Value chains

Digital innovations webinar promotes equity and sustainability in agri-food systems

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000

On 28 March 2024, stakeholders from seven countries across Asia and Africa attended a webinar exploring the transformative impact of digital innovations on agri-food systems. Hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the webinar titled ‘Digital innovations to support equitable, sustainable, and resilient agri-food systems and last mile delivery’ showcased a variety of digital solutions aimed at fostering equity, sustainability and resilience within the agricultural sector. The webinar aimed to navigate how cutting-edge technologies are reshaping the agricultural landscape while fostering equity, sustainability, and resilience.

Led by experts from ILRI, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and innovative startups, the webinar’s 25 participants discussed pressing issues such as market linkages for smallholder livestock farmers and challenges related to internet access and language barriers on digital platforms. Speakers emphasized the importance of standardization in agricultural activities, such as grading and terminology, to facilitate effective communication between buyers and sellers.

Anthony Whitbread, program leader of the Sustainable Livestock Systems Program at ILRI, set the stage by introducing the important role of digital technology in addressing global food system challenges. He stressed the need for equitable distribution of benefits, particularly among marginalized groups, underscoring the webinar's principal theme of inclusivity.

Ram Dhulipala, a senior scientist at ILRI, reiterated the transformative potential of digital agriculture and digital public infrastructure in promoting climate-smart agriculture. His presentation highlighted how digitalization reduces transaction costs, fosters innovation and enhances inclusion within agriculture systems.

‘There is great potential for collaboration between the public and private sectors to create digital public goods and infrastructure, which can enhance the reach and impact of digitalization efforts,’ Dhulipala said.

From IRRI, Sheetal Sharma showcased the success of the Rice Crop Manager (RCM) tool in optimizing nutrient management for Indonesian farmers. Funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of South Korea (MAFRA), this digital tool not only increases yields and income but also promotes environmental sustainability, aligning with the webinar's focus on sustainable solutions.

The RCM tool, which has also proven successful in the Philippines and India, uses the internet and text messages to give farmers site-specific recommendations on crop nutrition as well as weed and nursery management. Since its launch in 2013, application of the tool’s recommendations has led to an average yield increase of 0.4 tons (400 kg) per crop per hectare per cropping season in the Philippines and an average of 0.5 tons (500kg) per crop per hectare per cropping season in India.

Raj Vallabhaneni from ConnectX, a startup company based in India, introduced Kalgudi, a platform facilitating engagement between participants within agricultural value chains. Focusing on collaboration and efficiency, the online platform provides solutions that unify various aspects of agricultural operations, including buying and selling of inputs and outputs, banking and community interaction.

And Sriram Bharatam, founder and chief mentor of Kuza, shared inspiring stories of grassroots innovations empowering farmers in Kenya. Through Kuza's digital platforms and tailored solutions, rural communities gain access to crucial resources such as inputs, credit and market opportunities, driving economic growth and resilience.

Echoing the importance of public-private cooperation, Bharatam said: ‘The role of digital technologies and ecosystem collaboration in driving agricultural transformation cannot be overemphasized, nor can the importance of public sector involvement in scaling up the impact.’

In an era of unprecedented challenges, digital technology supports the empowerment of communities worldwide to build a more inclusive and sustainable future in agriculture.

The webinar was co-funded by the ASEAN-CGIAR Innovate for Food and Nutrition Security Regional Program and CGIAR Initiative on Digital Innovation and Transformation.

Innovating with Roots, Tubers and Bananas

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 20:28:02 +0000

We are delighted to announce the publication of the book “Root, Tuber and Banana Food System Innovations: Value Creation for Inclusive Outcomes”.

The whole book, and also its individual chapters, are Open Access, and therefore available, free of charge, here. We encourage you to download those, and also to share the link with others who may benefit from the book.

As many readers know, root, tuber and banana (RT&B) crops play a critical role in food and nutrition security in developing countries, increasingly so in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). They have great potential to contribute to alleviate poverty, improve health and nutrition, and enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change. However, RT&Bs face unique challenges including vegetative propagation, genetic complexity, and post-harvest constraints linked to their bulkiness and perishability. Fortunately, they have a high yield potential, as well as diverse uses, both fresh and processed and can deliver micronutrients at a large scale. Despite this potential, until recently RT&Bs have suffered from neglect in both investment and research.

Demonstration of how to incorporate OFSP into a range of existing dishes in Tigray, Ethiopia Photo credit F. Asfaw/CIP

The book summarizes progress innovations in food systems for root, tuber and banana crops developed over the past 10 years in developing countries. It comprises 17 chapters grouped into four main sections: institutional change and scaling; processing, marketing and distribution; enhancing productivity; and improving livelihoods. It includes outcomes of the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) which operated from 2012 to 2021. This represented a novel and successful innovation model where diverse partners and organizations, both academic and private, are brought together to focus on value creation for the end user. This program built upon the uniqueness of the RT&B crops creating an effective and successful innovation model. Roots, tubers and bananas and their value chains are crucial for women, and RTB highlighted gender, which is a key cross-cutting theme. As reported in many of the chapters, RTB rapidly scaled innovations to reach many end users within cost/benefit constraints. This helped to get more RTB innovations off the shelf, into the hands of smallholders and researchers.

Though most of the examples and insights provided in this book are from Africa, they can be applied to diverse geographies, cultures and crops. The book will be useful for decision makers considering policy for scaling of innovations for agricultural development, researchers and extension specialists in need of practical support, and also academics and researchers on innovation and scaling processes.

