Abstract

This open access book shares the experiences of Tropical Legumes III (TLIII) project in facilitating access to seed of improved legume varieties to smallholder farmers through innovation platforms. It highlights practices and guiding principles implemented in eight developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This book details key processes that respective teams employed to create an innovation space that delivers seed, other inputs, knowledge and financial services to agricultural communities and most importantly, the underserved farmers in remote areas of the drylands. It offers valuable insights into the pathway to establishing, promoting and operating innovation platforms to enhance the performance and competitiveness of legume crops’ value chains, and addresses critical issues that must be considered to make innovation platforms more sustainable and attractive to beneficiaries. The book offers a wealth of practical insights for development workers, technical staff, and project managers. This publication is all about TLIII community of practice. It will definitely inspire other development workers and scientists to share their own experiences for others to learn from.

Highlights

  • Seed is the single most important input in crop production

  • The first meeting of Southern Groundnut Platform was organized by Tanzania Agricultural Research Institutes (TARI) Naliendele, where all cost related to the meeting were supported by TARI through Tropical Legumes III (TLIII) project

  • Concerted efforts have been made by various initiatives such as the Tropical Legumes (TL) III project to alleviate these constraints to improve farmers’ income and household food security as well as make Nigeria regain its lost glory in groundnut production

Read more

Summary

Introduction

90% of the world’s cowpea is grown in sub-Saharan Africa, most of which is in West Africa in Nigeria (FAOSTAT 2017). The private sector, on the other hand, is not interested in investing in cowpea seed production because of the perceived weak market outlet and low returns on investment This calls for strategies to catalyze sustainable supply while imparting knowledge and skill in the production and marketing of cowpea between released varieties and those available at community level for farmer use. One of the key pillars of the TL III project was the establishment and utilization of multi-stakeholder platforms as fora for skill and knowledge enhancement, in linking legume value chain actors, as well as enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in technology promotion and dissemination for increased access by smallholder farmers to quality seeds of. The objective of the IP was, to strengthen linkages among various cowpea seed value chain actors to catalyze sustainable production and supply of quality seeds of improved cowpea varieties to smallholder farmers in Nigeria

