Humidtropics, a CGIAR Research Program led by IITA

Case Studies: Building Multi-Stakeholder Processes in Burundi, Rwanda and DRC

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[su_pullquote][su_dropcap style="flat" size="2"]A[/su_dropcap]fter staring at his computer screen for 30 minutes and unconsciously listening to the sounds of political unrest in the streets of Bujumbura, Burundi’s national facilitator of Humidtropics still had not written a single word for his May 2015 report. He turned his chair and looked through the window, but his mind was somewhere else. It was in the Highlands of Gitega, with the research for development activities that had been implemented half-a-year ago, and with the farmers hosting these and awaiting him to give guidance. He … [Read more...]

World Science Day for Peace and Development – How Humidtropics Empowers People to Design the Solutions They Need

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Established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2001, the World Science Day for Peace and Development (WSDPD) is celebrated on November 10 each year. This is a day to highlight UNESCO's mandate and commitment to science. However, peace and development cannot be addressed unless we use tools that include the voices of all who are involved. Successful agricultural research for development (AR4D) should go beyond the generation of quantitative research findings, to ensure that these findings feed into context-relevant development interventions. … [Read more...]

Introducing Tomatoes to Hmong Women in Northwest Vietnam

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Spanish conquerors encountering tomato in Central America in the 15th century thought the suspicious-looking berries must be poisonous. Five centuries later, a Hmong woman in the northern uplands of Vietnam was equally suspicious of the tomato plants in her backyard garden. Never having eaten tomato before, she thought the fruit was sour and malodorous at first. The plants were introduced as part of a pilot to test improved home gardens for isolated communities of ethnic minorities in the northern uplands of Vietnam. Hmong ethnic people typically live in remote areas with limited market … [Read more...]