Graham Thiele, Michael Friedmann, Hugo Campos, Vivian Polar and Jeff Bentley

Towards more effective and resilient seed value chains for grain legumes and dryland cereals

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 04:58:21 +0000

Background: a search for more effective and resilient seed value chains

What does it take to produce and make available to farmers good quality seed of diverse grain legume and dryland cereal crops, in a timely manner and for a reasonable price? What are the constraints that stakeholders face to develop resilient seed systems? What could be done to solve bottlenecks? (Photo 1) These are the questions that researchers of the CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals (CRP-GLDC) (working together in the Cluster of Activities “Science of scaling seed technologies”) have tried to answer. In recent years, they documented, analyzed and explored a number of (new) target grain legumes and dryland cereals (GLDC) seed value chains in countries of Africa and South Asia. The research carried out in several countries was built on a framework developed earlier to guide GLDC seed system innovations (Ojiewo et al. 2020). Concerning seed system development, the guiding questions formulated in the strategy were:

How can the large majority of farmers using their own and non-improved seed be brought to the quality seed market?

What seed business models effectively enhance public and private partnerships to leverage and mainstream seed sector development?
What are the priority areas of capacity building (e.g., quality seed production and seed business management) for the seed chain actors?
How should seed delivery systems be organized for proximity, timely and affordable seed access to farmers in remote areas?
How to address seed inspection and associated costs in terms of qualified human resources and modern technology integration?
How best can the linkages between the stakeholders in GLDC seed systems be strengthened?

A number of studies supported by CRP-GLDC tried to find answers to these questions, on various GLDC crops, in various countries. In this brief, we present the main insights gained from the series of studies. The studies are summarized in the next session; followed by the main insights.

Photo 1. Rwatoro finger millet on display at a seed fair in Uganda. Credit: The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT/R. Vernooy

Highlights of the studies

Essegbemon Akpo, Gebrekidan Feleke, Asnake Fikre, Mekasha Chichaybelu, Chris O. Ojiewo and Rajeev K. Varshney. Pathways of nurturing informal seed production into formal private ventures. Case study in Ethiopia. Article available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/17/6828

Recent statistics show that the private seed sector provides about 30% of the formal seed supply in Ethiopia. Using comparative research methods, this study analyzed the experiences of informal seed producers who upgraded to formal private seed enterprises to understand the support systems that enable them to become viable seed enterprises. Initiators, managers of seed ventures were met on site to document the dynamics that brought them to current levels of operations. Data collected included the life history of seed enterprises and initiators, their objectives and vision for the coming 10 years, the crop portfolio and business linkages, partnerships and geographical coverage, the types of support received, the social economic benefits to the communities, and main challenges and perspectives. The findings showed that the seed enterprises started their operations with as little as USD 300, but now have already multiplied over tenfold their initial capital. They received a wide variety of support from various types of organizations, i.e. quality seed production, marketing, partnerships, and value chain development trainings and infrastructure. The seed enterprises are involved in pre-basic, basic, and certified seed production for cereals and self-pollinated legume crops and deliver directly to farmers, institutional markets, and agro-dealers. Seed production has increased during the investigated period of three years, from 30 ha to over 150 ha per year for chickpea. For sustainable and reliable seed production and delivery systems in sub-Saharan Africa, a bold step is needed whereby the informal seed production entities are nurtured and upgraded into formal certified seed production ventures that deliver social and economic benefits to the promotors and the communities.

Thedy Gerald Kimbi, Elizabeth Kalema, Essegbemon Akpo, Gerald Alex Lukurugu, Chris O. Ojiewo. Brewery industry-led seed sector development for sorghum in Tanzania.

The use of improved sorghum seed is still limited among sorghum producers in Tanzania, although the demand for improved and quality seeds is high. Factors that constrain uptake are low availability of improved seed and grain market inaccessibility (Photo 2). This study was undertaken in Tanzania to assess the contribution of the brewing industry to the sorghum value chain. Specifically, the study intended to assess the use of sorghum in clear beer brewing activities, analyze the extent of use of improved sorghum seed with the role of the brewing industry in facilitating improved seed access and use, analyze the amount of sorghum grain sold to brewing companies, and analyze the impact of the brewing industry to sorghum farmers livelihood. The study involved different stakeholders including 591 individual farmers, 160 farmers from focus groups, 15 grain off-takers, 7 seed producers, and 2 brewing companies. Descriptive methods and a cost-benefit analysis were used to obtain results. Key findings included an observed increase in use of sorghum by brewing companies with about 14,000 tons purchased around 2019/2020; a significant amount of sorghum grain traded by off-takers (1375 tons); low adoption of sorghum improved seed by farmers; and a cost-benefit analysis that reflects positive gross benefits of the use of improved seed, with the variety NACO Mtama 1 with the highest returns. The brewing industry has had a positive impact on farmers through assessed livelihood indicators. These findings point to the need to raise more awareness among farmers about the use of improved sorghum seed, and a call to all stakeholders in the sorghum value chain to engage more in promoting sorghum industrial use in clear beer brewing and expand both grain and seed markets.

Photo 2. Board showing the price of the day of different crops, including white and red sorghum (mtama mweupe and mtama mwekundu), Kibaigwa market, Dodoma, Tanzania. Credit: Thedy Gerald Kimbi

Serapius Mwalongo, Essegbemon Akpo, Gerald Alex Lukurugu, Geofrey Muricho, Ronnie Vernooy, Athanas Minja, Chris O. Ojiewo, Esther Njuguna, Gloria Otieno and Rajeev Varshney. Factors influencing preferences and adoption of improved groundnut varieties among farmers in Tanzania.

