Land restoration and avoiding further degradation can be a key pathway to achieving food security and exiting poverty for some of the most vulnerable people living in Africa’s drylands. Achieving the UN’s SDGs requires that successful restoration efforts reach larger numbers of farmers and hectares over the coming decade.
A key constraint to scaling is that the ecological, economic, sociological and institutional context varies from household to household, let alone village to landscapes – there are no silver bullets. There are multiple reasons for poor adoption, and no simple solution. What is urgently needed are locally relevant restoration options that will work for different people in different places – participatory technological adaptation. This project is developing innovative ways to achieve scaling through adopting a co-learning approach that accelerates development impact by embedding research in development initiatives (for example, using research methods to document and monitor the experiences of the farmers and then adapt the technologies to local context).
This research in development model operates through engagement with key development partners, including IFAD Country Loan Programmes, NGOs, EC Country Programmes, as well as government, universities and the private sector, influencing the way they interact with one another and smallholder farmers.
The project monitors interactions amongst research and development partners, allowing us to track the way research results and tools are being used by stakeholders. This dialogue helps development actors and researchers understand each other’s needs and expectations. This is done through nested communities of practice which facilitates the generation of timely research outputs to be incorporated in the development cycle.
Download the report or visit the project website to find out more.
