The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) attended a pivotal Stakeholders’ Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop from October 28 to 31, aimed at enhancing agricultural value chains and strengthening Innovation Platforms (IPs) under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) initiative. The workshop brought together about 60 participants from various sectors of the agricultural community in Madagascar.
The event was officially opened by Mr. Randrianaivomanana Andritiana Luc, Director General of La Coordination Générale des Projets et Partenariats (CGPP), who underscored the Madagascan government’s commitment to promote agriculture, food security, and nutrition. He acknowledged the collaborative efforts by regional and continental partners such as CCARDESA, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and CGIAR Centers to strengthen the agricultural sector.
In her address, Ms. Futhi Magagula, CCARDESA Programmes Officer, highlighted CCARDESA’s crucial role in the SADC region in coordinating collaborative research to develop and disseminate improved agricultural technologies. She discussed CCARDESA’s leadership in the regional implementation of the Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP), which includes Madagascar along with Malawi, Tanzania, and Comoros.
The workshop was facilitated by FARA, as the organization that has been commissioned by the AfDB to lead the Capacity Development and Technology Outreach (CDTO) compact of the TAAT initiative. CDTO’s mission is to enhance capacities within the TAAT ecosystem by deploying an IP approach to meet the objectives of the AfDB’s Feed Africa Initiative.
TAAT aims to double productivity for crops, livestock, and fish, targeting over 40 million smallholder farmers by 2025. The initiative seeks to generate an additional 120 million metric tons of food and lift 130 million people out of poverty across the continent.
Dr. Abdulrazak Ibrahim, FARA’s Institutional Capacity & Future Scenarios Cluster Lead Specialist, emphasized the importance of collaboration among TAAT partners and stakeholders.“TAAT is all about taking technologies from the shelf and delivering them to the last mile,” he remarked. This collaborative approach aims to ensure the rapid dissemination of knowledge and technology in agricultural practices across Africa.
During the workshop, participants established around 12 IPs focusing on key commodities such as cassava, maize, rice, sorghum, beans, peanut, sweat potato, irish potato, cocoa, bio fertilizer, and dairy milk. These platforms were encouraged to register on the FARA portal to access small grant support from TAAT, enabling them to implement activities and seek additional funding opportunities.
The successful hosting of this workshop marks a significant step towards improving food systems in Madagascar and underscores the commitment of stakeholders working together to create lasting change in the agricultural landscape of Africa.
In Africa, the agriculture sector contributes to the economic development and livelihood improvement of a majority of the population. In 2022, this sector contributed 17% of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP. As a continent with a vibrant youth population and productive land, Africa possesses the potential to provide sufficient and nutritious food for its people, thereby mitigating hunger and poverty. However, challenges such as insufficient resources, climate change, inability to leverage and implement technological innovations, limited access to knowledge and many others continue to hinder advancement within the sector.
With the rise in innovation technologies, it is inherent for the sector to leverage some of these to improve agricultural yield. Innovation platforms (IPs) serve as a space for learning, experience sharing, collaboration, identification of challenges, and provision of possible solutions. These platforms bring together different stakeholders from every level of the agricultural value chain to discuss issues towards attaining a common objective. Based on data from the Observatory for Africa Agriculture Knowledge Hub, FARADataInformS, there are more than 400 agricultural Innovation Platforms established across Africa. Some countries with the highest number of IPs include Nigeria (93), Kenya (43), DRC (40) and Ghana (31). However, some of the stakeholders within these IPs lack the required capacity and resources to maintain and support the scaling of technologies and good practices for which they were formed in the first place. This is often due to low engagement among stakeholders at different levels of the value chain, discordant views and understanding of the IPs and their visions, as well as paucity of up-to-date information to allow them to thrive.
There is therefore a need to provide these stakeholders with the required capacity and opportunity to network and collaborate to ensure synergy amongst these actors. This will contribute to providing them with a better understanding of the IP model, address working in silos, and provide a close link between technology providers and those who will take up and upscale these technologies.
In a stakeholders’ training of trainers’ workshop held at the Pioneer Hotel in Tamale, Ghana, the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) through its Capacity Development and Technology Outreach (CDTO) compact and partners, including IITA, AATF, World Vegetables, FARA and CSIR-SARI, sought to address some of these IP challenges. The workshop, which was held between September 2nd and 6th, 2024, brought together over 120 stakeholders of the maize, rice, soybean, and vegetable value chains to strengthen their capacities in the establishment and management of IPs to facilitate the adoption of proven technologies for sustainable impact in the agricultural sector.
In their welcome and introductory remarks, the speakers commended the participants for their commitment and admonished them to be ambassadors in promoting good agricultural practices in Ghana.
