Zelalem Lema, ILRI

Africa RISING Ethiopia Project CGIAR Partners Monthly Meeting ILRI, Addis Ababa, 26 January 2015

Updates on innovation platform activities in Africa RISING Ethiopia

Why R4D Platforms in Africa

RISING? • Platforms for cooperation and co-learning

• System interventions require the engagement of

various research and development partners, R4D

platforms will be constituted to facilitate meaningful

and effective interactions that prioritize, guide, and

evaluate the various research and development

processes

• The platforms will help connect farmers to

profitable and efficient value chains

• They will design, implement, evaluate project

activities and disseminate and communicate

research findings

Innovation Platform activities update Consecutive activities have been accomplished at Endamehoniand Sinana woredas to finalize a village level structures and organize learning events at all level

1. First week of December in Tigray- Farmers Research Groups (FRGs) meeting

- 2nd Kebele operational innovation platform meeting

- Farmers Field Day

- 2nd Strategic Innovation Platform meeting at woreda

2. Mid December at Sinana - Farmers Research Groups (FRGs) meeting

- Farmers Field Day

- 2nd Woreda Strategic IP meeting

Sinana IPs structures

SinanaWoreda

Strategic

Innovation Platform

(IP)

SelkaKebele

Operational

IP

Apple-FRG

FG 3

Wheat FRG

FRG5

FRG 4

Ilu-SanbituKebele

Operational

IP

Kebele 1 and sub-kebeles

Kebele 2 and sub-kebelesFRG

FRG

Farmer Re se arch

Groups (FRG)

FRG

Value chain

Technical Group

Africa RISING –Innovation Platform network at woreda level

Outside woreda

& kebels

Farmers Field Days

Activities at Endamehoni and Sinana• Meeting with TG members

of both woredas –planning

• Backstopping them to take the lead in all the IP activities

• Creating an environment for these local key stakeholders to work together among

• Creating local capacity to innovate – learning

Activities at Endamehoni and SinanaFRG meetings

• organized farmers based on protocol

• introduced the concept of innovation platform structures and FRG

• Shared experiences of FRG (Sinana ARC)

• Formed the FRGs and members selected representatives for each FRGs – to be also a members of kebele level IP

• Each FRG give it a local name for their FRG-attached with meaning for each protocol

• Example (Selka and Ilu Sanbitu FRG table)

FRG meetings at Sinana

FRG meetings at Endamehoni

Activities at Endamehoni2nd Innovation Platform Meeting at kebele

• With selected representatives from each FRG the members (full membership)

• The agenda was to introduce selected farmers with the other members

• Discussed on farmers field day: inviting new farmers, mobilize all FRG members to participate, etc

• Selected representatives to be a member at woreda strategic IP

Farmers Field Day at Endamehoni

Farmers Field Day at Endamehoni

Farmers Field Day at Sinana

Activities at Endamehoni and SinanaFarmers Field Days

• Participants were: all woreda IP members, kebele IP members, all FRGs, new invited farmers, CG partners (protocol owners), decision makers (zone, woreda, university, research, etc)

• Facilitated by the TG members

• More than 100 participants (at Sinana)

• All are learning – at farmers field level

• Networks among farmers and partners

• All research activities by protocol have been visited on selected farms – farmers is hosting the guest and explaining what he did on his farm

2nd IP meetings at Endamehoni and Sinana

Activities at Endamehoni and

Sinana 2nd Strategic IP meeti at woredas

- After the farmers field day IP members at woreda discussed on the progress of the research activities

- Challenges have been identified – -

- wheat rust and associated diseases (Sinana)

- Capacity gaps at farmers level (ToT)

- activities that IP –TG members can do –

- To introduce improved livestock feeds at Endamehoni

- Developed plans to closely work together with protocol owners to provide full package training for farmers

- CG partners-CIP, ICARDA, ICRISAT, ICRAF, ILRI,

Galatoma!

Project partners Ethiopia

Acknowledge Local partners hereLocal partners Ethiopia

Academic institutions: Wachemo, Mekelle, Madawolabu, Debre Berhan and Hawassa universities; Maichew Agricultural College

Regional research organizations: Amhara Regional Agricultrural Research Institute, Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Tigray Agricultural

Research Institute, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute

Federal research organizations: Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research, Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute

Offices of Agriculture: Endamekoni (Tigray), Basona Worena (Amhara), Lemo (SNNRP) and Sinana (Oromia)

Agricultural Transformation Agency

Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation

africa-rising.net

Thank You