workshop was key to the overall evaluation of PAEPARD II, as it encouraged participants to analyse and reflect on their experiences of the AfricanEuropean MSP for ARD processes facilitated by PAEPARD over the last 7 years.
During discussions, the partners reflected on the way
forward for PAEPARD activities and the sustainability of its achievements, with recommendations for a potential ‘new era’ and promoting the MSP structure at both policy and ground levels. The main objective of the workshop was to draw specific lessons (both successes and failures) from the ULP, CRF-IF and consortia, which are outlined below.
Regional ULP:
- The extensive livestock value chain consortium in Kenya and Uganda, led by EAFF, promotes innovative aflatoxin control strategies to make grain and animal feed safer;
- The urban horticulture value chain consortium in Central Africa (Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo) led by PROPAC;
- The rice value chain consortium in Benin, Burkina
Faso and Mali led by ROPPA;
The value addition for mango waste consortium in
West Africa (Burkina-Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal) led
by COLEACP;
The stemming aflatoxin contamination in the
groundnut value chain (GnVC) consortium in
Southern Africa (Malawi, South Africa and Zambia)
led by FANRPAN.Competitive Research Funding:
- The Trichoderma sp. biofertilizer consortium in Burkina Faso, involving private sector companies BIOPROTECT and BIOPHYTECH, as well as the NGO Association pour la Recherche et la Formation en Agroécologie (ARFA);
- The soybean consortium in Benin, led by the NGO SOJAGNON which has been supporting the processing of soybean-derived products such as milk and Dadonu (a local taste enhancer);
- The African indigenous fruit and vegetables (AIFV) consortium in Uganda, which focuses on innovative processes for extending the shelf life of AIFV without degrading their nutritive qualities;
- The GnVC consortium also received CRF for a project in Malawi-Zambia led by the National Association of Smallholder Farmers (NASFAM).
- The hot pepper consortium in Togo, which supports the exchange of improved seed varieties of hot pepper from Brazil;
- The citrus consortium in Ghana, which aims to overcome the fungal Angular Leaf Spot disease and improve postharvest management of citrus fruit;
- The poultry feed consortium in Nigeria, addresses the issue of high cost, poor quality poultry feeds in Nigeria with alternative feed ingredients;
- The potato seed consortium in Burundi, which aims to strengthen the informal potato seed system to improve seed quality.
The policy paper (12 pages) Capitalizing on PAEPARD experience of multi-stakeholder partnerships in agricultural research for development, aims to synthesize the lessons learned
from these consortia, as well as PAEPARD working
packages (partnerships, communication and advocacy,
capacities, and management and coordination), and
provide evidence that the MSP approach is appropriate
to address ARD challenges in Africa by mobilizing
and sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies
and financial resources.
The (internal) meeting report provides recommendations for a future program based on the lessons and experiences of the partnerships.
Lessons learned
- Through the use of ARD frameworks and brokerage and facilitation processes, PAEPARD II has achieved its goal to create African-European MSP for mutual learning and knowledge sharing.
- Benefits of the MSP approach within ARD can be seen at all consortia levels, particularly in relation to capacity building and the ability to respond to endusers’ demands.
- The MSP have captured a wealth of research knowledge, and in a new phase of PAEPARD, there is potential to harness the network of consortia to share experiences and increase collaboration between them to extend the reach of ARD innovations and technologies.
- PAEPARD unique ULP mechanism has shifted the agricultural innovation approach from linear and ‘top down’, to a broad and inclusive framework, where end-users have a central position in the design of the research agenda. The dialogue built between researchers and other actors using the ULP is a legacy that will endure.
Participants at the Capitalization Workshop agreed that:- PAEPARD has played an active role in brokering ULP partnerships, but in future, more emphasis needs to be placed on mobilizing European partners. Looking forward, particular attention should also be paid to the training of internal facilitators to support MSP in the ULP steps, and to integrate capacity building within consortia.
- The CRF-IF mechanism has been positively received by partners and has unlocked the potential of some consortia to generate impactful results, such as improving the socio-economic conditions of the end-users involved.
- PAEPARD has carried out extensive facilitation to bring partners together based upon shared objectives, but has experienced both successes and failures in securing European partners.
- The CRF and IF mechanism should be carried through to a next phase, but strengthened and adapted to factor in the costs associated with acquiring a European partner in order for projects to take their activities to an international scale and increase project longevity.
- In the absence of PAEPARD, the ARD arena would be missing a coordinated approach to African-European partnership brokerage, which is so valuable for the capacity strengthening of agricultural value chain actors, and the growth of promising agricultural innovation projects.
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