Agricultural commodities produced in developing economies often do not  fulfill the quality requirements of buyers. This is the case for fruit, vegetable and livestock from Nigeria and Somalia, where the opportunities international markets present cannot be fully utilized due to the sector’s lack of competitiveness.

Niels Ferdinand worked with teams at the World Bank and IFC on projects focused on improving competitiveness by developing the national Quality Infrastructure.

Niels´ engagement began with the identification of the products with the highest potential. He advised the teams on how to identify relevant stakeholders and to analyze the buyer requirements. This information created the basis to define services required by the national Quality Infrastructure.

The studies created the foundation for follow up projects at the World Bank and IFC, fostering the sectors’ competitiveness in national and international markets.