The highly interactive sessions were filled with discussions, teamwork, case studies, and presentations, and aimed at fostering a culture of experience sharing and peer learning among participants. The modules covered included setting up an IP, governance of an IP, and resource mobilization in an IP, amongst others. Through these sessions, participants were able to understand the fundamentals of an IP, including key concepts and principles, setting up, functioning, facilitation, governance, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, conflict management, negotiation, and contracting.
Group of Maize IP Members pose for Picture during the Training workshop
Despite their significance, Innovation Platforms (IPs) cannot operate effectively without stakeholders’ ability to mobilize and manage resources. To address this, participants engaged in sessions on resource mobilization, financial models within IPs, and business plan development. Through value chain analysis exercises, participants identified key activities and stakeholders at each stage of the value chain, mapped the relationships and functions between them, and highlighted the challenges faced by each stakeholder. This practical exercise allowed participants to apply the theoretical knowledge they gained during the sessions, bridging the gap between theory and practice.
The module on conflict management sparked very interesting discussions and diverse perspectives from participants who shared their experiences on some conflicts they had been involved in and how they tackled them.
‘A difference in perception is at the heart of conflicts.’ – Dr Latifou Idrissou, Lead IP Trainer and Facilitator, University of Parakou, Benin.
The discussion on innovation versus invention brought thought-provoking examples and explanations for participants’ understanding of the two concepts.
An important workshop highlight was a session during which various Commodity Compacts (maize, soybean, rice, and vegetables) collaborated in teams to develop work plans, applying the concepts learned throughout the five-day program. These work plans enabled each group to identify key stakeholders, outline objectives, define indicators, plan activities, assign roles and responsibilities, estimate costs, set timelines, and project expected results.
Several actions common to all compacts focused on strengthening the capacity of seed producers and enhancing partnerships and collaboration across all levels of the value chain to boost yields and reduce post-harvest losses. These efforts align with the primary objectives of the training.
“If Africa is an agrarian community, we can’t rely on the West to feed us. The jobs that most of us are looking for are within our reach. All we need to do is to adopt the strategies and knowledge we have gained and within the next 12 months, we will have improved.” – Omikunle Oluwaseun Ayoola, Soybean compact representative, IITA.
“I came as a trainee and I can say that I am well equipped on how to establish, run, and govern an IP and I believe the stakeholders are also well equipped.” – Joyce Njuguna, Maize compact representative, AATF.
In his concluding remarks, Dr Abdulrazak Baba Ibrahim, Lead Specialist for Capacity Development and Future Scenarios, and the TAAT-CDTO Coordinator assured participants of the commitment of all compacts to the activities and sustainability of the IPs. To close the event, Chief Mohammed Rashad Abdulai, Secretary to the Paramount Chief of the Gukpegu Traditional Council, Tamale, commended the participants and organizers for their active participation. He emphasized the need to think outside the box to support the advancement and sustainability of Ghana’s agricultural transformation agenda.
“We must put into practice all that we have learned from here and bear in mind that there is more room to learn. To realize our full potential, we need to start self-organizing and avoid relying solely on donor agencies for support”, Chief Rashad concluded.
Author Affiliations
[1] Mabel Shu Lum is KM4AgD Fellow, Certified KM Manager for Sustainable Development and the Knowledge Management Assistant at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)
[2] Benjamin Abugri is a KM and Project Management Practitioner and the KM, Digitalization and Learning Cluster Lead Specialist at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
[3] Abdulrazak Ibrahim is a Scientist and Capacity Development and Futures Cluster Lead Specialist at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
The workshop aims at enhancing rice, vegetable, soybean and maize production through the strengthening of Innovation Platforms (IP) within the country by bringing together strategic stakeholders who will be trained on IP setting-up and running for downstream dissemination.
Innovation platforms which serve as a space for learning, experience sharing, co-creation, business relationship building, problem solving and decision making also facilitate the promotion of innovations, interactions, and collaboration among multiple actors such as agricultural producers, researchers, extensionists, and policymakers. They are therefore critical in promoting interactions among stakeholders to generate, test, and disseminate innovations that will provide solutions to constraints that hinder the performance of agricultural value chains.
The target audience for the workshop includes rice, vegetables, soybean, and maize value farmers and producers, agricultural extension workers, research institutions, academia, government agencies involved in agriculture, private sector actors and traditional authorities. These stakeholders will be taken through sessions on setting up innovation platforms, monitoring, evaluation and learning, governance, knowledge management and resource mobilization on innovation platforms.
The 5-day workshop which will include presentations, discussions, teamwork, and role playing based on practical cases seeks to achieve the following:
Empower a network of farmers and stakeholders with the necessary skills in setting-up and running innovation platforms for enhancing the rice, maize, soybean and vegetable value chains in Ghana.