Article available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091271

Farmers with better access and use of seed of improved varieties of groundnut can improve their livelihoods and contribute to higher crop production in Tanzania. This study analyzed factors influencing the adoption of improved groundnut varieties among farmers to pave the way for the production and use of quality seed for increased production and commodity business in farming communities. A four-stage stratified sampling was used to collect data from 300 groundnut farmers in seven agro-ecological zones through individual interviews. Secondary data were collected from the literature and the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute at Naliendele centre (TARI–Naliendele). Descriptive statistics and Probit regression model were used for data analysis.

The empirical results indicated that Johari 1985, Pendo 1998, Naliendele 2009, Mnanje 2009, Mangaka 2009 and Nachi 2015, are the main six improved groundnut varieties used by farmers, with Pendo 1998 having the highest adoption rate (17.1%). In the grain market, four varieties, namely Pendo 1998, Mnanje 2009, Nachi 2015 and Johari 1985, were highly preferred by grain off-takers. Among the adopted improved varieties, Nachi 2015, was the most consistent high yielding variety, ranging from 1100 kg/ha to 1500 kg/ha in all agro-ecological zones. A farmer’s decision to adopt new varieties is affected by age and gender, farmer group membership, availability of improved seed and seed cost. Overall, male farmers are more likely to adopt improved varieties of groundnut than female farmers. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Serapius Mwalongo, Judith Ndossi, Essegbemon Akpo, Gerald Alex Lukurugu, Chris O. Ojiewo. Farmers’ perception on deployed labor-saving technologies in groundnut production systems, Tanzania.

The promotion of labor-saving technologies among farmers can increase productivity, profitability, and improve seed rate uptake per ha. This study intended to assess farmers’ perception on groundnut labor-saving technologies among small-scale groundnut farmers in Tanzania, to pave a way for increased seed uptake, improved grain productivity, and reduced human drudgery. The study was carried out after completion of the Tropical Legumes III project, which distributed four types of technologies to farmer groups, i.e. planters, groundnut shellers, oil expellers, and ox-ploughs. A purposive sampling and snowballing procedure were used to interview 114 respondents. Descriptive statistics, Gross Margin and a student-t distribution were used for data analysis. The empirical results showed that with the use of labor-saving technologies, farmers are able to practice the recommended seed spacing of 10cm by 50cm (compared to 20-30cm between seeds and 60-90cm between lines used by farmers without the technologies). The use of the labor-saving technologies more than doubled yield and profitability at farm level, and led to time and cost savings. Farmers were satisfied with the deployed labor-saving technologies. However, women could not afford them and found the equipment too heavy to operate. In the same lenses, the deployed Labor Saving technologies were significant in terms time and cost saving. Given the overall positive results, researchers recommend that subsidies should be provided to increase affordability of these technologies, which should be promoted through various mass media and exhibitions. Assemblers should invest in research to further improve the existing labor-saving technologies.

Chris Ojiewo and Essegbemon Akpo. AVISA: enhancing sustainable availability and timely access to quality seed of improved varieties of the target grain legumes and dryland cereal crops at affordable price. For more information: https://www.avisaproject.org/

Many African farmers are still using low quality seed of older varieties of dryland cereals and legumes. These varieties do not have the contemporary suite of resistance and tolerance to key biotic and abiotic stresses, including current and future climate-related stresses, that farmers need to obtain the best possible returns from their operations. Informal seed sources, often with unreliable quality due to poor storage on farms and in open-air markets, continue to dominate the market share of non-hybrid cereals and legume crops in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). For example, across six countries of Eastern and Central Africa, 92% of sorghum seed, 84% of millet seed, 93% of groundnut seed, 93% of common bean seed and 88% of cowpea seed were from informal sources. The Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) project consolidates the gains made by precursor projects while refocusing on the improvement of breeding and seed delivery systems. AVISA works on some of the most important dryland cereals (sorghum and pearl millet) and legume crops (groundnut, common bean and cowpea) on the African continent, in the key selected geographies (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda). AVISA builds on the crop improvement efforts made in the recent years to accelerate on farm genetic gains of grain legume and dryland cereal crops and release new varieties have with a suit of agronomic and market traits. This has led to yield increase between 25% to 320% in farmer fields.

About 14,000 t of improved seed of new sorghum and millet varieties and about 400,000 t of quality seed of improved grain legume varieties were produced in less than a decade and delivered to farmers, replacing the old varieties. Over the past three years, a total of 942 demonstrations, 101 field days, 29 agricultural shows/seed fairs, 64 TV/Radio shows were conducted and 79,785 small seed packs and 710 ISSFM kits of improved varieties were distributed to smallholder farmers across AVISA mandate crops and countries, reaching 9,466,544 farmers. A total of 11,328 stakeholders were trained in crop management and seed production to improve productivity and seed quality. 267 farmers were registered in the production of quality declared seed (QDS)/certified seed. A total of 147 tons of breeder seed, 3233 tons of foundation seed and 24,823 tons of QDS/certified seed were produced and delivered.

There is an emerging interest by the private sector to include dryland cereals and grain legumes in its portfolio, but expansion faces some challenges, including the lack of product information, (technical and market performance of new varieties), dearth of knowledge of the size and scale of business opportunities, non-access to early generation seed (EGS), and obscurity about the licensing and regulatory environment. AVISA is working with partners across 7 countries on 5 crops to address these constraints by enabling the establishment of a robust system that (i) increases the quantity and quality of performance data substantiating varietal superiority; (ii) boosts the availability of EGS seed by strengthening the technical and business acumen of the public EGS systems through technical, management and business capacity building; (iii) establishes a clear path and handover process from the research system to the private sector; and (iv) enables private sector multipliers to seize opportunities to capitalize on the commercialization of these crops.

