Connecting people to catalyze African agricultural innovations

Forum for Agricultural Research in AfricaForum for Agricultural Research in Africa

Myra Wopereis-PuraMyra Wopereis-Pura11, Dady Demby, Dady Demby11, Francois , Francois StepmanStepman11, Krishan Bheenick, Krishan Bheenick22, Kone Anatole, Kone Anatole33 and and

Jacky NyagahimaJacky Nyagahima44

1 1 FARA, Accra, Ghana; FARA, Accra, Ghana; 2 2 SADC-FANR, Gabarone, Botswana; SADC-FANR, Gabarone, Botswana; 33CORAF, CORAF, Dakar, Senegal; Dakar, Senegal; 44ASARECA, Entebbe, Uganda.ASARECA, Entebbe, Uganda.

Connecting people to catalyze African Connecting people to catalyze African agricultural innovationsagricultural innovations

IAALD Africa Chapter ConferenceIAALD Africa Chapter Conference14 July 200914 July 2009

regional agricultural information and learning systems (RAILS)regional agricultural information and learning systems (RAILS)


FARA supporting African agricultural innovationsFARA supporting African agricultural innovations

3 main functions• Advocacy and

constituency building

• Promote functional partnerships and strategic alliances

• Sharing and exchange of information and knowledge

5 networking support functions• Advocacy and

resource mobilization

• Access to knowledge and technology

• Regional policies and markets

• Capacity strengthening

• Partnerships and Strategic Alliances

NASRO

ASARECA

CORAF/

WECARD

SADC-FANR

(CARDESA)


International agricultural ICT/ICM service International agricultural ICT/ICM service providersproviders

•CABICABI•CGIARCGIAR•CTACTA•FAOFAO


Keeping researchers abreast within a Keeping researchers abreast within a knowledge-driven agricultural development … knowledge-driven agricultural development …

e.g. e.g. growing number of ICT-based advisory servicesgrowing number of ICT-based advisory services

FARA inventory of innovative FARA inventory of innovative farmer advisory services using ICT, farmer advisory services using ICT,

20092009

Radio - dial up and Radio - dial up and radio broadcastradio broadcast

Multi-channel Multi-channel platformsplatforms

SMS of market pricesSMS of market prices


Kenya and Tanzania, leading the wayKenya and Tanzania, leading the way

National farmer information serviceNational farmer information service

Kenya Agricultural commodity exchangeKenya Agricultural commodity exchange

Thematic publicationsThematic publications


But challenges remain, where research But challenges remain, where research interventions can be critical … interventions can be critical …

• SMS – mobile phones SMS – mobile phones – can only send out limited amount of informationcan only send out limited amount of information– Requires basic level of literacyRequires basic level of literacy

• Voice information delivery servicesVoice information delivery services– Requires adoption to various local languagesRequires adoption to various local languages– Customer Relationship Management application to support integrated call Customer Relationship Management application to support integrated call – Handling and management of a very large audio databaseHandling and management of a very large audio database

• Web-based platform Web-based platform – Too many information difficult to digest and a challenge to farmers Too many information difficult to digest and a challenge to farmers – Internet connectivityInternet connectivity

Traditional media (TV and Radio) is still seen as the most Traditional media (TV and Radio) is still seen as the most convenient channel in disseminating information to farmersconvenient channel in disseminating information to farmers

District information, telecentres or knowledge centres are District information, telecentres or knowledge centres are growing in numbersgrowing in numbers


What is needed? What is needed? • communication technologies communication technologies

working within the prevailing working within the prevailing physical, socio-economic, cultural physical, socio-economic, cultural and institutional conditions of and institutional conditions of farmersfarmers

• comprehensive model addressing comprehensive model addressing limitations in existing methods, by limitations in existing methods, by offering a holistic, one-stop-shop offering a holistic, one-stop-shop information service on a variety of information service on a variety of carefully integrated platformscarefully integrated platforms

A model that implements farmers’ feedback A model that implements farmers’ feedback as a resource to further enhance existing tools as a resource to further enhance existing tools

and approachesand approaches


Knowledge creationKnowledge creation• Recognition of uneven distribution of Recognition of uneven distribution of

informationinformation• Mere information in the form of flow of Mere information in the form of flow of

messages is not enoughmessages is not enough• Knowledge creation Knowledge creation as the creative result of as the creative result of

a flow of messages anchored on the a flow of messages anchored on the commitment and beliefs of the actors commitment and beliefs of the actors involved in the process and resulting in involved in the process and resulting in human actionhuman action

• Knowledge is built within an environment Knowledge is built within an environment that takes into account that takes into account – Capacity building and empowermentCapacity building and empowerment– Processes i.e. social mobilization and organizationProcesses i.e. social mobilization and organization


Creating dynamic and evolving Creating dynamic and evolving agricultural knowledge systemsagricultural knowledge systems

• With ready access to knowledge sources With ready access to knowledge sources categorized into themes linked to the categorized into themes linked to the

interests of African farmersinterests of African farmers• using multi-media information and using multi-media information and

learning systemslearning systems

Agricultural Service Providers•research institutionsresearch institutions•universities universities •extension services extension services •NGOsNGOs


Integrated agricultural knowledge systemsIntegrated agricultural knowledge systems

1.1. Inventory of knowledge stocksInventory of knowledge stocks2.2. Develop/identify and adopt multi-media information Develop/identify and adopt multi-media information

and learning systemsand learning systems3.3. Develop/identify and adopt dynamic and evolving Develop/identify and adopt dynamic and evolving

agricultural knowledge systemsagricultural knowledge systems– quality information databasesquality information databases– multi-media information and learning tools multi-media information and learning tools – feedback and feed forward mechanisms to diffuse feedback and feed forward mechanisms to diffuse

knowledge and continuously improve the quality of knowledge and continuously improve the quality of knowledge sharingknowledge sharing

