Participants at the R4D Platform launch and Action Site planning meeting in Boun Ma Thout, Central Vietnam.
Humidtropics aims to address agricultural systems constraints in the humid tropics. In the Central Highlands of Vietnam, major agricultural challenges identified by researchers include soil degradation, physical water availability and market constraints. The overall aim at this early stage of the work under Humidtropcis is to inform partners, identify entry themes and research sites in a participatory process and prioritize research ideas.
To this end, Humidtropics core Partners CIAT and ILRI launched a Research for Development (R4D) Platform and Action Site planning meeting in Boun Ma Thout, the capital of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, on September 22-25. The combined Feed summit and workshops, incorporated under Humidtropics and the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish, shared a joint field trip and social events to help participants understand the agricultural context in Central Vietnam.
Forty-five international and interdisciplinary stakeholders, half of whom were Vietnamese, were also comprised of CGIAR and non-CGIAR researchers, government, extension, private sector and donor representatives. The aim of the meeting was to initiate the Development Triangle Action Site, present the Situational Analysis to stakeholders for feedback, identify research sites and entry themes to address complex research topics such as soil degradation, and develop concept note outlines for proposal development.
Based on presentations of impressions and data collected in pre-selection site visits, the sites selected by the participants will now have to undergo scrutiny for suitability to meet identified research priorities. Once research sites have been confirmed, a value chain assessment will be carried out in November. The three developed concept notes contain enough research ideas to cover a variety of demands and interests and are supported by local partners, and the next stage will be to seek funding.
Blog and photo by Tassilo Tiemann, Regional Forage Program Coordinator in Asia, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT). Blog edited by Valérie Poiré, Communication Officer, Humidtropics.