Tobias Recha, Gloria Otieno, Sylvester Anami, and Ronnie Vernooy. Improving farmers’ livelihoods through upscaling best performing sorghum varieties for seed production and commercial products in western Kenya. Blog available at: http://gldc.cgiar.org/improving-farmers-livelihoods-through-upscaling-best-performing-sorghum-varieties-for-seed-production-and-commercial-products-in-western-kenya/

Farmers in Nyando, Kakamega and Vihiga, Western Kenya, are benefiting from participatory research activities that facilitated adaptation to climate change by introducing new diversity of sorghum, finger millet (Photo 3) and common bean, sourced from the National Genebanks of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The good performing varieties were subsequently scaled to start the commercialization of selected varieties of sorghum and finger millet through the establishment of production units, new product creation and establishment of product value chains. Farmers were trained in sorghum value chain development, business development, and financial management. This study describes the activities, results and challenges.

Photo 3. Finger millet field in Vihiga, western Kenya. Credit: The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT/R. Vernooy

Tobias Recha, Gloria Otieno, Ronnie Vernooy, Ahumuza Jasper, Ronald Kakeeto, Sylvester Dickson Baguma, Joshua Aijuka.^.Promoting sustainable food production by upscaling best performing varieties of finger millet and bean through seed and product value chains: experiences from Hoima, Uganda. Blog available at: http://gldc.cgiar.org/promoting-sustainable-food-production-by-upscaling-best-performing-varieties-of-finger-millet-and-bean-through-seed-and-product-value-chains-experiences-from-hoima-uganda/

Food and nutritional security of resource-poor farmers globally is increasingly under threat due to climate change. In Uganda, agricultural production rates are low, exacerbated by frequent erratic rainfall and droughts. The loss of genetic diversity in farmers’ custody has greatly narrowed the genepool from which they choose varieties that do well in challenging environments. In order to strengthen farmers’ adaptive capacity, a collaborative research effort between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda increased the availability and diversity of climate-smart varieties of bean, finger millet and sorghum, through testing, breeding and production of high-quality seed and increased access to a wider range of locally adapted varieties. In Uganda, farmers selected seven good performing bean and seven finger millet varieties. This study presents the efforts of 2,000 farmers in Hoima and Masindi districts to scale these good performing varieties in Uganda through a series of training activities, business planning, establishment of producer associations, value chain development for bean and finger millet, and engagement with the private sector.

Noel Temple, Essegbemon Akpo, Ronnie Vernooy, Chris Ojiewo, Esther Njuguna-Mungai, Risper Gekanana^, and Rajeev .K Varshney. Assessment of Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals seed value chains in Uganda.

A well-functioning seed system is key to timely access to low-cost and quality seed by farmers. Improved varieties are critical to increasing grain production in terms of both quality and quantity. Hence, agriculture decision-makers face the challenge of developing an integrated and cost-effective seed system that can generate and deliver improved seed varieties to farmers, thereby ensuring seed security and enhancing livelihoods, particularly drylan

Putting farmers at the center in demand driven seed systems

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 16:37:37 +0000

Seed systems are complex and diverse and can vary enormously depending on the crop and country. They need to be carefully developed according to demand. A recently published special issue in Outlook on Agriculture entitled Demand driven seed systems suggests that realistic ambitions must be established to determine which farming households can be served by current approaches. The papers collectively argue that a wider and more diverse range of partnerships will be required to broaden the reach of seed systems. As an example of the diversity amongst crops and countries, the special issue presents contrasting RTB seed systems of cassava seed systems in Rwanda and yam systems in Nigeria, next to contributions addressing seed system issues in other crops and countries.

Seed systems are essential in providing farmers with quality seeds and form the critical links that connect breeders and farmers. The transition to One CGIAR has reignited discussions around crop breeding priorities and seed systems’ development. “This special issue is a result of discussions among CGIAR scientists and partners who are working to help One CGIAR develop a coherent and coordinated seed system research program,” said Conny J.M. Almekinders, co-leader of the RTB cc 2.1 cluster, a specialist in farmer-based seed systems with Wageningen University & Research and co-editor of the special issue.

Two researchers collecting information on farmers’ preferences for different sources of potato seed, Kenya. Photo credit C. Almekinders/WUR

Cassava seed systems in Rwanda need to be tailored

The study by Kilwinger et al. looks at entry points for commercial business models for supplying cassava planting material to smallholders in Rwanda. Farmers in Rwanda are dependent on local cassava varieties and informal seed sources. This dependency has contributed to the spread of cassava viral diseases. Farmers can help reduce future disease outbreaks by using improved planting materials available through formal seed sources that assure seed quality. Seed business models can help increase the availability of, and farmers’ access to, such materials.

The research looked at whether, how, and under what conditions the commercialization of seed delivery can guarantee a better supply and access to quality planting materials. In Rwanda, two viewpoints on seed delivery are widely recognized. Some believe commercial, profit-driven business models should be the drivers of seed value chains, while others see no reason to turn current models that hinge on more informal relations within communities into models of economic capital. The authors show that in the case of cassava in Rwanda there are limited opportunities for sustaining a commercial business model.

“We found that more commercial-oriented farmers have better access to formal seed sources,” said Fleur Kilwinger, a researcher with Wageningen University & Research and lead author of the paper. “Nevertheless, the majority of farmers in all categories accessed new varieties and quality cassava seed via informal channels.”

Cash investments in seed were mainly made by better-off farmers, who made one-time investments to acquire a new variety. The researchers noted that further development of viable cassava seed business models would require clarifications on the differences between farmers and their willingness to pay, the roles of seed degeneration, cost-benefit analysis, value propositions, and profit formulas.

“We concluded that tailoring seed business models can have a high potential as it acknowledges differences among farmers,” said Kilwinger. “But careful coordination is needed to ensure that one approach or intervention does not contrast with and/or undermine the others.”

