AfricaRISING LIVES N2Africa

Promoting Productivity and Market Access Technologies and Approaches to Improve Farm Income and Livelihoods in Ethiopia: Lessons from Action research projects 8-9 December 2016 ILRI Campus , Addis Ababa , Ethiopia

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has been implementing several action research projects in Ethiopia over the last few years. These action research projects have been implementing development interventions along commodity value chains and systems in various parts of the country. Research protocols were superimposed on development interventions to assess their feasibility, effectiveness and development outcomes. In order to share its experiences in implementing action research projects, ILRI has now organized this workshop.

Objectives:

The objectives of the workshop and exhibition are:

1. To create wider awareness and knowledge about the technologies and approaches that are tested and validated by LIVES, N2Africa, Africa RISING, FtF Mali and AVCD Kenya projects
2. To facilitate the uptake of successful experiences/innovations that combine productivity enhancement and market access
3. To facilitate dialogue on improving the linkage/partnership between research and development actors and facilitate cross learning

Expected outcomes:

The expected outcomes of the workshop and exhibition are:

1. Improved awareness about the technical, organizational and institutional interventions tested and validated by the projects
2. Enhanced probability of scaling out and up of the tested technologies and approaches to achieve sustainable and market oriented smallholder agricultural development
3. Improved understanding of the role and utility of action research approaches, opportunities and constraints

Workshop and Exhibition Program

		Thursday 8 December 2016
Time	Activity	Responsible Person	Chair/Facilitator
8:30 -9:00	Registration	Organizers
09:00- 9 :05	Workshop objectives and expectations	Siboniso M.	Berhanu Gebremedhin
09:05-09:10	Welcome remark	MoLF, H.E. Dr. Gebregziabher Gebreyohannes	^
09:10:09:20	Opening speech	MoANR, H.E. Dr. Eyasu Abreha	^
09:20-10:00	Panel on LIVES, N2 Africa, Africa RISING, FtF Mali and AVCD Kenya action research approaches	Peter T. , Azage T., Endalkachew W., Abdou F., and George W.	^
10:00 - 11:00	Presentations: Feed development * LIVES feed value chain development interventions : approaches and scalable interventions * Feed innovations for improved livestock productivity in the Ethiopian highlands: Africa RISING experiences * Inoculation and P fertilizer improves seed and feed production in grain legumes in Ethiopian highlands: farmers' perceptions, and treatment effects on yield and nutritive quality of residue biomass * Enhancing Productivity and market access: Initial lessons leant from Mali Livestock Technology Scaling Program	Presenters – - LIVES - Africa RISING - N2Africa - FtF Mali	Peter Thorne
11:00- 11:15	Coffee break / group photo	Participants
11:15-11:30	Discussion	Organizers
11:30- 12:30	Presentations : Livestock value chain * LIVES small ruminant value chain development interventions: Approaches and scalable interventions * LIVES poultry value chain development interventions: Approaches and scalable interventions * LIVES dairy value chain development interventions: Approaches and scalable interventions * A model for enhancing animal health service delivery through public-private partnerships under pastoral systems: preliminary observations from AVCD project in northern Kenya	Presenters - LIVES - AVCD Kenya	Azage Tegegne
12:30-1:30	Lunch	Organizers
1:30-3:00	Exhibition/poster and coffee break	LIVES, N2 Africa and Africa RISING
3:00-4:00	Presentations : Crop value chain * Crop varieties research and implications on closing yield gaps and diversifying incomes - Africa RISING experiences * Evidence based assessment of scalability of agricultural technologies: The case of improved food legumes and small ruminant market sheds - Africa RISING experiences * The PPP (Private-Public-Partnership)-an ILRI-N2Africa initiative for promoting legume technology dissemination and value chains to benefit smallholders * Smallholder farmers’ legume technology adoption preferences and contributions to farmers’ performance: Evidences from N2 Africa project	Presenters: - Africa RISING - N2Africa	Kindu Mekonnen
4:00-4:30	Discussion	Participants
4: 30-5:30	‘Coffee shop’ presentations * Mainstreaming and Promoting gender equity in market oriented agricultural development: The LIVES experiences * Farmer-based high value crops planting materials production and supply can enhance farm income, create job and support adoption : examples from LIVES * Capacity building approaches and innovations for market oriented agricultural development: Experiences of the LIVES Project * Innovation platforms: Contributions in the sustainable intensification R4D processes- Africa RISING experiences * Scaling of improved forage varieties at selected ILRI-SIMLESA project locations in Ethiopia	Presenters: - LIVES - Africa RISING	Dirk Hoekstra
6:00- 7:30	Reception	Organizers

