Level 3 · Part 1
What can this product become?
One raw product can become several, each with a different buyer.
Value addition means doing something to a product so that a buyer finds it more useful and will pay more for it than for the raw form. It does not always mean a factory. It can be as simple as cleaning, sorting, drying, packing or delivering at the right time.
Different kinds of value addition
- Form: changing the product, for example grinding, drying, cooking, pressing.
- Place: delivering the product where buyers are.
- Time: storing it so it can be sold when supply is short.
- Quality: sorting and grading so buyers know what they get.
- Convenience and brand: packaging, portions, labels, a name buyers trust.
| Raw product | Could become | Something to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Maize | Flour, grits, animal feed | Dryness, hygiene, local food rules |
| Tomatoes | Dried tomatoes, paste, sauce | Safe processing method, packaging, shelf life |
| Cassava | Flour, dried chips, other traditional foods | Safe processing, local preferences, labelling |
| Mango | Dried fruit, juice, puree | Seasonality, equipment, food safety rules |
| Milk | Yoghurt, cheese | Cold chain, hygiene, licensing |
These are ideas only. Which ones work for you depends on your place, your skills, your buyers and the rules that apply. Always check food safety and registration rules with the authority in your country.
Exercise 3.1 · The product ladder
- Choose one raw product. Write it at the bottom of a page.
- Above it, write four things it could become, from the simplest (for example cleaned and sorted) to the most complex.
- Next to each, write who might buy it.
Background reading for this part:
- Value from village processing (Diversification booklet 4) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Peter Fellows
- Developing Sustainable Food Value Chains: Guiding Principles — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2014