An adaptive menu of demand profiles and seed business models related to
SDG-based impact pathways. Seed demand profiles are defined by the combination of demand type and characteristics. Demand type refers to the seed buyer. Demand characteristics includes variety traits (like variety or product profiles) as well as characteristics of the seed (e.g. its quality), seed packaging, characteristics of transaction, and delivery points. Article Copyright © 2021 Authors, Source DOI: 10.1177/00307270211054111.
See content reuse guidelines at: sagepub.com/journals-permissions

Nigeria’s yam seed system is informal yet functional

The seed situation of cassava in Rwanda contrasts with the situation of seed yam in Nigeria, another vegetatively propagated crop. Stuart et al. describe a yam seed system in Nigeria that is dynamic and commercial. Yam is an important food and cash crop in Nigeria. The study describes local practices characterizing yam cultivation and the farmer-based seed systems in five states in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s yam seed system is largely informal but appears to function well. There is a high demand for, and a high turnover of, seed yam. The low multiplication rate and degeneration of seed yam lead farmers to frequently acquire fresh seeds and replace varieties. Consequently, farmers are keen to invest in seed, which in turn creates opportunities for distinct business models compared to cassava in Rwanda.

The study found some farmers specializing in seed yam production but less than expected for such a highly commercial crop. The market is the major source for off-farm sourced seed yam, and although completely informal, the seed yam sector is vibrant and well organized. The identification of strategically positioned farmers and traders can offer opportunities and entry points for the introduction of new varieties and improved seed production techniques.

“Our findings show that ware and seed yam are dynamic and highly commercialized goods in Nigeria,” said Esmé Stuart, a researcher with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and lead author of the paper. “We feel that building on the existing farmer-based system is a more logical strategy than replacing it with formal structures and legislative regulation.”

Pursuing realistic ambitions

The studies in Rwanda and Nigeria show the complexity of diverse seed and variety needs and the challenges in developing an effective demand orientation that exists in RTB crops. Demand for seed in RTB crops has unique features as compared to seed crops. This brings in special challenges around developing demand-driven seed systems. The paper by Mausch et al. in the special issue emphasizes the diversity in demand for seeds that the seed supply has to cater for. “While the cases of cassava in Rwanda and yam in Nigeria show how different the challenges can be within RTB crops, we should also see the important similarities with, for example, the small grain crops,” said Almekinders. Continuing to learn across crops and contexts of seed demand is of paramount importance for the future success of seed system work in the One CGIAR, they reckon.

“We have to be realistic in our ambitions,” said Almekinders in the editorial introducing the special issue. She suggests that giving a priority focus on accelerating the uptake of newer varieties by farmers who have already been reached is a sensible goal. “We will need to develop other approaches and gain new partners if we wish to attempt to broaden the reach to the more difficult and complex seed demands of rural households who are only partially engaged in markets and living in more marginal environments.”

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Cluster CC2.1 (Access to quality seed/ varieties) under RTB’s Flagship project 2 strives to learn from and support other clusters across all crops to improve the economic sustainability of RTB seed systems in providing quality seed of demanded varieties.

Ghana set to generate extensive in-season yield forecasts in 2022

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 21:56:14 +0000

From October 25-29, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the University of Ghana, and the University of Florida organized Ghana’s first training event on the CCAFS Regional Agricultural Forecasting Tool (CRAFT) in Accra, Ghana. Bringing together 25 participants from Georgia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, the USA and Zimbabwe, the workshop aimed to strengthen national capacity for within season yield forecasting, to facilitate assessment of impacts of climate fluctuations on crop production and projected impacts of future climate change.

The workshop aimed to: provide the basic concepts of gridded crop simulations; describe algorithms used for regional yield forecasting; describe the CRAFT toolbox architecture and its main components; and conduct hands-on exercises for risk assessment and generate in-season yield forecasts.

A network of tools

CRAFT is a framework for running multi-crop model ensembles in gridded simulations for yield forecasting, agricultural risk analysis and climate impact studies. An initiative of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS), CRAFT is currently being developed and maintained by the University of Florida. A key feature of CRAFT is its ability to seamlessly integrate leading crop models such as Decision Support System for Agro-technology Transfer (DSSAT), Agricultural Production Systems SIMulator (APSIM), and Système d'Analyse Régionale des Risques Agroclimatologiques Version H (SarraH) with seasonal climate forecasts statistically downscaled with the Climate Predictability Tool (CPT).

Another feature is its ability to run spatial simulations down to the district level, which is essential for predicting production shortfalls or gluts at adequate levels of detail for government intervention and market regulation. This functionality will be important to accompany the transformation of food systems and the urgent need for food sovereignty in the post-COVID era, with more efficient and competitive national value chains, more circular agricultural production systems, and lower dependence on food imports.

Participants in the CRAFT Ghana training workshop represented eight countries and gathered at the Best Western Premier Accra Beach Hotel in Nungua, Accra, Ghana. Photo credit: PCS Traore/ICRISAT

Next Steps

One emergent implementer of CRAFT is the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) in its capacity and mandate to provide weather and climate services for socioeconomic development int he country. As part of the CASCAID project, GMet was the first national meteorological agency in West Africa to successfully implement the Enhancing National Climate Services (ENACTS) initiative, which provides blended, gridded station-satellite data directly exploitable by CRAFT.

During a visit to the workshop, GMet's Director General Eric Asuman expressed the agency's strong interest in CRAFT and its commitment to preparing the first operational 2022 maize yield forecast for the West African Climate Outlook Forum using the framework. With GMet, the group also discussed the industrialization of frugal, recyclable agCelerant IoT rain gauges, a CASCAID-supported innovation by project partner Manobi Africa.