Establish/support and strengthen rice, soybean, maize, and vegetable Innovation Platforms in Ghana.
Strengthen the agribusiness capacity of stakeholders within the rice, soybean, maize, and vegetable value chains, especially women and youth, for improved profitability.
Promote collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation within the rice, soybean, maize, and vegetable value chains
The secretary to the Paramount Chief of Gukpegu (Tamale Traditional Council) and Kpalung Zobogu Naa, Mohamed Rashad Abdulai
The secretary to the Paramount Chief of Gukpegu (Tamale Traditional Council) and Kpalung Zobogu Naa, Mohamed Rashad Abdulai welcomed all participants to the Northern regional capital and assured them of the Traditional Council’s support for the event and the promotion of improved agricultural practices in the Northern region.
Dr Issah Sugri, Deputy Director at the CSIR-SARI
In his opening speech, Dr Issah Sugri, Deputy Director at the CSIR-SARI, speaking on behalf of the Director, expressed his gratitude to donors for contributing to food security across all levels and stressed the need for training on access to technology and knowledge building for capacity development and the creation of more learning platforms to increase reach. He also encouraged participants to adapt and implement these technologies to increase productivity for more sustainable livelihoods.
This workshop hosted at the Pioneer Hotel in Tamale, is set to produce a strengthened network of digitally connected farmers empowered with IP thinking through capacity building, knowledge, and experience sharing, enabling farmers to adopt best practices and improve their productivity.
By: Abdulrazak Ibrahim (PhD), TAAT-CDTO Coordinator, FARA
May 10, 2024: Juba, South Sudan:
In the vibrant city of Juba, at the Landmark Hotel, an auspicious gathering unfolded—a Three-Day Training of Trainers Workshop aimed at catalysing sorghum production through establishingInnovation Platforms (IPs), a multi-stakeholder approach to scaling agricultural technologies across South Sudan.
This pivotal event, from May 7 to 9, 2024, was not merely a workshop; it symbolised a collective step towards realising the region’s ambitious vision of agricultural transformation.
With funding and commitment by the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa initiative, through its Transition Support Facility (TSF) and the Africa Emergency Food Production Facility (AEPF), South Sudan’s agricultural landscape brimmed with promise and possibility.
The atmosphere crackled with enthusiasm as participants, predominantlyresearchers, seed specialists, private sector representatives, women and youth groups, and government officials—delved into the teachings of the multistakeholder Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program. TAAT’s ecosystem, comprising various value chain actors and stakeholders, emerged as a guiding force, empowering local expertise and fostering sustainable agricultural solutions tailored to South Sudan’s unique challenges.
The workshop sought to also establish at least ten innovation platforms across South Sudan. Envisioned as collaborative hubs, these multi-stakeholder platforms would serve as nuclei for scaling technologies and innovations in sorghum production and beyond. They would facilitate knowledge co-creation and exchange, resource sharing, and coordinated efforts among diverse stakeholders, paving the way for improved decision making at all levels within the value chain resulting in a holistic agricultural development.
Through practical and interactive sessions, participants exchanged ideas, experiences, and aspirations. They also discussed the strategies of Feed Africa, the dynamic interventions of TAAT, and the pivotal role of TSF and AEPF spurred new perspectives, all aimed at ensuring that they are adapted within the local context.
The culmination of the workshop heralded a new phase in South Sudan’s agricultural landscape. Equipped as trainers, participants dispersed to train and empower more partners within the country—a ripple effect of knowledge and innovation catalyzed by the workshop. Armed with newfound insights and strategies, they were poised to drive change at the grassroots level, inspiring communities to embrace modern agricultural practices and maximize productivity.
TAAT Coordinator Dr. Abdulrazak Ibrahim with Gender, Youth and Agribusiness expert Karen Musikoyo Munoko.
In the aftermath, reflections soared—a vision unified by the principles of Feed Africa, powered by the tools of TAAT, and supported by the transformative capabilities of TSF and AEPF. The journey ahead held the promise of vibrant innovation platforms sprouting across the nation, each a testament to the collaborative spirit driving South Sudan’s agricultural transformation.
The story of the Three-Day Training of Trainers Workshop was just the beginning—a prologue to a narrative of resilience, progress, and collective prosperity in sorghum and beyond. It was a story of hope cultivated through unity, innovation, and unwavering dedication to feed Africa and nourish its people.
“
“If Africa is an agrarian community, we can’t rely on the West to feed us. The jobs that most of us are looking for are within our reach. All we need to do is to adopt the strategies and knowledge we have gained and within the next 12 months, we will have improved.” – Omikunle Oluwaseun Ayoola, Soybean compact representative, IITA.
