Vetiver System and Private Sector

摘要

The introduction of the Vetiver System (VS) in most countries arrived either through rhultidonor organizations (FAO, World Bank), government Ministries or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Success of these public and non-for profit sectors approach, measured by effectiveness of dissemination, penetration and acceptance rates, ranged from 'low' to 'moderate,' and usually spanned a period of 6-10 years before reaching an acceptable level of sustainability. (China, Thailand, Australia). 'Nonsustainability' might be defined as an activity that shrinks or disappears once public or outside support is withdrawn. To accelerate dissemination and address the sustainability issue of VS, we tested an inverted approach West Africa's Senegal. We introduced the Vetiver System for soil and water conservation in Senegal while working in a donor-supported business development project. VS was introduced in mid-2000 with the first importation of Vetiveria zizanioides from South Africa, and subsequently disseminated solely through for profit private sector channels. The strategy was based on three assumptions: 1) Vetiver has commercial value, thus entrepreneurs might be well placed to rapidly market the product and its application; 2) Sufficient information on the vetiver system is available, based on experience and research conducted in other countries, to provide a cogent case for entrepreneurs to become proponents of the technology; and 3) Private nurseries can adjust plant supplies to shifting market signals more rapidly than public agencies. After three years from the time VS was introduced in Senegal, its use and application reached an acceptable level of sustainability. There are autonomous suppliers and providers of VS in all of Senegal's main ecological zones, and a sufficient flow of information about various applications of VS that research and new users are expanding on a broad scale. Within three years, government agencies were approaching the private sector to explore ways they could participate in VS usage and to engage in disseminating campaigns. Public agencies showed interest in vetiver when they witnessed a rapid acceptance rate and the spread of VS technology; however, they remain minor 'consumers' of the technology. The dissemination strategy, which consisted of a 'facilitator; that targeted private suppliers, buyers and service providers, proved to be a rapid, low cost and a low labor model. Major strides were made in innovative uses of vetiver in large part because they were entrepreneurial driven. Today, a self-sustaining loop is solidifying links between the business sector, and NGOs and public agencies, which includes the National Education system, research institutions, extension agencies, Water and Forestry departments, the Environment Ministry, and local governments.