Agricultural advisory cycle
What's new on agricultural advisory services in West and Central Africa?
IR's latest news on agricultural consulting
Agricultural sectors and agro-ecological transition in West Africa: Focus on the rice sector
Rice is the second most consumed cereal in West Africa, after maize. However, it is now facing sustainability and competitiveness challenges due to the continuous decline in soil fertility and changes in world markets.
The conference organized by #AFD and #CIRAD on the sidelines of the International Agricultural Show in Paris, through several interventions, allowed to discuss these major development issues in the face of the quest for food sovereignty in West Africa. On this occasion, Christophe RIGOURD, consultant associated with #IRAM presented the results of the work of the #ACOTAF and #COSTEA projects on the issues of #agro-ecological transition and #agricultural consulting in favor of the agro-ecological transition in agricultural sectors.
In order to make this presentation, which was the subject of an initial video, more widely available and accessible, Inter-réseaux has undertaken to sequence it into four short videos according to the various salient points addressed by Christophe Rigourd.
Webinars on agricultural advisory services and agroecological transitions in West Africa.
Within the framework of the ACOTAF project, Inter-réseaux co-organized with the other members of the project implementation consortium (CIRAD, IRAM, Rescar-AOC) a series of webinars to present the results of studies conducted in 5 West African countries (Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Conakry, Niger) on the state of play of taking into account agro-ecological transitions in the provision of agricultural advisory services.
The first two webinars, in French (November 29, 2022) and English (January 17, 2023) respectively, presented the results of the above-mentioned studies. The third webinar (January 18, 2023) was an opportunity to identify different strategic levers to support a better consideration of agroecological transitions in agricultural advisory services.
Agricultural model and agricultural advisory model in West Africa
In its magazine Grain de sel n°82-83, Inter-réseaux has devoted an article to the work on agricultural advisory services in West Africa, carried out within the framework of the ACOTAF project. You will find answers to various questions such as: what is the status of agroecology in West Africa? what are the needs for agroecological transitions? what is the status of agricultural advisory services and how do they accompany these transitions?
Does farm consulting still make sense today?
In its 77th issue of Grain de sel , devoted entirely to farm advisory services, Inter-réseaux brings together multiple points of view and knowledge, and reminds us that farm advisory services make sense for family farms, by illustrating the multiple meanings of advisory services.
"On the side of others
14th GFRAS Annual Meeting
The 14th Annual Conference of the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) will be held October 17-19, 2023 in Denver, Colorado, USA.
Connecting farmers to industrial buyers
The digital platform AgroSfer provides a comprehensive response for better collaboration between small farmer cooperatives and agribusiness manufacturers. Developed in Benin, Agrosfer allows farmers to sell their products to industrial buyers looking for raw materials.
Inter-réseaux and the Agricultural Council
A story that lasts since 1996...
The theme of agricultural advice has been on the agenda ofinter-réseaux since its creation in 1996. With different members of the network, IR has participated in several works of animation of reflections and production of documents on this theme: The number 20 of the review Grain de sel which devoted its main file to the "Advice to the service of the farms"; the workshops on the advice to the family farm of Bohicon ( Bohicon I and Bohicon II ); the Pole CEF; the debates within the framework of the initiative of Neuchâtel which contributed later to the birth of GFRAS; etc.
In 2017, at the initiative of the Institut de recherches et d'applications des méthodes de développement (Iram), Inter-réseaux formed a group bringing together Iram, CIRAD, and CER France. They then began a dialogue with the French Development Agency (AFD) to conduct a reflection on consulting in order to facilitate the implementation of an "agricultural consulting" strategy at AFD. This work, which began at the end of 2017, is currently ongoing and already directly involves six members ofInter-réseaux (Afdi, AVI, AVSF, Corade, Fert and Iram) alongside CIRAD and CER France.
Various documents emerged from this working group, including 11 case studies reported by different organizations; a summary of the policy brief on agricultural advisory services; the note published by the AFD and its English version; the Thematic Watch Bulletin on the new challenges of agricultural advisory services in Africa; Grain de sel No. 77, entitled " Does agricultural advisory services still make sense today?
This work resulted in a summary bulletin produced by a working group led by Inter-réseaux Développement Rural and composed of Iram, CIRAD and Ambre Conseil/CERFRANCE, among others. The English version of the bulletin is available here.
Members rallying for the Farm Council
Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières is an international solidarity association recognized as being of public utility, which has been working since 1977 to support peasant agriculture. It puts the skills of professionals in agriculture, animal husbandry and animal health at the service of peasant communities threatened by exclusion and poverty.
The Institut de Recherches et d'Applications des Méthodes de Développement (Iram) has been involved in international cooperation since 1957. Within the framework of research and development projects or programs initiated by Iram, it provides support to organizations in the South, in particular microfinance institutions, professional agricultural organizations, civil society organizations and local authorities.
AVI is an organization of five members, operating in four countries in West Africa: AcSSA - Afrique Verte Niger; AMASSA - Afrique Verte Mali; APROSSA - Afrique Verte Burkina Faso; AGUISSA - Afrique Verte Guinea and Afrique Verte in France. AVI supports farmers' organizations in West Africa so that they can ensure their food security, defend their food sovereignty and face the consequences of climate change.
Fert is an agri-agency under French law and international cooperation for agricultural development. It assists farmers in developing and emerging countries in the creation of organizations (producer groups, cooperatives, agricultural credit unions, training centers, etc.) enabling them to find sustainable solutions to the problems they encounter in the exercise of their profession and the defense of their interests.
Association of international solidarity, AFDI supports family farming, accompanies farmers' organizations in developing countries and raises awareness of the French agricultural world to international development.
The CORADE Agency (Consulting, Research-Action and Development Expertise) is a consulting firm under Burkinabe law, created in 2005 by African executives wishing to federate their efforts in the service of sustainable development in Africa. Its mission is to develop and provide innovative approaches and tools of advice and training that strengthen the autonomy and responsibility of actors in taking control of their destiny.
Projects that are being implemented...
These are projects that are fully supported by Inter-réseaux or implemented in collaboration with its members or other partners...
ACOTAF
Presentation
ACOTAF, farm advisory services for agro-ecological transitions, is a project funded by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), and implemented by the consortium Inter-réseaux Développement rural, IRAM, Rescar- AOC and CIRAD.
Planned for a period of 3 years (2020-2023), the specific objective of this project is to strengthen knowledge management and the capacities of advisory actors for a renewal of agricultural advice that promotes agro-ecological transitions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
To this end, several actions have been initiated to produce and share knowledge on agricultural advisory services in five West African countries (Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Conakry and Niger) and to strengthen the capacities of stakeholders by supporting initiatives to renew public policies in relation to agricultural advisory services in favor of agroecological transitions.
Activities in progress or completed
- 5 country studies on the state of the art of taking into account agro-ecological transitions in the provision of agricultural advisory services, together with 5 summaries from the country reports: Burkina Faso ; Benin ; Côte d'Ivoire; Guinea Conakry ; Niger.
- A regional synthesis of the 5 studies ;
- 3 webinars to present the results of the country studies;
Knowledge management on agricultural advisory services in West and Central Africa: focus on three research/reflection axes.
The animation of the consulting cycle also includes information and thematic monitoring, as well as collective work. At this level, it focuses on three main areas of research and reflection, the results of which are shared as they become available.
Agricultural advice for agro-ecological transitions
Agricultural advice and structuring of sectors
Major players in agricultural consulting in West and Central Africa
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