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Tag: innovation hubs

Colombia moves toward a more sustainable agriculture with the Hub methodology

Written by dmedina on . Posted in News.

In Colombia, the path towards a more sustainable and resilient agriculture is gaining unprecedented momentum. Thanks to the implementation of the Sustainable Agrifood Colombia project, various national and international institutions are collaborating to strengthen food security and agricultural productivity through technological innovations and knowledge management models. Among these collaborations is the Hub methodology, an innovation management model developed in Mexico by CIMMYT, in conjunction with various stakeholders, which is already being successfully replicated in Guatemala, Honduras, and several African countries.

Researchers from CIMMYT engage in dialogue with Colombian technicians and producers (Photo: Sustainable Agrifood Colombia)

The project, coordinated by the Bioversity & CIAT Alliance, has 18 strategic partners for its execution, among which Agrosavia, CIMMYT, and Fenalce contribute to the maize production system. The objective is to transform the Colombian agri-food sector through the adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies and the strengthening of collaboration networks among producers, researchers, and other key stakeholders.

To this end, pilot regions have been identified where the Hub methodology is implemented, promoting knowledge sharing, validation of innovative practices, and capacity building.

The project articulation meetings and field visits were held in Colombia’s main corn-producing regions: northern Valle del Cauca, Tolima, and CĂłrdoba. During these visits, teams from the Bioversity & CIAT Alliance, AGROSAVIA, Fenalce, and CIMMYT evaluated production conditions, identified strengths and areas of opportunity, and designed strategies for consolidating the innovation territories.

One of the most significant results of these evaluations was the definition of a training plan for producers, researchers, and technicians. This plan, which has already taken its first steps, seeks to provide local stakeholders with tools to improve maize crop yields through sustainable agronomic practices, pest management, and seed conservation.

In November, three workshops were held in different regions of the country. The first two were held in La UniĂłn, Valle del Cauca, and in MonterĂ­a, CĂłrdoba, with the aim of identifying and involving key stakeholders in the maize production system. The third, held in Vereda Nueva Platanera, Tierralta, CĂłrdoba, focused on seed production and conservation for small producers. Based on these events, a mapping of actors was carried out in order to analyze the interactions within the maize production network. This exercise made it possible to evaluate the degree of innovation adopted by farmers and the influence of different actors, such as technicians, companies, universities, and government institutions, in the dissemination of knowledge and the adoption of sustainable technologies.

The results of these workshops have been encouraging. To date, 220 people have been trained on key issues such as pest management (particularly Dalbulus maydis, which has recently been a serious problem), seed production and conservation, and climate change adaptation strategies. In addition, stakeholder mapping has facilitated the identification of opportunities to strengthen collaborative networks and promote the adoption of innovations in the production system.

One of the key lessons learned has been the importance of constant monitoring in the implementation of sustainable management strategies. Workshop participants have highlighted the need to generate training spaces from the initial stages of cultivation, including the preparation of plots for planting, to maximize the benefits of sustainable practices.

The Hub approach, which has proven to be an effective model in Mexico and other countries, is making significant progress in Colombia. By connecting the actors in the maize value chain, facilitating the generation and socialization of knowledge, and driving innovation from the local level, this methodology represents a comprehensive solution to address the country’s agricultural challenges.

With the coordinated work of institutions, producers, and scientists, Colombia is laying the foundations for a more resilient and competitive agri-food sector. CIMMYT’s experience in implementing the Hub methodology in different regions of the world is an example of how science, innovation, and collaboration can transform the future of Colombian agriculture.

Mexico, a lab from which solutions are generated to address global challenges

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in Blogs.

Directors from Excellence in Agronomy visit modules and platforms at CIMMYT’s South Pacific Hub in Oaxaca, Mexico (Photo: CIMMYT)

“It was a stunning experience for me to understand the operation of a hub and see farmers interact directly with field technicians, applying the principles of Conservation Agriculture. I remember a lady from Oaxaca telling us how productive she has become using la matraca, a simple, manual seeder and fertilizer,” says Mandla Nkomo during his recent visit to the Mixteca oaxaqueña in southern Mexico.

Mandla is the chief growth officer for the Excellence in Agronomy Initiative (EiA) which, “gathers more than 10 CGIAR Research Centers whose goal is to create solutions to problems that farmers face globally. EiA works on a foundation that is driven by demand to understand the challenges farmers are dealing with, and bring forth a development system for innovation that is capable of coping with those challenges and finding solutions that can be tested, validated, and scaled,” he mentions.

His searching for a system that triggers and diffuses innovation for farmers motivated Mandla to visit the hubs in Oaxaca, Mexico. “We are here because we wanted to study all the hubs and the projects based on the methods CIMMYT and its collaborators have developed in Mexico. One of the things we consider at EiA is the successful and sustainable transition from individual use to working within a partner network.”

