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...]
Boosting Plantain Production and Improving Access to Markets in Nigeria
Plantain is one of the major crops of smallholder farmers in Nigeria. It is produced both for food consumption in the households and for cash through its transformation into various products that are marketed. Using Humidtropics' integrated systems approach, a team of researchers from FARA and IITA is working with key actors in the Nigeria Action Site to improve the plantain value chain (i.e. to effectively deliver valuable plantain products to the market, and to customers). Using the Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Innovation Systems (RAAIS) diagnostic tool, the four Innovation Platforms … [Read more...]
Unlocking Nigeria’s Agricultural Potential with Cassava-Legume Intensification
Sustainable intensification of production systems in the humid tropics offers the potential to address simultaneously a number of pressing development objectives, particularly unlocking the agricultural potential, adapting production systems to climate change, sustainably managing land and water resources, and reducing rural poverty (Vanlauwe et al., 2014*). In densely populated areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, given anticipated further increases in population density and lack of access to land, agricultural intensification is a short-term requirement to alleviate rural poverty and food … [Read more...]