In addition to the University of Ghana and GMet, other key participating institutions in the workshop included the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI), Innovations in Development, Education and the Mathematical Sciences in Ghana (IDEMS-Ghana), and the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) represented by seven alumni.

The deployment of the CCAFS Regional Agricultural Forecasting Tool (CRAFT) reported here is funded by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) project on Capacitating African Stakeholders with Climate Advisories and Insurance Development (CASCAID) and by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under grant number 2000002575, implemented by Alliance Bioversity-CIAT with AR4D support from the European Commission for the year 2019.

Why Ghana’s climate-smart agriculture profile is focused on gender

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 11:17:45 +0000

In West African rural areas there are significant gender inequalities in terms of access to opportunities and resources. This in turn inevitably results in greater gender-based vulnerability and coping difficulties.

This is why agricultural research in Ghana is focusing some of its programs on trying to understand how deep the gender gap in climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practice really is.

The CGIAR research program on Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) has developed an initial profile for climate-smart agriculture uptake in Ghana with regard to gender. The study provides an overview of gender-sensitive CSA practices, their level of adoption and role they play in gender empowerment in the country.

Gender Profile of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Ghana

This aims to inform decisions about integrating gender-responsive actions into agriculture and CSA development plans at various scales. It provides a baseline that can be used as a springboard for establishing vulnerability indexes based on agroecological zones in Ghana. It also can be used to inform policy decisions related to CSA investments.

Reducing the agricultural sector gender gap will increase yields and reduce hunger

Agriculture is one of the key factors in Ghana’s economic growth and development process. A 2019 study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) says that 33.5% of Ghana’s labour force is engaged in the rural sector.

But agricultural work has a pronounced gender gap in favour of men. The population of Ghana is 49% female, of whom only 22.8% are engaged in the rural sector. Although the economic status of Ghanaian women working in the rural sector is better than it is in other West African countries, it remains still quite unattractive by global standards.

Recent studies have also shown that female-headed households in semi-arid Ghana are more vulnerable compared to male-headed ones when it comes to adaptive capacities.

In 2019, the World Bank stated that a large part of Ghana’s rural female population had limited access to productive resources such as land, livestock and necessary agricultural services. It said that women tend to operate smaller farms, are less likely to own property or livestock, have less access to credit, and tend not to benefit from training or extension services.

At the same time, a report by UNDP estimates that if women farmers had the same access to productive resources as men, this would likely increase yields by up to 30%. This could raise total national agricultural output by 4%, and result in a 17% reduction of hunger.

Source: Gender Profile of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Ghana report 2021

Five Takeaways from the Gender CSA Profile

The gender CSA profile gives an overview of agriculture and climate change in Ghana, with special attention gender aspects related to land ownership or rights, crop and livestock productions, forestry, value chains, food security and climate change. Here are five takeaways from it.

Women have limited access to land

Source: Gender Profile of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Ghana report 2021

Ghana is in many ways a patriarchal society, where women are excluded from important investment decisions. Only 30% of women own land, and the land that women do own is significantly less valuable (around 3 times less valuable). In most situations, a married woman can only access land through her husband. Access to ownership and control of lands therefore constitutes one of the most important constraints facing women farmers in Ghana.

Crop production is highly gendered

In Ghana, most crop farmers are women, but the majority of their output is destined for household consumption. As a result, women’s agricultural production is able to meet the food needs of their families, but it does not generate much income for them.

This is partly because crop production is gendered. For instance, women tend to primarily produce cereals such as maize, rise, millet and sorghum and vegetables.

Women’s involvement in livestock production remains limited

Ghana’s livestock sector has the potential to transform the livelihoods of men, women and youth. But where men are involved in large-scale sheep and goat production, women tend to be engaged in the production of poultry, pigs and small ruminants.

The Ministry of Agriculture has tried to increase women’s and young people’s participation in livestock production, particularly in guinea fowl production and small ruminants, by means of a training series aimed at those groups. Unfortunately, women's involvement in this series has been limited due to a lack of finances. This highlights women's poor access to productive resources, and constitutes a significant barrier for women in many development interventions.

Women operate as aggregators in Ghana’s value chain

Ghanaian women dominate Ghana’s small-scale agricultural basic production, except when the product has a higher value-added, or is traditionally ‘male-cultivated” crop.

Women primarily operate as aggregators in the agricultural value chain. This means they buy food from producers and resell them in bulk to mostly male wholesalers. While aggregators are a vital part of Ghana’s relatively small-scale agricultural sector, it tends not to be very profitable work – aside from one or two notable exceptions in the form of “market queens” who control all transactions pertaining to a particular commodity in a market (WFP, 2017).

Because they operate on a small-scale, and often lack capital and storage facilities, most aggregators are not able to purchase large quantities of products, get good prices for storage, or store products that are not sold, thereby decreasing their capacity for generating higher profit margins.

Women are highly climate-vulnerable

Climate change affects men and women differently. Women and women-led households are more vulnerable to climatic events and have less ability to respond to the effects of climate change on their livelihood. This is partly because women face numerous obstacles to accessing productive inputs, assets and services. This not only heightens their vulnerability to food insecurity, but also considerably reduces their contribution to overall agricultural production.

Responding and adapting to climatic stresses is more difficult for women due to their lack of access to land, financial services, social capital and technology. Thus, vulnerability to climate change is worsened by gender disparity.

How the gender CSA Profile can help

As we have seen, the Gender profile for climate-smart agriculture uptake in Ghana identifies gender-related challenges for the agricultural sector in the country.

This profile can be used to establish vulnerability indexes for each agroecological zone in Ghana. These in turn are vital for informing policy decisions, and increasing support for CSA investments in Ghana.