“What we have seen here is the work of our colleagues from CIMMYT. For the last decade, they have come up with these hubs or innovation centers situated across different agroecological regions in Mexico. What is unique about the hubs is the ecosystem they are creating, which in my opinion, is what brings excellence in agronomy,” says Mandla.

The hubs are a management approach for innovation that was developed in Mexico based on initiatives like MasAgro-Cultivos para MĂ©xico. Due to its big impact, it’s being replicated in Asia, Africa, and in other Latin America countries. In addition, it lies in the heart of CGIAR initiatives.

About this methodology, Mandla says those who participate in it, are trying to understand the challenges that farmers truly face. Then a platform is developed to do proper research that responds to farmers’ needs. Subsequently, they test it in modules which provides proof of the impact these solutions are having as compared to conventional farming. Finally, these solutions are transferred to areas called extension, from which large-scale innovations are implemented.

During his visit to the research platform in Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan and to modules for innovation, extension areas, seed warehouses, post-harvest modules and machinery locations at different towns in Oaxaca, Mandla Nkomo and other visitors from EiA had the opportunity of learning not only how the South Pacific Hub operates but also witnessed how this management approach for innovation is socially and culturally relevant to one of the most diverse regions in the country.

“These days have been truly amazing. They have been very useful in refining the picture of what’s possible to do and scale. Mexico is a megadiverse country with varied agroecology. Our approach can be replicated in many parts of the world. I’m very excited with what we have seen. The country that gave us corn is now providing the world with solutions that will have major impacts on global food security. So, it is now our task (me and the whole EiA team) to find ways to pass this on to other latitudes”.

Digital Press Briefing with U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security Dr. Cary Fowler, and USAID Global Food Crisis Coordinator Dina Esposito

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in In the media.

Cary Fowler, Special Envoy for Global Food Security, and Dina Esposito, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Food Crisis Coordinator, discussed the US strategy for addressing the global food security crisis and their ongoing visit to Malawi and Zambia at a digital press briefing on January 19.

“We’ve recently supported a new project which will be operating in a number of countries, including Zambia and Malawi, that will be coordinated by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, and by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture,” said Fowler.

“They’ll be establishing innovation hubs where they’ll bring together the best and most appropriate technologies and information to help small-scale farmers with a whole variety of issues that they confront. This will give the farmers access, for example in Zambia, to drought-tolerant maize, which they’re really clamoring for. This is maize which, on a year-in and year-out basis, on average will yield about 30 percent more, rotated with legumes, which provide protein and also enrich the soil and reduce the need for fertilizer. But also other technologies and assistance in establishing markets for those products and lengthening out the value chain so that farmers are not just – and small businesses are not just dealing with raw commodities but are taking those commodities and making something more valuable and more useful to a broader population.”

Read the original article: Digital Press Briefing with U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security Dr. Cary Fowler, and USAID Global Food Crisis Coordinator Dina Esposito

Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Uncategorized.

The Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub is one of the ways in which Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global food security and hunger initiative led by USAID, is taking immediate action to help cushion the blow of high fuel and fertilizer prices on farmers. It’s a two-year rapid response effort that connects farmers to innovative tools and information they need to manage the high costs and input supply disruptions over the next several cropping seasons.

AID-I provides targeted assistance to up to three million African smallholder farmers by improving soil health and fertilizer management; strengthening local seed systems; connecting farmers to financial products and services; and delivering extension and advisory services. AID-I Delivery Hubs focus on areas where the need and potential is greatest: Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.

The Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub is establishing agile, networked rural innovation hubs to enhance the adaptation of technology, co-ownership, and sustainable inputs and outputs for value chains development. The project is fostering diversification through the scaling of productive and resilient agronomic practices and seed systems for cereals, legumes, vegetables and feed/fodder products, and strengthens rural-urban linkages to enable national capacity for cross-network management.

It is being implemented in close consultation with One CGIAR programs and integrates both CGIAR and non-CGIAR innovation partners to support scaling by last-mile delivery partners.

This work contributes to six of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

  1. Zero Hunger
  2. Good Health and Well-Being for People
  3. Gender Equality
  4. Decent Work and Economic Growth
  5. Responsible Consumption and Production
  6. Climate Action.

What are the project’s primary objectives?

  • Improve soil health and fertilizer management to grow more, more profitably and with less waste.
  • Strengthen local seed systems so agribusinesses can reach smallholder farmer customers with a diversity of crop seeds, including climate-resilient and more nutritious varieties.
  • Connect to financial products and services designed to overcome the unique needs smallholder farmers and small and medium agribusinesses face; and,
  • Deliver extension and advisory services on good agricultural practices, soil and water management practices, and post-harvest storage solutions so smallholder farmers and small and medium agribusiness owners are more productive and keep more of what they grow.

