Christoph works for AFC Consultants International in the GIZ programme on Pro-Poor Growth & Employment Promotion (www.sedin-nigeria.net) as team leader of the value chain development unit. He and his team are focussing on the potato, cassava and rice (mechanisation) value chains in three states (Plateau, Ogun and Niger). Key activities include fostering sustainable business linkages between different value chain actors and promoting the development and implementation of business models for micro, small and medium enterprises to generate income & employment. Before joining the team in Nigeria, he has been working in Zimbabwe for several years to link smallholder farmers to input and output markets, for example through contract farming arrangements.