For many years, Teklu Erkossa, a Humidtropics Researcher from IWMI, has been doing research on land and water resources in Ethiopia, a country where agricultural productivity is suffering from water scarcity and land degradation. "In addition, the soils often have quite particular water-related characteristics that are unsuitable for many traditional crops. As a result, we have been exploring alternative cropping options to restore and preserve highly degraded areas in the country. Our platform-driven research project has demonstrated that using Innovation Platform approaches is an … [Read more...]
Opportunities and Challenges for Multi-Stakeholder Platforms in Agricultural Research for Development
Why multi-stakeholder platforms? Within Humidtropics, multi-stakeholder approaches play an important role towards achieving research for development outcomes. Multi-stakeholder platforms aim to foster technological and institutional innovation by facilitating continuous interaction and collaboration in networks of farmers, extension officers, policymakers, researchers and other relevant stakeholders in the agricultural system. In doing so, they are seen as a promising vehicle to stimulate collective action to address soil fertility, climate change, nutrition and other agricultural … [Read more...]
Innovation Platforms Case Study Competition
Humidtropics, a CGIAR Research Program, seeks to transform the lives of the rural poor in tropical Americas, Asia and Africa. It uses integrated systems research and unique partnership platforms for better impact on poverty and eco-systems integrity. Humidtropics uses structured multi-stakeholder platforms to drive its research for development programs, as well as the agricultural innovation systems to ensure active participation of key stakeholders in program delivery. Their goal is to ensure active stakeholder participation, equity, accountability, transparency, and inclusive decision, and … [Read more...]