James Watiti, Christine Alokit, Solomon Agyemang

1st African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) Cluster Forum Meeting

12th - 14th October 2016, Denis Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria

CABI improves people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve

problems in agriculture and the environment

Objectives of the Forum

Review ongoing and past work with cassava

information packaging and dissemination

across the value chain

Identify critical gaps in knowledge products

and information

Review and improve existing information and

knowledge dissemination materials

Identify appropriate dissemination pathways

and key dissemination partners

Define project clusters and operation

modalities: identify key elements of effective

campaigns

What we expect to achieve

New content for filling information gaps

Draft Zero-point technology brief as a good

starting point for each value chain

Formation and operation of clusters defined

Campaign plans for improving cassava

productivity

Identified and agreed dissemination

pathways

CABI as a partner in ACAI

Work Stream 4, of ACAI aims to facilitate the use of the

decision support tools within the dissemination networks of

primary partners of the project and beyond with specific

attention given to the direct engagement of women farmers

and extension agents.

Africa Soil Health Consortium Project to champion Output

4.5 which aims to ensure that Cassava clusters are established

with engagement of all major stakeholders operating within

cassava value chains in the target countries.

CABI as a partner in ACAI

What we have done so far…

• Participate in project inception and launch in January, April 2016

• Partner scoping meetings in June, July 2016 in Nigeria and

Tanzania

• Meetings with CAVAI, Notore, FUNAAB, TFNC, Minjingu, IITA,

MEDA, FCI, 2SCALE/IFDC, Psaltry, Ministry of Agric

• Mobilizing cassava value chain actors to subscribe to and

support joint planning of information campaigns targeting their

specific value chain niches.

A down-to-earth philosophy Important

Useful

Simple

Practical

Designing campaigns with a value chain perspective

Supporting Communications on Integrated Soil Fertility Management