create jobs for these vulnerable groups. 

AfricaWorks! Conference

The program was used as case study during a workshop on effective cross-sector partnerships for business and development at the AfricaWorks! Conference. As a follow up to Conference, a research note was written by Paul Lange (Clingendael) with the aim to contribute to the topic of cross-sector partnerships in fragile settings. The research note draws on the case study as well. 

With the support of the Platform, Spark and the Conflict Research Unit (CRU) of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’ jointly organized the workshop at the AfricaWorks! Conference in Leiden.