Working documents
Evidence Review: Investments and Policies in Agrifood Chain Linkages
Agrifood systems extend beyond the farm, yet the midstream and downstream—the “hidden middle”—remain under-researched. This paper reviews 276 studies on policies for the hidden middle in low- and middle-income countries. While 52% focus on smallholders and 21% on public goods, only 27% address the hidden middle.
The hidden middle of agrifood systems: a systematic review of leading authors and policy recommendations
This report synthesizes the literature on the Hidden Middle of agrifood systems—the midstream segment that connects producers to markets through processing, logistics, and intermediation. Based on the work of seventeen leading authors and the analysis of 3,500 policy recommendations from 568 publications, it identifies common priorities and canonical policy orientations.
Welfare and Opportunities for Small-Scale Producers and MSMEs in Rural Africa: An Econometric Analysis
This study examines how participation in commercial agriculture and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is associated with inclusive development outcomes for small-scale producers (SSPs) across six African countries representing diverse income levels.
Social Learning and Peer Influence in Smallholder Commercialization
This paper examines how peer behavior influences small-scale producers’ (SSPs) decisions to purchase inputs and sell outputs in six sub-Saharan African countries. Using comparable nationally representative panel data and a correlated random effects framework, we assess the extent and shape of social interactions driving input and output market participation.
Does Commercial Small-Scale Aquaculture Drive Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Odisha?
This report examines whether commercial small-scale aquaculture contributes to inclusive agricultural transformation in Odisha, India, using mixed methods evidence from market, farm, community, and geospatial surveys, and qualitative “rapid reconnaissance” interviews with 41 value chain actors.
High Value Crop Commercialization and Women’s Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Panel Insights Reinforced by Double Machine Learning and Quasi-Experiments
We examine how agricultural commercialization relates to women’s empowerment across Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Nigeria using LSMS-ISA household panels (2010–2020), a modified A-WEAI (5DE), two-way fixed effects, Double Machine Learning, and propensity-score matched difference-in-differences.
Transformation of the Aquaculture Value Chain in Kenya
The Kenyan aquaculture sector has undergone a profound structural transformation over the last decade, evolving from a subsistence-based activity into a sophisticated commercial ecosystem. This growth is most evident in the cage-based segment of Lake Victoria, which saw an explosive 1,300-fold increase in production volume between 2014 and 2024.
Reports to The Gates Foundation
Complete Report: LSMS-ISA Analyses
Project Policy Briefs
Policy Brief N°1 🇬🇧
Missing Links: Addressing the Research Gap on the Hidden Middle in Agrifood Systems
Policy Brief N°2 🇬🇧
Strengthening Producers for Agrifood Transformation: Evidence on Inputs, Irrigation, Organizations, and Innovation
Policy Brief N°2 🇪🇸
Fortalecimiento de los Productores para la Transformación Agroalimentaria: Evidencia sobre Insumos, Riego, Organizaciones e Innovación
Policy Brief N°3 🇬🇧
Enabling Infrastructure for Inclusive Agrifood Systems: Evidence and Implications from the Global South
Policy Brief N°3 🇪🇸
Infraestructura habilitadora para sistemas agroalimentarios inclusivos: Evidencia e implicaciones desde el Sur Global
Policy Brief N°4 🇬🇧
Unlocking the Hidden Middle: Reclaiming the Role of Intermediaries in Agrifood Systems
Policy Brief N°4 🇪🇸
Desbloqueando el Medio Oculto: Recuperando el Papel de los Intermediarios en los Sistemas Agroalimentarios
Policy Brief N°5 🇬🇧
Strengthening the Hidden Middle: Institutional Action, Effectiveness, and What to Do Next
Policy Brief N°5 🇪🇸
Fortalecimiento del Medio Oculto: Acción Institucional, Efectividad y Próximos Pasos
Policy Brief N°6 🇬🇧
Strengthening the Hidden Middle: Policy Lessons from the Global Research on Midstream Transformation
Policy Brief N°6 🇪🇸
Fortalecimiento del Eslabón Oculto: Lecciones de política derivadas de la investigación global sobre la transformación del segmento intermedio
Project Research Briefs
Research Brief N°1
Welfare and Opportunities for Small-Scale Producers and MSMEs in Rural Africa
Commercialization, Clusters, and Inclusive Rural Development Evidence from Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Research Brief N°2
Social learning, peer influence and smallholder commercialization
Evidence from six Sub-Saharan African countries (Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ghana).
Research Brief N°3
A Decade of Structural Evolution of the Aquaculture Value Chain in Kenya
This study examines the profound transformation of Kenya’s aquaculture sector from a subsistence-based activity into a sophisticated commercial ecosystem. It analyzes the explosive growth in cage and pond production, the “democratization of participation” among smallholders, and the rapid maturation of the MSMEs that constitute the value chain’s “hidden middle”.
Research Brief N°4
Driving Inclusive Agricultural Transformation. The Case of the Kenyan Tomato Value Chain
This study analyzes the twelve-fold expansion of Kenya’s tomato production volume and its evolution into a highly commercialized, technology-led ecosystem. It explores the symbiotic relationship between small-scale producers and the “hidden middle” of MSMEs, sustained by universal digital connectivity and mobile finance. The brief highlights the sector’s vital role in women’s economic empowerment and youth employment, while identifying urgent infrastructure deficits in wholesale markets.
Research Brief N°5
Small-scale Commercial Vegetable Farming in Odisha: Who is involved, how is it changing, and how inclusive is it?
This study identifies private irrigation as the primary catalyst for high-profit vegetable farming in Odisha, which generates 305% more profit per hectare than rice. It highlights how Agricultural Production Clusters (APCs) empower women from marginalized communities, significantly increasing their household agency, bargaining power, and diet diversity.
Research Brief N°6
How Inclusive is Transformation in Odisha’s Vegetable Value Chains?
This study evaluates the inclusiveness of Odisha’s rapidly transforming vegetable markets, where traded volumes have surged by 74% over the last decade. While findings indicate that value chain relationships are largely trust-based and symbiotic, inclusion remains highly uneven across different nodes. Women and marginalized groups face significant capital disadvantages in retail, whereas high-value segments like wholesaling remain dominated by non-scheduled caste men.
Presentations in external meetings
The INCATA Leadership Team presented preliminary project findings at the offices of ECLAC in Santiago de Chile, on December 9, 2025. The presentation focused particularly on new data related to the “Hidden Middle” in agri-food value chains.
On November 11th, the INCATA leadership team presented key messages from the project at the Gates Foundation in Seattle, USA.
During the 18th Congress of the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) in Bonn, Germany, held from 26 to 29 August 2025, members of the INCATA team shared preliminary findings on inclusion in Odisha’s vegetable value chains. Their presentation on 28 August 2025 was titled “Who participates in Odisha’s vegetable value chains, and on what terms?”.
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