International Conference 3-6 March 2015

Conference information: Conference Program, Book of Abstracts.

Media information: Press Release (March 3), Press Release (March 9).

Conference on Twitter: on Storify, and @Humidtropics, hashtag #CGIAR_Systems

Conference videos: Humidtropics on Vimeo.

Conference Opening Addresses Highlights:

Why is Systems Research Important for Farmers? Scientists provide answers to this key question:

Conference presentations and posters: Humidtropics on Slideshare.

Conference pictures: Humidtropics on Flickr.

Humidtropics, in collaboration with Dryland Systems and Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS), is organizing an international conference on integrated systems research. Entitled Integrated Systems Research for Sustainable Intensification in Smallholder Agriculture, the conference deals with major components within systems research in agriculture. The purpose of the conference is to learn from research undertakings on integrated systems, with an emphasis on results: data, methods and lessons learned. The conference took place at the Conference Center of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria, from March 3 to 6, 2015.

Theme: The Role of Systems Research in Sustainable Intensification

Conference outcomes:

• Demonstrate and share experiences and evidence to the effect that Systems Approaches in agriculture research are effective and contribute to livelihoods and natural resource management;
• Share methods, tools and research approaches used in Systems Research;
• Explore opportunities for new partnerships in Systems Research for development;
• Identify opportunities for cross-system learning, and methods to do this effectively;
• Special peer-reviewed publication.

Core questions:

• How to move systems concepts into practice?
• How do we move to scale and impact with systems research and development?
• What is the value added of that approach? Why is Systems Research needed to achieve this?

Conference segments:

Opening remarks by:

• Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, Director General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
• Dr. Kwesi Atta-Krah, Director, CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics (Humidtropics)
• Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
• Dr. Frank Rijsberman, Chief Executive Officer, CGIAR Consortium
• Ann Tutwiler, Director General, Bioversity International

Keynote speakers:

• Prof. David W. Norman, Professor Emeritus, Kansas State University: Historical Trajectory of Farming Systems Research: Past, Present and Future
• Dr. Bernard Hubert, President, Agropolis International: Systems Thinking toward Institutional Innovation and Change
• Cynthia McDougall, Senior Scientist, Gender & Equity Theme Leader, WorldFish and Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS): Gender in Integrated Systems Research
• Dr. Marie de Lattre-Gasquet, Senior Foresight Scientist, CGIAR Consortium: Facilitating Changes in Complex Humid Systems: Role of Foresight in Agricultural Research for Development
• Dr. Dennis Garrity, UN Drylands Ambassador & Senior Fellow, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF): Understanding African Farming Systems as a Basis for Sustainable Intensification
• Dr. Linley Chiwona-Karltun, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU): Systemic Nutrition Security Solutions for Transformative Change
• Dr. Fergus Sinclair, Systems Science Leader, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF): Systems Science at the Scale of Impact: Reconciling Bottom up Participation with the Production of Widely Applicable Research Outputs

Key session topics:

• Conceptual underpinnings of systems research
• Integrated systems improvement and sustainable intensification in practice:
  • Market based intensification;
  • Integration of crosscutting issues (nutrition, gender & equity);
  • Integrating productivity and natural resource management;
  • Conceptual underpinning: sustainable intensification/systems research.
• Partnerships and institutional arrangements for innovation, scaling up and impact:
  • Performance and impact of multi-stakeholder innovation platforms;
  • Approaches to scaling;
  • Institutional and methodological issues in working in multi-stakeholder setting;
  • From farm to landscape and further: integration of scales.
• Foresight in systems research for development impact
• Future directions: how to take systems research forward?

Conference poster:

Blogs and News published during the Conference

• A 25-minute video aired on Friday, March 6, on Nigeria’s Channels TV. This piece, entitled Increasing Food Production Through Systemic Farming is part of the Earth File series, and features Nteranya Sanginga, Kwesi Atta-Krah, Yemi Akinbamijo, Frank Rijsberman, and Ann Tutwiler. You can watch the two-part video on YouTube: Part 1 (12:53 min.), Part 2 (12:13 min.).
• Eco-efficient Crop and Livestock Production for Nicaraguan Farmers Humidtropics blog published by Inter Press Service (IPS). A Spanish version was also published by IPS.
• The ‘unlikely hero’ that transforms lands and livelihoods in Uganda Humidtropics blog published by Devex.
• Systems Research Recommended for Solving Hunger published by SciDevNet.
• Transforming IITA to Nourish Africa blog by Frank Rijsberman, CEO of the CGIAR Consortium.
• Integrating agricultural biodiversity into farming systems is essential Bioversity International news article featuring Ann Tutwiler, DG of Bioversity International.
• Foresight modelling to guide sustainable intensification of smallholder systems ILRI Clippings news article featuring Dolapo Enahoro’s presentation.
• Marketing Analysis Confirms the Intertwined Nature of Agricultural Production, Marketing and Natural Resources Management Systems in Uganda Humidtropics blog by Jo Cadilhon of ILRI.

Conference Facilitator: Jurgen Hagmann

Technical Committee: Ingrid Oborn, ICRAF (Chair); Bernard Vanlauwe, IITA; Cees Leeuwis, WUR; Roberto Quiroz and Victor Mares, CIP; Richard Thomas, Drylands/ICARDA; Michael Phillips, AAS/WorldFish; Kwesi Atta-Krah and Eric Koper, Humidtropics/IITA.

Collaborating CGIAR Research Programs: Drylands and AAS

Organizing Partners: IITA, ICRAF, ILRI, CIAT, Bioversity International, IWMI, CIP, AVRDC, Wageningen University, icipe, FARA

Organizing Secretariat: Humidtropics, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria

Guidelines: for poster presenters, for parallel session leaders and presenters.

Information: travel advice for participants, list of participants.

Any inquiries can be directed to Mrs. Willemien Brooijmans at W.Brooijmans@cgiar.org

Top photo: Murambi, Rwanda, by Bernard Vanlauwe/IITA.