Smallholder farmers from developing countries are among the most vulnerable populations facing high food insecurity. Participation in agri-food value chains can offer a valuable pathway out of poverty for millions of poor households in these regions due to their trans-sectorial ability to create empowerment, inclusion, and economic value. Current urbanization rates and the advent of a growing middle class in developing countries make local value chains linked to regional and domestic markets increasingly valuable for smallholder farmers. Under this context, governments and institutions are key actors in influencing pro-poor value chains upgrading trajectories, and public procurement is a way by which these actors can direct participants. This study addresses an important knowledge gap in the possible practical approaches to designing and implementing such schemes. Informed by a literature review, a contextual appraisal of the major advantages and disadvantages of public procurement for the pro-poor development of value chains was conducted. A framework of analysis and intervention is then proposed and discussed. Based on the critical and contextualized analysis of the evidence, we address strategies for public food procurement, challenges, mitigation measures, supporting interventions, and considerations for planning. Overall, our analysis suggests that several existing initiatives still lack tangible results, partly due to gaps in the implementation of laws and regulations. We also highlight that, if implemented as a stand-alone intervention, it is likely that public procurement will not be effective. Additionally, we make an argument on the importance of engaging with the private sector in the process of devising an exit strategy as part that supports long-term sustainability.

Latin America has witnessed a significant influx of foreign aid aimed at fostering development, particularly in rural areas, over recent decades. Despite these considerable investments, persistently high levels of poverty endure, and rural communities have not consistently witnessed improvements in livelihoods. Rural development initiatives frequently achieve their inherent objectives at the output level but less frequently attain the intended outcomes and are seldom successful in establishing the prerequisites for enduring impact over the long term. The existing literature on this topic is extensive but often fragmented, with some scholars examining the context through socio-economic and political lenses, others scrutinizing the intrinsic characteristics of projects, and still others emphasizing levels of empowerment and local participation. This paper synthesizes and critically evaluates key aspects that influence the sustained impact of rural development projects across these three analytical streams. Through an integrative compilation of insights from these disparate perspectives, this work lays the foundation for a comprehensive analysis, shedding light on crucial considerations that may have previously “fallen into the cracks” through an examination of the segmented discourse.