Role of Innovation Platform in Change Facilitation
Aim of this Book
Structure of the Book
Akpo International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Nairobi, Kenya
Establishment of the Platform
Composition, Roles and Responsibilities of the Platform Members
Description of the Different Platform Activities
Establishment of Demonstration Plots
Farmer Field Days
Agricultural Seed Fairs and Exhibition Shows
Disseminating Electronic (TV and Radio) Programmes and Print Media
Conducted Farmer Participatory Variety Selection (FPVS)
Increase Production of Pre-Basic, Basic, Certified/QDS Seeds of Groundnut Varieties
Pre-Basic Seed Production
Basic Seed Production
Certified Seed Production
QDS Production
Market Linkages and Networking
Facilitation of Platform Activities, Including Meetings
Increased Contacts with Extension and Farm Advisory Services
Achievements in the Areas of Access to Improved Seed and Other Inputs
Achievements in the Areas of Improved Varieties Released from 2009 to 2019
Achievements in the Areas of Access to New Markets, Finance and Other Services
Achievements in the Areas of Social Assets Including Affiliation to Associations and New Social Services
Achievements in the Areas of Gender Equality and Youth
Perceptions of Platform Performance
Sustainability of Multi-Stakeholder Platforms
Reflections on the Process
The Significance of Observed Achievements for the Livelihood of Different Stakeholder Involved
The Significance of Observed Achievements for the Communities at Whole
2.10 Areas to Focus on in the Future
2.11 Lessons Learned
Project in Burkina Faso
Kapran RP-WCA, ICRISAT, Bamako, Mali
Number of Members at the Establishment
Current Number of Members
Number of Women
Number of Youth (Under 35)
Overall Process of the Platform Establishment
Different Categories of Stakeholder Members of the Platform
Platform Governance Structure
Trainings of the Platform Members
Basic Seed Production Contract with INERA Research Stations
Certified Seeds Production
Tests of Demonstration with Improved Varieties and Improved Technologies
Field Days
Facilitation of Platform Activities Including Meetings
Access to Knowledge and Advisory Services
Access to Improved Seeds
Access to Credit
Access to Social Networking
Filling the Gender Gap
Perceptions of Stakeholders
Areas to Focus on in the Future
Lessons Learned
Composition, Roles, and Responsibilities of the Platform Members
Roles and Responsibilities of Different Stakeholders Participating in the Platform Activities
Platform Activities
The Main Problems Identified and Solved By the Platform
Types of Issues Addressed By the Platform
Description of the Process Followed to Help Platform Members Implement Their Activities
Mechanisms to Enhance Stakeholder Participation
Achievements of the Platform
Establishment of the MSPs
Platform
Facilitation of Platform Activities and Decision Making
Achievements of the Platforms in Terms Access to Technologies, Social Assets and Improved Livelihoods
Achievement in the Areas of Gender Equality and Youth
Members’ Perception of Platform Performance
5.10 Sustainability of the Groundnut MSPs
5.11 Reflection on the Process
5.12 Future Perspectives and the Way Forward
5.13 Lessons Learned Through the Implementation of the Groundnut MSPs
Kapran International Cr-ops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Bamako, Mali
Objectives of the Impact Study
Establishment of the Innovation Platforms
Composition, Roles, and Responsibilities of the IP Members
Facilitation of Innovation Platform Activities
Access to Knowledge and Farm Advisory Services
Training on Improved Groundnut Seed Production
Access to Improved Seeds and Their Types
Average Farm Size and Yield Assessment among Members
Income Assessment of Groundnut Seed Producers
Access to Markets, Financial, and Other Services
6.10 Improvement in Market Price
6.11 Access to Credit among IP Members
6.12 Cooperative Membership among Beneficiaries
6.13 Achievements in Areas of Social Assets
6.14.1 Members Perception on IP Performance
6.14.2 Technology Adoption of Groundnut Seed Production under TL III Project
6.15 Overall Benefits of the Innovation Platforms/Seed Support System
6.15.1.1 Assessment of Average Farm Size (ha) by Gender
Evaluation
6.16 Constraints to Groundnut Seed Production
6.17 Reflections, Focus, and Lesson Learnt
6.18 Areas of Focus in the Future
6.19 Lessons Learnt
Fikre Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Establishment of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform
Facilitation of Platform Activities
Access to Improved Seed and Other Complimentary Inputs
Access to New Markets and Finance and Other Services
Social Assets
Addressing Gender and Youth Issues
Areas for Focus in the Future
Antecedent
Varieties Used by Farmers Before Membership and Access to Quality Seed
Different Varieties Accessed by Farmers After Membership
Number of Non-Member Farmers Who Accessed Seed Through the Platform Members
Increase in Acreage Under Improved Seed by Farmers After Membership
Achievements in the Areas of Social Assets
Main Challenges Addressed for Youth
Highlights of Key Achievements
Major Lessons Learned
Overall Process of the Platform Establishment According to
Platform Governance Structure (Steering
Main Challenges Addressed by the Platform
Demonstration with Improved Varieties and Technologies
Achievement in Seed Production of Different Classes of Seeds
Achievements in the Areas of Access to New Markets, Finance Services, and Other Services
Appropriate Input and Output Marketing Strategies Identified for Male and Female Farmers
Achievements in the Areas of Access to Knowledge and Farm Advisory Services
Main Challenges Solved for Women
9.10.1 Sustainability of Multi-Stakeholder Platforms
9.11 Elements of Sustainability
9.12 Steps Taken to Enhance the Sustainability of Platform Activities and Achievements after TL III
9.12.1 Perceptions of Stakeholders
9.12.2 Reflections on the Process
9.12.3 Areas to Focus on in the Future
9.12.4 Lessons Learned
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Establishment of the Platform
10.3 Overall Process of Platform Establishment
10.4 Structure of the Governance of the Platform
10.6 Activities of the Platform
10.6.2 Trainings
10.6.3 Seed Supply
10.6.4 Popularizing New Varieties
10.6.5 Seed Marketing
10.6.6 Challenges
10.7.3 Popularization of New Varieties
10.8 Access to Improved Seed
10.9 Access to New Markets
10.10 Relationship with Other Platforms
10.11 Social Assets and Gender
10.12 Sustainability of the Platform
10.13 Reflection on the Process
10.14 Importance of Results for Communities
10.15 Vision of the Future
10.16 Lessons Learned
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Objectives of the Platform
11.3 Establishment of the Platform
11.4 Overall Process of Platform Establishment
11.6 Platform Activities
11.7.2 Use of Democratic Tools and Mechanisms to Enhance Stakeholder Participation
11.8 Achievements of the Platform
11.9 Achievements in Access to Improved Cowpea Varieties by Gender
11.11 Gender Factors Influence on Access to Seeds of Improved Varieties in Gourcy
11.12 Liberty of Mobility
11.13 Women’s Right to Buy Improved Seed Without Their Husband’s Consent
11.14 Decision-Making About the Choice of Cowpea Variety to Produce in the Family
11.15 Main Means of Transportation
11.16 Possession of Radio or Television Set
11.17 Management of the Revenue from Cowpea Sales
11.18 Contacts Between Women and Agricultural Extension Agents
11.19 Does the Woman Have Enough Time to Take Care of Her Individual Field?
11.20 Does Access to Women’s Land Limit Access to Cowpea Improved Seeds?
11.21 Is the Land Used by Women Adapted to Cowpea Cultivation?
11.22.1 Areas to Focus on in the Future
11.23 Lessons Learned
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Establishment of the Navrongo IP
12.2.2 Platform Activities
12.3 Reflections on the Process
12.4 Areas to Focus on in the Future
12.5 Lessons Learned
13.1 Introduction
13.2.1 Cowpea and Groundnut Innovation Platform Interventions in Burkina Faso
13.4 Conclusions and Way Forward
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Breaking the Technological Barriers to Increase On-Farm Genetic Gains
14.4 Inducing Social Change and Gender Equality in Society
14.5 Access to New Commodity Market Opportunities
14.7 Expansion of E-Services for Increased Crop Productivity and Production
Findings
14.9 Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call