This study was supported by the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank to the Accelerating Impact of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project. We would like to thank the Ghana CCAFS Platform for the data collection exercises. We are also grateful to staff of CSIR-Oil Palm Research Institute and University of Ghana Agricultural Research Station of Kade for their inputs

Going against nature

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 20:15:20 +0000

Going against nature

In his latest blog, Juan Lucas Restrepo talks about the importance of identifying collective solutions to diversify our agriculture and thus fight crop diseases such as the dreaded TR4, which originated in South East Asia and is now hitting banana farms in Colombia.

In August, the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA) confirmed the devastating news for the banana sector in Latin America: the disease identified in some banana farms in the Colombian region of La Guajira is the dreaded Tropical race 4 (TR4), a strain of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum.

Although the ICA, with the support of guilds, Agrosavia and experts from Bioversity International and other institutions, have developed a timely containment and mitigation intervention, the fact that this disease, which originated in South East Asia, has managed to conquer the Americas sets off alarm bells.

The issue is that banana production, especially for export markets, is based on one of the largest mono cultures in the world, mainly relying on a single variety called the Cavendish. This means that all the plants are genetically similar and, as such, highly vulnerable to diseases like TR4, which can easily break their poor defences.

Fungicide sprayed to protect bananas. While some crop diseases can be controlled by chemicals, currently there are no control measures for TR4. Credit: www.musarama.org

The Cavendish variety is also very vulnerable to other fungi and diseases such as black Sigatoka, which can be controlled by spraying chemicals on crops, with very high economic and environmental costs. TR4, however, cannot be controlled by chemicals and, once infected, the plants will die. It can also stay in the soil for many decades, thus spelling the end of the production of susceptible cultivars in that field. Hundreds of thousands of hectares and jobs, as well as an entire value chain which is worth billions, are put at risk by adopting this monoculture model – an industrial agricultural model which underlies the production of many crops around the world.

While we hope that the work done by the ICA in Guajira will be effective in temporarily containing the progression of the disease, the situation calls for reflection on the risk posed to society by agricultural development that goes against nature, based on populating huge areas with genetic clones such as Cavendish, or by just a few kinds of seeds.

The advance of global warming and climate variability are adding to the risks to farmers, as it goes hand in hand with the outbreak of pests and diseases. Greater agrobiodiversity can also mitigate these challenges.

For instance, Cenicafé worked hard to generate a solution before coffee rust hit plantations in Colombia. As a result, they developed the Colombia Variety and its disease-tolerant successors. These varieties are not monoclonal but rather mixtures of a significant number of different plants, with a similar agronomic performance and almost identical fruits. This strategy in effect provides a shield to protect the crop.

Red bananas for sale at a market in Sri Lanka. In the future, we should be able to find in supermarkets bananas that delight us with a wide variety of flavours and colours. Credit: Bioversity International/D.Hunter

Countries, industry and international entities must unite against TR4 and propose structural solutions. As currently there is not a TR4-tolerant variety similar to Cavendish, we must try other varieties of bananas (and plantains) that are resistant to TR4, but whose appearance and taste are distinct. At the same time, establish a collaborative and robust platform for the genetic improvement of the Cavendish.

In the future, we should be able to find in the fruit section of supermarkets bananas that delight us with a wide variety of flavours and colours and that come from a more diverse and resilient agriculture. Bioversity International safeguards the richest collection of edible and wild species of bananas in Leuven, Belgium, and together with CIAT we are ready to support Latin America and other regions in the design and implementation of new approaches for this and other industries.

Finally, it is worth taking advantage of this situation to understand in which other value chains there are similar risks generated by poor agrobiodiversity. For instance, should the avocado industry rely almost exclusively on the Hass avocado when there are more possibilities? Agrobiodiversity has many of the solutions.

This article is adapted from the original ‘Contra natura’ and reproduced with kind permission from Portafolio. Read the original here

Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 19:54:29 +0000

Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health

Market with diverse local food in Solok, Sumatra, Indonesia. Credit: Bioversity International/G. Molin

On the International Day for Biological Diversity, Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General of Bioversity International, reflects on the importance of agrobiodiversity as the foundation of food systems and the need to promote urgent changes that stop its loss.

Today marks the International Day for Biological Diversity. It will not be a happy celebration but rather a day to call for reflection and promote urgent changes that stop the massive loss of biodiversity, a daily phenomenon which puts in doubt our own survival, at least as we know it.

On 6 May, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) published a report where experts from 50 countries estimated that around one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades. The causes are mostly anthropogenic (caused by people) and therefore solutions will also have to be people-led.

If, for animal species, the imminent disappearance of the black rhinoceros and other symbolic species exemplifies what can happen, in the agricultural sector the situation is equally serious. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) estimates that, over the last century, more than 90% of the cultivated seed varieties have been lost, as well as half of the diversity of domestic animals for human consumption.

The theme of this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity is ‘Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health,’ because the future capacity of agriculture to nourish us depends directly on the agrobiodiversity that is present in the production systems and its linkages with the market. Scientific evidence shows that a more varied diet improves health and quality of life. The Ministries of Health should be the most interested in promoting more diverse food chains.

There is also enough evidence to show that diverse production systems are more resilient to climate pressures and help reduce crop losses caused by pests and diseases, as well as the costs to control them. It is encouraging to see how global companies like Syngenta are beginning to actively promote greater biodiversity in the field margins of commercial crops, taking steps in the right direction.

A woman from Agoo, Philippines, showing a dish of diverse local food. Credit: Allan Jay Quesada

A greater agrobiodiversity of plants, animals, insects and microorganisms in production systems also provides ecosystem services and positive externalities for society, such as more pollinators, the protection and restoration of soils, and a better quality of water and air. Finally, a more biodiverse agriculture generates economic opportunities for millions of producers who do not find a dignified way of life by producing only a few staple crops, while they could devote part of their efforts to produce diverse foods of greater value that can be consumed regionally.