		Friday 9 December
Time	Activity	Responsible Person	Chair /Facilitator
08:30- 9:00	Recap of the previous day	Facilitator
9:00-10:00	Presentations : Soil and water management * Feeding hungry and thirsty soils increases yield and protects the environment: Some results of WFD experiment in LIVES * Service Provision of Irrigation Water: New ways to step into affordable small scale irrigated agriculture * Solar powered water pumping can boost smallholder income sustainability: a business model based on action research from LIVES and Africa RISING sites	Presenters - LIVES - Africa RISING/LIVES	Tilahun Amede
10:00 – 10:30	Discussion	Participants
10:30-11:00	Tea break	Organizers
11:00-12:00	Presentations: Soil and water management continues * Capacitating frontline water lifting technology maintenance service provider reduces risks of crop failure and increases farmers confidence in adopting irrigation: LIVES experiences * Decision support tools for farm-level fertilizer recommendation in Ethiopia - Africa RISING experiences * Landscape management: Africa RISING R4D experiences in the Ethiopian highlands	Presenters - LIVES - Africa RISING	Endalkachew Woldemeskel
12:00-12:30	Discussion	Participants
12:30-1:30	Lunch	Organizers
1:30- 3:30	‘Coffee shop’presentations * Knowledge management and promotion for market oriented agricultural development: Experiences of the LIVES Project * Agribusiness approaches and methods to promote integration of farmers with markets: LIVES experiences * Making the best out of Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation to support project management: LIVES experiences * Innovation at LIVES has created job and improved input supply services to smallholder farmers: An example from hybrid tomato planting media development Use of Grain Legumes Residues as Livestock Feed in the Smallholder Mixed Crop-Livestock Systems in Ethiopia: Opportunities to Improve Feed	Presenters - LIVES - N2 Africa	Amare Haileselassie
3:30-4:00	Tea break
4:00 - 5:00	Policy/decision makers reflections/take away messages from the scalable approaches and technologies	MoLF MoANR Regions	Azage Tegegne
5:00 -5:20	Final remarks	Siboniso M.	^
5:20 -5:30	Closing	H.E. Dr. Gebregziabher Gebreyohannes	^

Day 2

Reflection on day one

What went well?	* Exhibition – The experience sharing workshop among sister projects, cross learning * Combination of approaches Panel discussions Presentations Exhibition Coffee shop Good presentation and participation (both the paper & coffee shop) The topics selected were appropriate Presentations Facilitation Exhibition Reception Panel discussion The interaction and facilitation approach Diversification of presenters Active participation & well prepared (attractive) presentations The overall organization style was super Panel * Good intro questions * Exhibition New technologies for up-scaling Two ministers arrived/stayed!
What didn’t go well?	* Inadequate time allocation to discuss things in detail * Shortage of time for presentation * Limited time for discussion and Q&A * Presentation was not to the point and lacked practicality * Recommended technologies are good but not sure regarding affordability for the farmers * Lacks discussion, mostly presentation * Over-scheduled * Tight schedule and problem of time keeping * Time for presentation was less than allocated, it was a marathon! * Time management (people and time keeper)
What needs improvement?	* Time allocation * Prioritizing the presentations * Time management * Allocate enough time given the topic and participation * Reduce ‘introduction’ part of the presentation to save time * The presentations should be focused and selective * Discussion on scalable interventions should be improved * Less presentations & more discussion/bus stop * Time management & budget