F.5 Number of meetings, workshops, fairs, events organized to facilitate market linkages | |
VERSION | V5.0 - 2026.03 — Existing with revisions |
INDICATOR CODE | F.5 |
TECHNICAL OWNER | PRG-R |
INDICATOR TYPE | Country Level Output Indicator |
INDICATOR CLASSIFICATION | Complementary |
INDICATOR SCOPE | Programme specific |
APPLICABILITY | This indicator applies to WFP value chain development work (aka Smallholder Agricultural Market Support – SAMS), combining procurement and programmatic activities along the value chain to promote improved access to stable and remunerative markets for targeted smallholder farmers. Interventions include but are not limited to: support to smallholder capacity to access productive input and equipment; support to post-harvest loss reduction and processing; capacity strengthening of smallholder aggregation systems; promotion of market access; capacity strengthening of value chain actors, including access to finance and digitalization. The selection of this indicator is recommended against the following sub-activities in CSPs logframes. Selection of the below sub-activities will NOT trigger the mandatory selection of this indicator:
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UNIT OF MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS | Number |
DEFINITION | This indicator measures the number of meetings, workshops, fairs or any other type of events facilitated by WFP and partners to promote market linkages between individual smallholder farmers or aggregation systems supported by the programme and potential buyers. Below are some key terminologies for this indicator: Meetings, workshops, fairs and events: any sort of events organized by WFP and cooperating partners to promote market linkages between individual smallholder farmers/ smallholder farmer aggregation systems and potential buyers. The event can take a different form depending on the purpose and country context. Meetings can be of an informal nature and be a single occurrence; as an example, they can be organized to promote information sharing or establishment of connection between an aggregator and a buyer for the negotiation of a contract. Workshops, fairs and events have a more formal structure and may have a longer duration. Market linkages are defined as any sort of connection or interaction aimed at facilitating a market transaction between the actors under consideration. Smallholder farmer: the definition of a smallholder farmer is country specific as there is no unambiguous global definition. Scale, measured in terms of farm size, is often used to classify smallholder farmers. For example, smallholders are often those who farm less than a threshold size of 2 hectares. However, in most cases multiple factors characterise a smallholder farmer and other parameters specific to each country can be used, including volume of production, source of labour, which in most cases is family labour, capital and technology/inputs used, etc. Smallholder farmer aggregation systems or aggregators1: any organization that aggregates, or has the potential to aggregate, smallholder farmers’ commodities in order to facilitate their sale to formal buyers at favourable conditions. Aggregation systems encompass a variety of organizations to which smallholder farmers have access at local, district, and national levels. These organizations are either formal (I.e. legally registered) or informal, and membership should be voluntary. Providing market access to smallholder farmers at favourable conditions should be one of the main objectives of these organizations. In addition, they are likely to provide a range of services to their members, such as facilitating access to inputs, access to credit, improved post-harvest handling, etc. Buyers: actors who buy from smallholder farmers. WFP Smallholder Agricultural Market Support programmes usually cluster buyers in three main groups:
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RATIONALE | Facilitating access to markets is the ultimate objective of WFP value chain development and smallholder market support programmes. Measuring the number of meetings, workshops, fairs and events organized to promote market linkages gives indication of the extent to which the programme manages to establish connections between supported smallholder farmers and potential buyers that may ultimately result in fruitful market transactions. |
DATA SOURCE | Data on this indicator can be extracted from records of meetings, workshops, fairs or events organized. |
INDICATOR CALCULATION FOR REPORTING | The indicator values are calculated through a simple count of meetings, workshops, fairs or events facilitated within the reporting year. The values (planned and actuals) are displayed in the annual country report. |
DATA ENTRY AND DISAGGREGATION IN CORPORATE SYSTEMS | Each reporting year, data is entered into COMET Other output plan (Planned) and Completion Reports (Actuals). Planned and Actual values are reported by:
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PLANNED FIGURES | Planned figures are estimated in the first quarter of the first year of CSP/ICSP implementation for the duration of the CSP and inserted in the COMET Other Output Plan (OOP). For each subsequent year, the planned figures can be revisited in the first quarter of the current reporting year. |
FREQUENCY OF DATA COLLECTION | The frequency of data collection (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually) depends on the CO programme approach). Each CO can decide on how to collect data for this indicator; this may be directly or with the support of a cooperating partner (CP). If through a cooperating partner, the CO will agree with the CP on frequency of data collection and submission to WFP. At minimum, the data should be collected annually for corporate reporting. |
INTERPRETATION | Measuring the number of meetings, workshops, fairs and events organized to promote market linkages gives indication of the extent to which the programme manages to establish connections between supported smallholder farmers and potential buyers that may ultimately result in fruitful market transactions. |
REPORTING EXAMPLE(S) | “In 2026 WFP organized 14 meetings (F.5) to promote market linkages between 20 supported farmers’ organizations (F.3) and 7 potential buyers selected in the country. These meetings resulted in the establishment of 5 contracts (F.6) between the farmers’ organizations and 3 private sector offtakers (F.7), amounting to a total of 1,669 mt of food commodities sold, valued at USD 537,000 (95.). Such sales benefitted the 75% of the FOs’ members who contributed to collective sales (29.)”. |
INDICATORS COLLECTED & ANALYSED AT THE SAME TIME | The following output and outcome indicators must be reported along with this indicator: In addition, as applicable, the following output indicators may be reported along with this indicator:
To assess the medium and long-term effect of the above output results, as applicable, it is recommended to report on the following outcome indicators: |
VISUALIZATION | N/A |
LIMITATIONS | The indicator only reports the number of meetings, workshops, fairs and events organized with the intent to foster market linkages but does indicate whether sales are performed as a result of the connections facilitated. Outcome indicators mentioned above and output indicator F.6 may complement this information. |
FURTHER INFORMATION | SAMS Programme Guidance Manual (PGM) For any further information, please contact HQ.SAMS@wfp.org. |
1The terms aggregation systems and aggregators are used interchangeably in this indicator methodological note.