Bioversity International’s in vitro banana collection at the International Transit Centre, Leuven, Belgium. Credit: Bioversity International/N. Capozio

As we build a structural alliance between Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), these are exactly the challenges we are addressing. We are joining our strengths around a common vision of ‘food systems and landscapes that sustain the planet, drive prosperity and nourish people.’

We are convinced that, leveraging both new technologies and traditional knowledge, working closely with national innovation systems and development agencies, and providing global and local policy setting process with scientific evidence and impact pathways, we will be a small but important player that helps to “bend the curve of biodiversity loss” and leave to future generations a biodiverse planet that can sustain a peaceful and harmonious human race.

Juan Lucas Restrepo
Director General, Bioversity International
CEO-Designate of the Alliance between Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
Twitter @jlucasrestrepo

This article is adapted from the original ‘Nuestra Biodiversidad, nuestra comida, nuestra salud’ and reproduced with kind permission from Portafolio. Read the original here.

“There cannot be a better theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity than Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health” says Juan Lucas Restrepo.

Find out why in his video message to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Visit the International Day for Biological Diversity's website

Bioversity International and CIAT sign Memorandum of Understanding that establishes the Alliance foundations

Wed, 22 May 2019 19:49:22 +0000

Bioversity International and CIAT sign Memorandum of Understanding that establishes the Alliance foundations

Communiqué n. 5

Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) continue to make progress toward the establishment of an Alliance focused on tackling key challenges facing our world today: malnutrition in all its forms; climate change adaptation and mitigation; declining agricultural biodiversity; rural employment and environmentally unsustainable food and agricultural systems.

Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) came together in their first joint Board of Trustees meeting on 27–28 November in Washington, DC, USA, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) indicating their full support to create the Alliance, which will contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The MoU establishes the foundations of the Alliance, which will have one Board, one Chief Executive Officer (CEO), one Strategic Results Framework and one Business Plan. Signaling their commitment to the Alliance, the two Boards together appointed Juan Lucas Restrepo to lead the way as the new Director General of Bioversity International and CEO-Designate of the Alliance.

The Alliance will have one vision, mission and a common strategic results framework and results-based system, which are subject to change as shaping of the Alliance evolves
- Vision: Food systems and landscapes that sustain the planet, drive prosperity and nourish people
- Mission:We deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives
- Strategic objectives:
  1. People consume diverse, nutritious and safe foods
  2. People participate in and benefit from inclusive, innovative and diversified agri-food markets
  3. People sustainably manage farms, forests and landscapes that are productive and resilient to climate change
  4. Communities and institutions sustainably use and safeguard agricultural biodiversity
The Alliance will have a joint Board of Trustees and will be administered by a Chief Executive Officer based in Rome, Italy
The Alliance will have hubs in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America and will build common research programmes and shared offices in these regions
The two Centres will harmonize the support services across the two organizations to improve effectiveness and reduce transactions costs.

The joint Board of Trustees meeting marked a key milestone for the Alliance with the appointment of Juan Lucas Restrepo as Director General of Bioversity International and CEO-Designate for the Alliance. Juan Lucas will officially begin his role with Bioversity International in Rome, Italy on 1 March 2019 and transition to CEO of the Alliance on 1 January 2020.

During the meeting, the Alliance invited its key partners including representatives from Canada, Colombia, Italy, the Inter-American Development Bank, USAID, US Department of Agriculture, and the World Bank to a seminar by senior Bioversity International and CIAT scientists highlighting the unique strengths of the Alliance. The presentations detailed how digital technology is transforming and optimizing solutions in nutrition and agriculture, and how novel systems approaches in research that examine trade-offs and linkages in food systems can lead to health, prosperity and sustainability.

Juergen Voegele, Senior Director, Agriculture Global Practice, World Bank Group and Chair of the System Council of CGIAR, warmly welcomed Board members and partners and commended their efforts. Juergen Voegele averred that the Alliance was “more than historic, and more than heroic.” He added that global partners, both in the public and private sectors, are taking notice of the importance of systems approaches in the food and agriculture sphere, where the Alliance will add its unique value.

The Alliance’s initial value proposition will encompass research on diverse markets systems and value chains; crop conservation and improvement, including long-term commitments to specific crops and related systems, and linking to complementary gene-to-fork opportunities; integrated systemic landscape approaches (across crops and scales); risk management for food system resilience; and digital design for sustainable food systems.

The Alliance will continue to deepen its partnerships with the Rome-based UN organizations and International Financial Institutions, and above all the national agricultural research systems, government agencies, private sector and civil society organizations, which are vital to deliver science-based solutions and achieving impact at scale. The Alliance will reinforce its work on high-level policy engagement and action on genetic resources, nutrition, and climate and biodiversity policy.

During 2018, Bioversity International and CIAT have established a strong foundation for the Alliance, that will enable continued harmonization between the Centres towards expected efficiency gains and increased effectiveness in 2019 through joint appointments, shared services, programmes and policies, all supported by several working groups – from staff-level to Board committees – that are capitalizing on quick wins, and steadily addressing larger challenges. 2019 will be a transitional year, paving the way for a formalized Alliance in 2020.

Bioversity International and CIAT wish to thank the World Bank, as well as BMZ and GIZ Germany and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, for hosting important dialogues this year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for its support to building the Alliance, as well as the CGIAR Systems Management Office for their guidance and encouragement as we chart new territory.

For further information about the Alliance process, please contact Ann Tutwiler (Bioversity International) or Ruben Echeverría (CIAT).

Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Chair, Bioversity International Board of Trustees
Geoffrey Hawtin, Chair, CIAT Board of Trustees