{"metadata":{"id":"01490566711ff7e86474894dc23e5acf","source":"gardian_index","url":"https://cgspace.cgiar.org/rest/bitstreams/4237eb8a-5f33-4d4e-93dd-08273bc9399b/retrieve"},"pageCount":3,"title":"SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION OF KEY FARMING SYSTEMS IN THE SUDANO-SAHELIAN ZONE","keywords":[],"chapters":[{"head":"Introduction","index":1,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":42,"text":"As part of the U.S. government's Feed the Future initiative to address global hunger and food security issues in sub-Saharan Africa, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting multi-stakeholder agricultural research projects to sustainably intensify Activities October to December 2011"}]},{"head":"Project planning meeting","index":2,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":30,"text":"A project planning meeting was held from 6 to 7 October 2011 at ICRISAT Regional Office at Samanko, Bamako, Mali in preparation for a project inception workshop in early 2012."},{"index":2,"size":23,"text":"The 22 participants represented USAID/BFS/ARP, USAID/Bamako, the CGIAR Centers ILRI, ICRISAT, CIAT, ICRAF, and IITA, as well as the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC)."},{"index":3,"size":60,"text":"The meeting was called by USAID to bring together scientists conducting critical research in the Sudano Sahelian zone of West Africa, the target region for this regional project. The discussions of the meeting were expected to provide the basis for the development of concept notes in which regional research and development project plans and objectives would be more fully described."},{"index":4,"size":37,"text":"The deliberations focused on the tentative action sites of the project in Ghana and Mali. As key farming systems were identified: irrigated maize-based systems, and rainfed maizelegume systems in northern Ghana and sorghum/millet-based systems in southern Mali."},{"index":5,"size":18,"text":"Relevant researchable issues and constraints were discussed and it was recommended to address them in the Concept Note."},{"index":6,"size":45,"text":"Next steps in terms of developing the Concept Note and preparation of the project inception meeting were decided. The date for the inception workshop was fixed for 9-12 January 2012 in Tamale, Ghana, and IITA was charged with the organization in close collaboration with USAID/BFS/ARP."}]},{"head":"Concept note development","index":3,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":62,"text":"Following the planning workshop in Bamako, a core team under the leadership of the Project Coordinator prepared the concept note in a collaborative effort. It was shared with USAID in December for feedback and distributed to the invitees of the inception workshop where it would be discussed. Members of the writing team were from ICRISAT, ICRAF, ILRI, IWMI, IFPRI, AVRDC, and IITA."},{"index":2,"size":97,"text":"While writing the concept note, the team followed the outline that had been prepared by the project coordinator and USAID. The exact action sites for the research were not specified as it was planned that these would be identified in a special exercise with the support of scientists from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) during the forthcoming workshop. A detailed project budget and annual workplan were also not prepared at this stage because this needed consultation with other non-CGIAR partners who would be part of the project implementation team and identified during the design workshop."}]},{"head":"Organization of project design/inception workshop","index":4,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":79,"text":"Parallel to the development of the concept note, the Project Coordinator collaborated closely with USAID to identify key participants for the project design workshop. Agreement on the workshop agenda has also been achieved. All participants were invited on time and provided with logistical information. USAID wished to hold the meeting in Tamale, Northern Region of Ghana, where key national partner organizations are located. Northern Region is also one of the geographical areas on which the project activities will focus."},{"index":2,"size":121,"text":"Unfortunately, there is only one venue in Tamale that can accommodate the large number of workshop participants. By end of December, 60 participants had confirmed participation for days 1 and 2, and 35 for the entire workshop. Logistically, Tamale resulted to be challenging. Most participants had to be flown in from the capital, where many had to spend a night before continuing to Tamale. This was aggravated by the fact that all afternoon flights to Tamale were cancelled at short notice and tickets for the domestic flights could not be purchased by the participants living abroad. Difficulties in organizing the meeting in Tamale also arose from the late confirmation of participation by the invitees and passing on arrival details in Accra."},{"index":3,"size":60,"text":"The Head of ILRI's Communication Unit in Addis Ababa could be contracted as facilitator of the meeting. He will also be facilitating the other two regional sister workshops thus bringing consistency into the three meetings, taking advantage from the Ghana meeting to improve workshop process for the next meetings and reducing time needed for introduction and briefing before each workshop."},{"index":4,"size":18,"text":"The next quarterly report will provide details about the workshop, outputs and outcomes, as well as next steps."}]}],"figures":[],"sieverID":"72e95397-3204-457c-98cd-182a9c909cc8","abstract":"African farming systems and as a way of bringing a regional focus to the CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) on Integrated Systems, especially CRPs 1.1 and 1.2. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is the lead institute for developing and implementing the Sudano-Sahelian zone project. This research project focuses primarily on maize-and rice-based production systems in northern Ghana and sorghum-based production systems in southern Mali but is intended to result in spill-over effects to other similar agro-ecological zones. These two regions were chosen based on analysis of cropping systems, prevailing poverty, population levels, existing country development priorities, and the given potential for successfully improving agricultural productivity and hence livelihoods of the people. The development of these regions will be based around research in best management practices for sustainable intensification of agricultural production. This requires well-coordinated efforts involving multiple donors, regional organizations, partner universities, the private sector, national and international agricultural research institutes, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The regional research approach will also provide the foundation for scaling up and out technologies through broad partnerships and links to country-based Feed the Future programs.The Project started in October 2011 when funds were transferred to IITA."}