Africa RISING Archives

Project supports teaching on Climate-smart Agriculture in agricultural training institutes in Tanzania

Tanzania Agriculture PS acknowledges and lauds IITA research work

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania, has recognized the importance of research conducted by IITA and partners to address challenges in the horticulture sector as well as the presence and work done by IITA in Tanzania in general. The PS said he was well aware of the Institute’s work in the country and termed it excellent work toward transforming the agricultural sector. The PS, Mr Gerald Kusaya, said this while…

Undeterred Africa RISING adapts operations for continuity despite COVID-19-related restrictions

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues globally, the Africa RISING Program has had to make critical operational adjustments to facilitate continuity of its activities, strategies, and approaches. “This is the ‘new normal’ and we have to adapt,” noted Mohammed Ibrahim, Africa RISING Site Coordinator in Tigray, Ethiopia. The immediate effect of the pandemic reduced the implementation…

USAID Mission Director to Nigeria visits IITA

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director to Nigeria, Stephen Haykin, paid a visit to IITA headquarters on 23 March, to discuss existing partnerships between USAID and IITA. Haykin was received by senior IITA management including Kenton Dashiell, Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery (DDG-P4D) and Hilde Koper-Limbourg, Deputy Director General, Corporate Services…

Vara Prasad (left) being interviewed by Jonathan Odhong (right) at the Africa RISING Program Learning Event held on 5 - 8 February 2019 in Malawi. Photo credit: Simret Yasabu/ILRI.

Operationalizing the Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework: An interview with Vara Prasad

The launch of the Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework (SIAF) in November 2018 by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Sustainable Intensification (SIIL) marked a turnkey moment in agricultural research and development. Borne out of collaborative efforts by scientists from SIIL, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Michigan State University (MSU), University of…

A group discussion in progress during the Africa RISING Program Learning Event held on 5 - 8 February 2019 in Malawi. Photo credit: Simret Yasabu/ILRI.

What’s in a name? Africa RISING partners aim for common understanding of terminologies

Words like ‘innovation’, ‘spillover’, ‘adoption’, ‘technology’, and others are often parts of the daily lexicon of agricultural researchers and development practitioners. But what’s in a name? Does everybody mean the same thing whenever they use these terminologies? More importantly for a research-in-development project like Africa RISING, does everybody apply the same parameters when measuring them?…

Annet Mutema International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Africa RISING Ethiopian Highlands Project

Africa RISING Learning Event 2019: Participants reflections and takeaways

Partners from six project countries converged in Malawi on 5–8 February for the Africa RISING Program Learning Event 2019. The goal of the annual meet was for partners to synthesize valuable lessons learnt in the previous year and harness them for improved project implementation this year. The meeting brought together Africa RISING scientists, researchers, and communications…

Africa RISING releases training manual for building the capacity of scientists in gender sensitive research

Systematic integration of gender analysis in the design and activities of a project or program is now globally acknowledged as a prerequisite and best practice for development and deployment of sustainable agricultural interventions. But for most projects (and individual scientists by extension), the question of capacity in gender sensitive research is still a stumbling block…

Picture of Farmers in Cheyohi Community in the Northern Region of Ghana ceremonially dressed Jerry Glover in the traditional Ghanaian smock

Focus on achieving wider impact and building resilience for larger populations, Africa RISING urged

The Africa RISING program should keep working towards achieving wider impact and building resilience for larger populations, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Food Security Program Leader for Sustainable Intensification, Dr Jerry Glover has advised.

Picture of Africa RISING in Zambia photobook

Photo reports: Africa RISING in Malawi and Zambia

The Africa RISING project management team recently visited different project sites in Malawi and Zambia.

SIMLESA–Africa RISING joint learning event. Photo credit: Jonathan Odhong’/IITA.

Africa RISING, SIIL, and SIMLESA hold joint learning event

If you had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk to a policymaker about systems research in agriculture/sustainable intensification (in sub-Saharan Africa), its value, and why it should be funded, what relevant case studies, high line results, and lessons learned would you share to get a positive response? This was the question posed recently to a group…