About Prolinnova

PROmoting Local INNOVAtion in ecologically oriented agriculture and NRM  

VISION:    A world where women and men farmers play decisive roles in agricultural research and development for sustainable livelihoods

Subregional taskforce leaders in Africa

As part of the process of regionalisation of the Prolinnova network, subregional taskforces have been created in Eastern & Southern Africa (ESA) and in West & Central Africa (WCA). These taskforces recently agreed on who will coordinate the interaction within each taskforce and with the respective subregional coordinator, Amanuel Assefa and Georges Djohy, in order to agree on subregional and regional strategies and activities in Africa and to help set up subregional “oversight groups” that will eventually replace the taskforces. These are thus interim governance bodies of the network in Africa. Brigid Letty from the Institute of Natural Resources (INR) in South Africa has been elected as the chair of the ESA taskforce, while Do Christophe Ouattara from World Neighbors in Burkina Faso will chair the WCA taskforce.

Exploring local innovation in animal health

In May 2018, Swiss scientists from TPA (Tropical and Public Health Institute), commissioned by Misereor/KZE (Catholic Central Agency for Development Aid), made a quick inventory of some local innovations in animal health treatments in Burkina Faso and Ghana with a view to studying their effectiveness in terms of animal health and productivity. TPA and the Prolinnova platforms in the two countries are exploring possible collaboration, focusing on anti-parasitic and anti-microbial plants.

West & Central Africa coordinator’s contribution to Proli-FaNS Year 2

In the 2nd year of implementing the “Promoting local innovation for Food and Nutrition Security” (Proli-FaNS) project, the Prolinnova Platform for West and Central Africa (WCA) played its part in seeking to achieve the overall objectives of the project. In this annual report in French and English, the Subregional Coordinator (SRC) for WCA recalls the SRC’s main tasks and responsibilities; his achievements in terms of policy dialogue and networking, documentation, M&E, South–South backstopping and fundraising; lessons learned; and challenges and perspectives for Year 3 of the project.

PROLINNOVA–KENYA ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Prolinnova–Kenya (PK) reports on its activities in 2017, which mainly revolved around the project “Promoting Local Innovation for Food and Nutrition Security” (Proli-FaNS), in its second of three years. This builds on experiences of PK over previous years, e.g. in the FAIR and CLIC–SR initiatives under the Prolinnova umbrella, to show the value of an alternative approach to agricultural research and development (ARD) – an approach that starts with recognising and valuing community assets, especially small-scale farmers’ creativity in their own efforts to experiment and innovate so as to deal with new problems or opportunities. Other actors in agricultural research, extension and education are thus motivated and encouraged to support farmers’ initiatives in ways that strengthen local capacities to innovate and adapt.

Link to Kenya report 2017 (PDF file; 852 KB)

Proli-FaNS + African Regional Meeting in Nairobi

Participants in African Regional Workshop of Prolinnova partners, Nairobi, May 2018 (Photo: Loren Cardeli)

As part of the regionalisation of Prolinnova outlined in the network’s 2016–20 strategy, the focus in 2018 is on strengthening the subregional and regional networks. On 22–23 May 2018, the five African Country Platforms (CPs) that are involved in the Proli-FaNS (Promoting local innovation in Food and Nutrition Security) project held their annual sharing-and-learning meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. The programme for these two days was organised by Joe Nchor, Proli-FaNS coordinator based at ACDEP in northern Ghana.

Prolinnova-Mozambique activity report 2017

Prolinnova–Mozambique implemented considerably more activities in 2017 compared to the previous year. The Country Platform (CP) carried out a refresher course on local innovation and Participatory Innovation Development (PID), renewed and strengthened its National Steering Committee, appointed focal points at provincial and district levels, published a catalogue of local innovations and planned its activities for 2018. The annual report gives a detailed account of the CP's achievements in 2017, and includes the backstopping visit to Mozambique by Brigid Letty from Prolinnova–South Africa, which was planned for 2017 but could be made only in early 2018.

Proli-FaNS progress report Nov 2017 - Jan 2018

The second year of the Proli-FaNS (Promoting local innovation in Food and Nutrition Security) is well underway. The quarterly report for the period November 2017 to January 2018 gives a concise overview of progress in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya, particularly the innovations identified and the processes of Participatory Innovation Development (PID) that have been commenced. See the report: Promoting local innovation in Food and Nutrition Security (Proli-FaNS).

Prolinnova-Ghana annual report 2017

During 2017, Prolinnova–Ghana re-organised its National Steering Committee to strengthen the Country Platform’s governance and supported small-scale farmers in selected communities in participatory innovation development (PID) and local innovation processes under the three-year Proli-FaNS project. The host NGO (ACDEP) also organised learning events for farmers at community level as well as for institutional stakeholders and national platform members. The detailed achievements in the year 2017 are described in the Prolinnova-Ghana annual report.

Prolinnova–Peru welcomed as Country Platform

In February 2018, the Prolinnova Oversight Group (POG) welcomed Prolinnova–Peru as a Country Platform (CP) within the international community of practice.

Prolinnova activities began in Peru already in 2005, when the regional network Prolinnova–Andes (composed of partners in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador) was created to promote local innovation processes and to learn from each other about farmer-led participatory innovation development (PID). Since then, some activities at regional and national level activities were carried out, including two regional workshops in 2005 and 2008 and an International Seminar on Participatory Methodological Processes in Peru in 2008. The activities in Peru were coordinated by the RAAA (Red de Acción en Agricultura Alternativa / Network for Action in Alternative Agriculture) based in Lima.

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