Addis Synthesis and implications for the program

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Sustainable intensification of crop-livestock systems to improve food security and farm income diversification in the Ethiopian highlands Project Design Workshop 30 January - 2 February 2012, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Synthesis and implications for the program


Ater the working group feedback on the hypotheses, resource persons involved in the concept note development were asked to respnd to what they had heard:


What resource persons have to do when giving feedback: Any particularly useful insights, comments you picked up Any significant confirmations/validations you heard that reinforce the concept note directions Any significant feedback or critique that calls for substantial change or reorientation of any part of the proposal… What changes you think are needed to the proposal as is, including the impact and indicators

One new thing you've picked up from this workshop.


  • Jerry: Understanding the importance of communicating up and down all administrative levels was not addressed in West Africa;
  • Stan: The project's so focused on integration but having a specific discussion about integration is lacking and that's the knob of it all - we need to address this core concern. Putting together components in new ways is crucial.
  • Geletu (what you want to do): Changes in hypothesis, new approaches proposed etc. we need to revise the concept note and come up with an outline that complies with the ideas of the group.
  • Katherine: Happy to see that water is on the agenda. Also pleased about how we fleshed out institutional issues, which is critical for this project and all projects.
  • Bruno: Need to align and find synergies is very useful. R4D is talked a lot about but rarely implemented; I hope it will happen this time. Investments of USAid in Ethiopia are a lot bigger than investments in research. We are a small player and we need to listen. The biggest challenge will be to get on board of large initiatives. Also, we're on the right track for integration at different scales - but how to do it is vastly unexplored.
  • Tsedeke: I'm pleased to hear about cultural change among CG centers. 10-15 years ago there wouldn't have been cooperation. But we have heard the primo piato only. The secundo piato and the dessert is yet to come in the next 2 days. The actual answers will come then.
  • Iain: One concern I had was that we broadened the conversation deliberately and now how do we focus back? It's also part of the process. No real concern otherwise. In some respects, it's difficult for me to know about the systems in the Ethiopian highlands but I will learn quickly enough. There are things we can learn from Asia. In 20 years' time, Africa will look very different.
  • Dr. Getnet: With some efforts we can change the productivity of crop-livestock systems, particularly of livestock.

Concerns?

  • Jerry: We want to not just integrate research components but also move to a new level if possible by identifying new level of integration of these components/practices/technologies. It's been messy in West Africa and the follow-up work requires more work.
  • Geletu: Making an impact means improving the lives of up to 40 million people - how can we achieve such change? How can we integrate livestock and crop to increase productivity?
  • Bruno: We've worked a lot so far at community level but we need to work at farm level. Scientists create a lot of fake problems for farmers to solve but instead of working on our own comfortable niche we should look at real priorities for farmers;
  • Katherine: The proposal is a bit vague about 'what people are we talking about' - there are lots of farms in Ethiopia. If we are to achieve our larger goals we have to think about which households are important to effect impact. Farmers understand about integration, that's all they do. We can learn FROM them in this project.
  • Tsedeke: Most important issue for this kind of project is that we are preaching to the converted here but we will have to convince many others about changes. Also, we will have to get the confidence of our clients. We Ethiopians are not very outspoken. We have to be convinced that we belong to the project and the project belongs to us;
  • Stan: this seems to be one of the biggest changes with West Africa - perhaps because 2 countries in West Africa. There wasn't much emphasis on demand in W-A but here the feedback is actually clear: "you need to follow what we do", not the other way around. This will be a great test-case for the project. The probability of success will be exponential if we integrate the demand side.
  • Geletu: Tsedeke mentioned a good point. From the Gov't until now, we need raw materials for industries. We want to integrate crop production in agro-industry. We have to think about how to link with all resource people possible.
  • Jerry: Yes, we need to hear from farmers about decision-making but... That was emphasized in West Africa, together with emphasizing that conditions are changing and farmers also have to integrate other issues which they might not be aware of...
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