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Innovations in Technology, Institutional and Extension Approaches towards Sustainable Agriculture and enhanced Food and Nutritional Security in Africa

Project description

DEENESFRITPL

Boosting food and nutrition security in Africa through innovative technology

Efforts to improve food and nutrition security through sustainable farming in Africa have not always met with success. This may be attributed to poor implementation and inadequate transfer of technologies and knowledge. With demonstrations in six case countries, the EU-funded InnovAfrica project aims to boost food and nutrition security for small-scale farmers. To do so, it will introduce sustainable agriculture intensification systems supported by multi-actor platforms and extension and advisory services. Each case will be tailored to particular community needs, taking into account the ecological and socioeconomic conditions of the region. The outcomes will lead to increased productivity and income for smallholder farmers, especially women, while reducing negative environmental impacts.

Objective

Food and nutrition security (FNS) remains a challenge for Africa, despite efforts made in agricultural research and extension in the past, due to inefficient implementation and exchange of technologies and knowledge to end users. The main objective of InnovAfrica is to improve FNS by integrating sustainable agriculture intensification (SAI) systems, innovative institutional approaches (IIAs) with novel extension and advisory services (EASs) and enhancing smallholder adaptive capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). InnovAfrica addresses main challenges of the work programme (SFS-42-2016), through a strong multidisciplinary EU-Africa consortium of 16 partners, supported by 6 active Multi-Actor Platforms (MAPs) in 6 case countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and South Africa). InnovAfrica will test, integrate, and disseminate SAI systems suitable to smallholders, institutional approaches (e.g. MAPs, seed delivery systems) and EASs (e.g. dynamic knowledge platforms supported by smart phones, Village Knowledge centers). The main outcomes of InnovAfrica include: i) better understanding of the needs and opportunities of SAI systems in Africa, ii) improved knowledge and innovation capacity of farmers to implement SAI systems supported by IIAs and EASs, iii) improved product value chains through viable IIAs benefiting women and youth, iv) Innovative policies, increased knowledge of public-private partnerships to strengthen agri-business model in case countries with a view to upscaling successes in other regions through functional MAPs, v) Wider dissemination of SAI systems to smallholders and women within and outside project areas through effective use of smart phones and social media, and vi) Stronger EU-Africa Research and Innovation Partnership to achieve FNS. The outcomes will contribute to smallholder productivity, profitability; and nutritional benefits while reducing negative environmental impacts and enhance FNS and sustainable agriculture in Africa.

Fields of science

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

H2020-SFS-2016-2017

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Sub call

H2020-SFS-2016-2

Funding Scheme

RIA - Research and Innovation action

Coordinator

NIBIO - NORSK INSTITUTT FOR BIOOKONOMI
Net EU contribution
€ 710 167,50
Address
HOEGSKOLEVEIEN 7
1430 Aas
Norway

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Region
Norge Oslo og Viken Viken
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 710 167,50

Participants (15)

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Last update: 9 November 2022

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/727201

European Union, 2024