Video 

Deputy Assistant Administrator, USAID Resilience Environment and Food Security Bureau, Ann Vaughan, visits an AID-I demonstration plot of drought-tolerant maize varieties in Zambia.

Reports

Buffering the effects of extreme drought in Zambia: New crops and Advisories are helping farmers

MasAgro is “a gift for Africa”

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

Francisco Mayorga joins the CIMMYT Board of Trustees to reflect on MasAgro. (Credit: Francisco AlarcĂłn/CIMMYT)

Between June 20-23, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) hosted its Board of Trustees meeting, with presentations spanning the breadth of its global projects.

One particular project captured the imagination of attendees: MasAgro, which promotes the sustainable intensification of maize- and wheat-based production systems in Mexico. Through implementing collaborative research initiatives, developing improved varieties, and introducing sustainable technologies and farming practices, the program aims to improve livelihoods and production systems for farmers by enhancing their connections with local value chain actors.

Francisco Mayorga, businessman and former Secretary of Agriculture for Mexico, and Lindiwe Sibanda, CIMMYT board member and member of the CGIAR System Board, presented on the creation of CIMMYT’s MasAgro program and its results. Sibanda interviewed Mayorga to learn where the project’s achievements can be scaled and replicated, describing the project as a “gift for Africa” from Mexico.

Farmers load hybrid maize cobs in sacks for horse transportation over the mountains in Chiapas, Mexico. (Credit: P. Lowe/CIMMYT)

What’s in it for farmers?

Built on the premise of ‘take it to the farmers’, MasAgro helps farmers understand the broader context of agrifood systems in order to facilitate their successful transition to sustainable farming practices. This is accomplished through innovation hubs: core spaces defined by similar agroecological conditions that promote participatory innovation processes and co-implement functional structures for the validation, adaptation, and scaling of sustainable solutions.

Innovation hubs facilitate mentorship by providing closeness between farmers and value chain actors. A physical and virtual network of research platforms, demonstration modules and extension areas support actors to gain skills and knowledge to achieve common objectives. For example, farmers can learn how about agricultural tools and practices and where best to use them on their land, and they now consider the impact of fertilizers on the soil and ecosystem and seek alternatives.

Useful information is provided via multiple communication tools, including mobile messaging, to enable effective knowledge sharing and innovation between actors. The network has led to farmers independently adapting and adopting new practices after learning from others.

The selling point for farmers is understanding why sustainable agriculture creates opportunities for their livelihoods and lives – with improved practices, they can establish a successful long-term setup to increase their yield and income. These opportunities will appeal to smallholders worldwide.

Silvia Suarez Moreno harvests maize in Chiapas, Mexico. (Credit: P. Lowe/CIMMYT)

Benefits for the public and private sector

What also differentiates MasAgro is the emphasis on public and private sector partnerships. CIMMYT collaborated with partners to develop the MasAgro mindset and build their capacity to deliver seed to small- and medium-sized farms. Sibanda praised the use of CIMMYT’s presence in Mexico for developing these connections.

Mayorga highlighted the importance of securing funding and support from the Ministry of Agriculture in the project’s success. He said he initially persuaded colleagues to invest by emphasizing MasAgro’s holistic approach, which considers all elements of farming, rather than dealing with them as individual elements.

Using the different government instruments to support the theory of change towards the impact of MasAgro is part of the success. For example, for businesses, the Mexican government provided funding for laboratory equipment and training needs after identifying seed company partners to support through their research programs and regional markets. Mayorga also celebrated partnerships with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), who were supported by CIMMYT engineers to design more effective machinery and think around scale-appropriate business models. This created additional businesses in the agricultural sector.

Through these partnerships, private sector organizations have invested in agricultural research and development that will benefit smallholders, prevent food insecurity, and support a shift to sustainable farming. Countries in Africa can benefit from similar investment, which could be achieved through exporting and recreating the MasAgro model.

Tzeltal farmer harvests beans in her maize field. (Credit: P. Lowe/CIMMYT)

Flexible government support

Practical support and policy change from the Mexican government further encouraged farmers to adopt sustainable practices. Mayorga explained how a subsidy for farmers’ fuel was replaced with alternative financial support for equipment. Sibanda described this initiative as “visionary” and “a triple win” – farmers could purchase a machine at a subsidized rate, use less labor, and cause less damage to the environment.

To incentivize large companies in Mexico that buy a lot of wheat, Mayorga tapped into their desire “to encourage an economic behavior in the farmer” and introduce a more entrepreneurial approach to agriculture. They encouraged businesses to buy grains from farmers at a better price and learn more about the MasAgro approach.

“You don’t stay with an idea as a policy advisor and politician – you popularize it, look for new champions, walk the talk and put money into it,” summarized Sibanda. “I think that’s a legacy.”