4.4. Strengthen the capacities of farmer advisory service Strengthen the capacities of farmer advisory service providersproviders


RAILS frameworkRAILS framework

• Advocacy to encourage increased investment in agricultural Advocacy to encourage increased investment in agricultural information systems information systems

• Capacity strengthening geared towards access to information Capacity strengthening geared towards access to information and knowledgeand knowledge

• Facilitating synergies and coherence among various initiativesFacilitating synergies and coherence among various initiatives• Facilitating an African platform on agricultural information and Facilitating an African platform on agricultural information and

knowledge exchangeknowledge exchange


Building RAILS focal points as facilitators of Building RAILS focal points as facilitators of communication exchangecommunication exchange


Angola Adriano AndreBenin Etienne A. AhandageBotswana Orman RoyBurkina Faso Hamidou Traore Burundi Janvier Nkunzebose Burundi Marie-Chantal NiyuhireCameroon Martin NanseCape Verde Antonio Miranda-Fortes CAF Fernand Mboutou Chad Koye Djombang Comoros Congo Bigala jacquesCongo Emmanuel MbembaCote d'lvoire Koffi GabrielDjibouti DRC Jocelin MakokoEgypt Ahmed OmranEgypt Mahmoud RafeaEritea Zeremariam GhebremicaelEthiopia Abebe KirubGambia Ghana Dady DembyGhana Joel SamGuinea Abdoulaye Aziz BangouraGuinea Bissau Lopes Marcos Antonio Kenya Pascal KaubuthoKenya Rachel RegeLesotho Maqalika MatsepeLiberia James S DoloLibya Kamel Ben EssaMadagascar Francine Rasolofonirina-

Irene Razafindraibe MadagascarSanogo Bakary MailClodina Chowa MalawiMadian Diarra MaliIsselmou Abdatt MauritaniaMamadou Lamine Dia MauritaniaRaj Ramnauth MauritiusOtman Sebbata MoroccoLudmila Mwaa Rafael Maguni MozambiqueClaudine Umukazi RwandaClaudine Umukazi Rwanda

Sao Tome & Principe Islands

Mariama Barry SenegalMohamed A. Sanoh Sierra Leone SomaliaAhlam Ismail Musa SudanKamal El-Siddig SudanRafaa Ashamallah Ghobrial SudanDoris Matovelo TanzaniaVidah Mahava TanzaniaBontiébite Badjare TogoMahammed Bergaoui TunisiaMohsen Krichi TunisiaBob Mugerwa UgandaSylvester Baguma UgandaDavy Simumba Zambia

ASARECAASARECA

Jacqueline Jacqueline NyagahimaNyagahima

CORAF/WECARDCORAF/WECARD

Kone AnatoleKone Anatole

SADC/FANRSADC/FANR

Krishan BheenickKrishan Bheenick

NASRONASRO


Individuals create sites

The user’s backend allows to:• edit and design sites and pages, • provide links to external web-resources• classify information

All the sites are linked and searchable through a single gateway

e.rails …e.rails …Communicating agricultural innovationsCommunicating agricultural innovations


Allows actors from Agriculture to request an account to createvarious sites

All the sites can besearched in one go

RAILS focal points manage accounts in their country

Multilingual


ASARECAASARECA

CORAF/WECARDCORAF/WECARD

SADC/FANRSADC/FANR

NASRONASRO

Good progress on the 4 RAILS elements

Good progress in some of the RAILS elements

Some of the RAILS elements are in place

Requires more communications

Mapping RAILS progressMapping RAILS progress


Understanding the Understanding the partnerspartners

• Identify the range of Identify the range of target partnerstarget partners

• Variety in their needs Variety in their needs and interventions in and interventions in rural development rural development through innovationthrough innovation

• Various pathways of Various pathways of information flowinformation flow

Part of identification is Part of identification is through through consultation/participaticonsultation/participation, which may be a on, which may be a lengthy processlengthy process

• Define strategies and policies that all users can relate Define strategies and policies that all users can relate to - to - ownershipownership

• Have a Have a broad framework broad framework applicable to the context, applicable to the context, culture & political environmentculture & political environment

• Multi-perspective approachMulti-perspective approach, (geographically, , (geographically, commodity based or thematically focussed)commodity based or thematically focussed)

• FocusFocus on priorities of partners identified instead of a on priorities of partners identified instead of a particular toolparticular tool

• Ensure Ensure institutional support institutional support especially by decision especially by decision makers and ministries makers and ministries

• Work together Work together with information user and suppliers, with information user and suppliers, and communicate through media familiar to alland communicate through media familiar to all

• Added value and contribution of each partnerAdded value and contribution of each partner• Coherence and sustainability at all levels Coherence and sustainability at all levels

RAILS lessons learnt in facilitating an RAILS lessons learnt in facilitating an African platform African platform


Conclusion Conclusion Critical factors for successCritical factors for success• Context-based content, flexibility in mode of delivery and people Context-based content, flexibility in mode of delivery and people

responsive to local and gender based issues and feedbackresponsive to local and gender based issues and feedback• Continuous building of new partnerships and working Continuous building of new partnerships and working

relationships within the multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary relationships within the multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary teamsteams

• Teams or institutions in the network have a record of timely Teams or institutions in the network have a record of timely delivery of outputs and ability to sustain programs beyond the life delivery of outputs and ability to sustain programs beyond the life of the projectsof the projects


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Connecting people to catalyze African agricultural innovations

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