Our guest speaker for this episode was Dr Gideon Onumah, Principal Economist in the Food and Markets Department of the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), who is also a senior VCA4D expert. He explored strategies to enhance the productivity of smallholder staple crop producers in Africa in situations where input subsidies are ineffective. This discussion was particularly relevant for EU delegations seeking to inform policy dialogue and programme design, as well as share experiences in boosting productivity and strengthening food systems.