Humidtropics, a CGIAR Research Program led by IITA

New RAAIS Toolkit: an Easy Way to Make People Do a Difficult Job!

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This was how a RAAIS (Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Innovation Systems) workshop participant in Nigeria described his experience. It reflects the objective that we had in mind when developing RAAIS. We wanted to develop a simple, participatory, diagnostic tool for integrated systems analysis of agricultural problems. RAAIS facilitates the analysis of: Interactions between different dimensions, levels and stakeholder dynamics of complex agricultural problems; Innovation capacity in agrifood systems; The existence and performance of the agricultural innovation system. RAAIS can … [Read more...]

Nutrition in Kenya: Why Community Action to Improve Nutrition Includes a Side Order of Termites

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This is a follow-up story on a series of special reports published in 2015 from Vihiga County, Kenya, where Humidtropics researchers are empowering the community to better use available agricultural biodiversity to improve nutrition all the year round. In this report, the author describes a series of events organized by the communities to start the interventions that aim to improve their nutrition. These events included everyone bringing along their diverse local food dishes, including a dish of living termites which are a great source of animal protein.  Rural populations in developing … [Read more...]

Times of Change: Organizational Innovation in Nicaragua’s Territorial Learning Alliance

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In the center-north region of Nicaragua, local organizations working with coffee, cocoa, and mixed crop-livestock production systems have joined forces under the Territorial Learning Alliances launched by Humidtropics. As this initiative continues to boost networks of collaboration and transcend territories, local agricultural development organizations are participating in knowledge and learning spaces that are empowering them to take on leadership roles to foster organizational and territorial innovation. "Innovation can only be achieved when we’re clear about the environment, and … [Read more...]