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Small farmers struggle with inadequate infrastructure and fierce competition, limiting their market access. We aim to help by facilitating collaborations with potential markets and larger players, and will release video tutorials to guide them on leveraging sustainable values to attract clients.

Unit 1 - What is external relations?

An introduction to external relations building & on connecting with others "unlike me". I.e.; other industries for potential collaboration, or to sell products/concepts, I.e. Government Relationships, Financial Institutions and Creditors, Consumer Groups and External Pressure Group, Mass Media, Industry Associations, Other?

And how can this help someone like a smallholder farmer to get a foot in the door of the big players like supermarket chains?

Defining the competence:

- The most common hard skill for external relations is project management

- The second most common hard skill is external relations

- Three common soft skills are communication skills, leadership skills and organisational skills.

Unit 2 - How to use external relations & collaboratives to innovate?

Collaborate with your “competitors” and WIN!

Given the shared nature of environmental challenges and the complexity of the supply chains in which they exist, companies are recognizing the potential to fill gaps collectively. Through a diverse, big-picture strategy that fosters proximity, collaboration enables stakeholders across the value chain to identify and prioritise the most prevalent shared pain points. From there, the stage is set for harmonised action on a large scale. But silos squash innovation and create duplicated efforts to reach the same goal. Rather than focusing on their own individual needs, companies can band together to overcome shared obstacles, creating universal tools, frameworks and methodologies that can be applied widely by a diverse range of stakeholders, effectively levelling the playing field for industry players and driving action where it matters most.

Unit 3 - Sustainable business model canvas

When the world's governments adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations in 2015, they did more than set an agreed agenda to 2030. They opened the door to multistakeholder initiatives, public–private partnerships, or cross-sector collaborations; these partnerships across governments, civil society, and the private sector are changing how we conceive of governance and public policy. Start small, make it big! I.e. Sustainability contracts with local businesses to whom you supply produce. Collaborate & educate yourself towards staying in touch with societal sustainability tendencies and needs, policies and sustainability agendas and other opportunities that can help support your initiatives.

Unit 4 - SDG 17: How to have a positive impact on and influence the rules leading to a more sustainable food industry?

Governance has expanded beyond government actions, now including collaborations with non-state actors. Such partnerships are crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, advance environmental sustainability, and improve human well-being. SDG 17, focusing on enhancing global partnerships and implementing supportive measures, lays out two targets:

 

17.16: Strengthen the global partnership for sustainable development through multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share resources, aiding the achievement of SDGs in all countries, especially developing ones.

 

17.17: Foster effective partnerships across public, private, and civil sectors, leveraging prior experiences and resources.

Unit 5 - Collaborating to gain access to funding and how to gain access to governmental support to support your initiativesWith this learning unit, you will learn more about:

Which funding opportunities are available to you?

Advice on how to gain access to these.

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