Marketing Information System for Natural Products

This toolkit on Marketing Information System for Natural Products presents methods, procedure and tools about how to establish and operate a marketing information system (MIS) for natural products. An MIS may be established by government organizations; non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private firms, natural product enterprises or individuals to cater to their own needs or to those of clients and beneficiaries. This toolkit is based on the experience of Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB) as it implemented an MIS program for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for over a decade (see Box 1). This toolkit guides the facilitator through how to set up an MIS program and subsequently to collect, analyze and disseminate the information on markets and marketing for natural products. With MIS in place, organizations can support clients and beneficiaries tackle important marketing challenges.

Thus, an MIS can offer critical services for the success of small and big entrepreneurs engaged in the collection, production, processing and trade of natural products. The MIS promotes market transparency and good value chain governance and allows local communities benefit from natural products enterprises. The MIS can offer valuable information on product quality, price, legal procedures, market requirements and demand and supply situation. The MIS information allows local producers and collectors maintain the consistency of quality expected in the market and enhance their bargaining power as they sell their natural products.