PAEPARD Write-shop targeting the NWO-WOTRO second call

11-14 November 2014. Entebbe, Uganda. Write-shop targeting the NWO-WOTRO Applied Research Fund second call.

This write shop is facilitated by Gerard den Ouden and organised by RUFORUM (Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture) as part of the PAEPARD initiative (the Platform for African European Partnership on Agricultural Research for Development) which supports research collaboration between a wide range of organizations in Africa and Europe.

It is coordinated by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and supported by the European Union (EU) through DG DevCo.

RUFORUM is the co-leader of the Work Package on Capacity building of the PAEPARD II Project. A previous write-shop’ was organised in Entebbe, Uganda (27 November – 1 December 2013) which targetted the NWO-WOTRO first call.

Two PAEPARD consortia were selected and are presently funded under the first call
(see: Outcome of the selection of the Dutch ARF call for proposals).

More potatoes - Secure food in Burundi
Partners: Mr Pierre Nahayo, Confédération des Associations des Producteurs Agricoles pour le Dévelopmment (CAPAD, Burundi). Consortium partners: Institut de Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU), Innovative Technology Development for Rural Entrepreneurship Center (ITEC, Burundi) and Wageningen UR (NL)
Research: Potato in sub-Saharan countries is rapidly becoming a crop that substantially contributes to food security and well balanced diets. As ‘seed’, potato tubers are planted that need special care to make sure they are well sprouted and avoid diseases. Research, development and knowledge transfer involving growers are aimed at this.

Indigenous African Vegetable systems for better livelihoods
Partners: Ms Margaret Komen, Mace Foods (Kenya). Consorium partners: University of Eldoret (Kenya), The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture – RUFORUM (Uganda)
Research: Indigenous vegetables have unique production and nutritional characteristics that can solve a myriad of problems in sub-Saharan Africa. This project seeks to establish a robust Indigenous Vegetables value chain and incentive system that responds to the smallholder farmer conditions to increase production and access to the local, national and international markets.

Facilitation by Gerard den Ouden

The present workshop puts the attention on the funding requirements, as well as on the development of the contents of all proposals, the eligibility of activities and partners, and the electronic submission technicalities. These components are addressed in both peer review sessions and individual group sessions.

At the end of the workshop, it is expected that each proposal will have a well-developed structure and contents enabling them to easily complete the proposal template. The workshopis in English and French.

Nicole Metz

The Office of the Food and Business Knowledge Platform is represented by Nicole Metz.

• The Knowledge Broker, Food and Business Knowledge Platform is strongly involved in the preparation phase of the ARF-calls and the implementation of the awarded projects. 
• Nicole Metz explained the context and the objectives of ARF. 
• It is an opportunity to meet practitioners interested in ARF, hear what the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities are from their perspective, and which knowledge questions they have related to their work.

Participants and consortia
The total number of participants in the workshop is 42, including the (co-) facilitator and support staff.

The following proposals and consortia were developed:

1. Development of strategies to reduce fungal toxins contamination in the maize value chain in Eastern Kenya 
2. Improving the product ability of vegetable growing in Ghana 
3. Rice-Green rotational cropping for increased productivityin Uganda 
4. Integrating fish farming in Vegetable production in Uganda
5. Intergraded soil fertility management for vegetable production in Ghana 
6. Fortification of maize flour in Uganda
7. Increased production and market access for diversifying sources of staple foods and sustainable livelihoods among small holder potato farmers in Western Kenya 
8. Matching grain quality attributed to the requirements of soya bean processors in Benin 
9. Developing feed management protocols for dairy farmers in high rainfall areas (HRA) in Kenya 
10. Developing integrated disease control and rangeland management practices for improved beef and milk productivity development and upscaling innovative technologies in Uganda
11. Tomato value chain in Imbo Region in Burundi