ARF research proposals have been awarded funding

27 January 2015. Three Food & Business Applied Research Fund (ARF) research proposals have been awarded funding. The awarded ARF research proposals are the result of the first round of the second call for proposals. In total, eighteen projects have now been rewarded in the fund. The next deadline for submitting a proposal is 12 May 2015. Two selected research proposals are from Africa:

1. Improving the resilience of the inland fisher communities and aquatic systems to overfishing
   

   

   Frejus Thoto
   Executive Director ACED

   and water resource degradation in Benin
   Mr F. Thoto (ACED: Actions pour l’Environnement et le Développement Durable)
   
   The project explores the vulnerability of the coastal inland fishing sector to increasing pressures on water resources caused by a mounting population, pollution from urban areas and changing climatic conditions. The project studies the functioning of prevailing institutions among fisher communities and tests if regulations are sufficiently resilient to cope with the new challenges. Special attention is paid to woman’s access to fish processing technologies that contributes to income and increases food security.
   
   
2. Ensuring Sustainable and Sustained Food Security by Enhancing local parboiled rice value-

   

   J. Kpetere
   DEDRAS

   Chain Competitiveness in Gogounou and Banikoara areas in Benin (PARCR)
   Mr J. Kpetere (DEDRAS: Développement durable, le Renforcement et l'Auto-promotion des Structures communautaires)
   
   This project aims at developing an adapted model of rice intensification, promoting the best rice-processing practices at local level and developing collective marketing mechanisms for the processed rice in Benin. This will be done by a participatory research-action approach in which researchers, extensionists, development organisations and operators of the sector will pool their knowledge to stimulate innovations for the production of sustainable food.