Past event
6-8 May 2013 Abuja, Nigeria
Event: COMPRO II - National regulatory authorities meeting
Objective of the event: to bring together stakeholders involved in regulatory agencies for bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides and commercial products with the aim of reviewing existing national policy frameworks for regulation of these products in Nigeria.
ASHC role: to collect and collate information for these activities for the ‘Quality & Yield’ newsletter and the COMPRO II website. ASHC is also working on the briefing documents
Event organisers: AATF
ASHC team member attending: James Watiti
29-30 April 2013 Nairobi, Kenya
Event: AGRA Soil Health Program Retreat
Objective: Reflect on achievements of the AGRA Soil Health Program phase I and chart way forward for phase II
Venue: Southern Sun Hotel
ASHC team member attending: George Oduor
22-26 April 2013 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Event: Crawford Fund 'Master class in communicating research to stakeholders'
Objective: The course will skill up senior scientific/research/project staff to boost the capability of their agricultural research institutions to communicate research results and its impact to stakeholders.
Venue: ILRI Campus
ASHC team member attending: Grace Omondi
24-26 April 2013 Harare, Zimbabwe
Event: ASHC Maize-legume cropping guide write-shop
Objective: to develop the content for the level 2 ASHC maize legume cropping guide
Venue: CIMMYT boardroom
ASHC team member attending: Lydia Wairegi with Keith Sones, cropping guide series editor
TAG members attending: Paul Mapfumo and Ken Giller
16-18 April 2013 Harare, Zimbabwe
Event: Industry-policy-science workshop on:
Market-smart interventions to facilitate the availability, access and use of nutrients by smallholders in Eastern and Southern Africa
Objective: Provide an update on the state of nutrient use and agro-input
Markers vis-à-vis the aims of the 2006 Abuja Fertilizer Summit
Identify gaps in information relevant to individual country development strategies and private business lanes
Explore the design of market-smart interventions as well as the institutional incentives required to improve the availability, access and attractiveness of fertilizer to farmers
Venue: Bronte Hotel
ASHC team member attending: George Oduor
3-5 April 2013 Ibadan, Nigeria
Event: ASHC cassava cropping guide (level 2) write-shop
Objective: to work with a group of experts to identify the content for the cassava cropping guide and to use this information to further develop the template for the cropping guide series
ASHC team members attending: Lydia Wairegi
and ASHC cropping guides series editor Keith Sones with ASHC associates Utiang P Ugbe and Grace Jokthan.
27-28 March 2013 Arusha, Tanzania
Event: Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS) Stakeholder’s Meeting
Objective: The main objective of this meeting is to share with the stakeholders the achievements of Phase I of “A globally integrated Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS)” project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and share important lessons learned from the different countries.
Since 2009, the four-year project, whose main goal was to provide accurate, up-to-date information about soil resources, and their management to support sound decision and policymaking, has been implementing activities in East, West and southern Africa with hubs in Kenya, Tanzania, Mali, Nigeria and Malawi.
Venue: Snow Crest Hotel, Arusha, Tanzania
ASHC team members are to take part in the workshop
25-27 March 2013 Nairobi, Kenya
Event: Launch of Global Soil Partnership in Eastern and Southern Africa
Objectives:
• Launch the Global Soil Partnership in the region
• Stocktaking on the status, needs and priorities of soil activities in the region
• Jointly define a roadmap for the establishment of the African Soil Partnership.
Apart from the establishment of the Regional Soil Partnership, it is expected to produce a joint report portraying the main needs and priorities towards sustainable soil management in the different countries as an input for a plan of action to be implemented by the partnership.
Agenda
Venue: Jacaranda Hotel in Nairobi
ASHC team member attending: George Oduor
21-22 March 2013 Nairobi, Kenya
Workshop: Project inception workshop for the AGRA Country-level Soil Health Consortia (CSHC) project
Purpose: The Alliance for a Green Revolution has awarded 3-year funding to International Plant Nutrition Institute and National Agricultural Research Institutions in 8 countries (Ethiopia, Kenya Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) to support consolidation and dissemination of ISFM knowledge using the Country-level Soil Health Consortia (CSHC).
The main role of the consortium is to provide platforms for harmonizing the synthesis and dissemination of knowledge on soil health at the country level.
Role: IPNI said “As the Africa Soil Health Consortium is playing a leading role in the development of ISFM knowledge products, your participation at this important workshop will help us identify opportunities for collaboration, and add valuable insights into the planning for the implementation of the project.”
Venue: Jacaranda Hotel in Nairobi
ASHC team member attending: George Oduor, ASHC project manager.
18- 21 March 2013 Tamale, Ghana
Write-shop: Creating soil health information for rice farmers and extensionists
Purpose: ASHC working with the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute's rice programme (CSIR-SARI), and in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) will hold a communications materials development write-shop.
Objectives of the write-shop:
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To develop a message design based on specific rice integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technology
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Determine most appropriate format for message dissemination
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Produce and field-test draft communication materials
20-23 February 2013 Hohoe, Ghana
Workshop: ISFM training of trainers workshop (run in partnership with Africare, Ghana)
Purpose: Training of trainers to facilitate and deploy ISFM strategies in farming communities in the Hohoe region
To produce a draft manual to be used to facilitate ISFM with smallholders
Africare will use a poster created at the earlier ASHC-led write-shop as one of the training materials.
ASHC staff involvement: Grace Omondi will attend.
Contact: Victor Clottey, email: v.clottey@cgiar.org
6-8 February 2013 Nairobi, Kenya
Event: Technical advisory group meeting
16-21 December 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Event: ISFM radio campaign on 22 syndicated radio shows
As part of the communications experiment with Shujaaz 22 Kenyan radio stations will broadcast programmes devised by Shujaaz. Each night the Shujaaz team will present ISFM messages in an imaginative and entertaining five minutes radio programme.
ASHC lead for this programme is Duncan Sones the ASHC communications associate.
10 December 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Publication: ISFM feature issue of Young African Express
As part of the World Soil Day promotion in Kenya, ASHC has commission an education campaign in Young African Express.
Purpose: This communications experiment involves the distribution to Kenyan school of curriculum support materials, based on ISFM approaches, for use in science classes. This is followed by a competition for schools to create an ISFM publicity poster and to initiate an ISFM campaign with smallholders – usually parents of their school pupils.
ASHC lead for this programme is Duncan Sones the ASHC communications associate.
5 December 2012
Event: World Soil Day 2012
3 December 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Publication: ASHC Newsletter 15 wishes for World Soil Day
To coincide with World Soil Day on 5 December, the Africa Soil Health Consortium has produced a visionary newsletter based on the wishes of 15 people with interesting views on issues relating to soil health.
The newsletter is being supported by a press and social media campaign to make people think again about the soil of Africa.
1 December 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Publication: ISFM feature issue of Shujaaz
As part of the World Soil Day celebrations in Kenya, ASHC is publishing an integrated soil fertility management story in the December issue of Shujaaz
600,000 comics will be distributed in Kenya showing the benefits of using improved seed, organic matter and fertilizer.
For the week 16 December over twenty radio stations will carry syndicated radio programmes sharing ISFM messages. There will also be a social media campaign.
23 October 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Launch: ASHC Handbook for Integrated Soil Fertility Management
As part of the conference Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Africa: From Microbes to markets (ISFM Africa 2012) ASHC launched its new handbook.
The handbook is edited by Thomas Fairhurst and has conributions from leading experts in ISFM in an African context.
Speakers: Ken Giller and George Oduor
ASHC project team running launch: Grace Omondi and James Watiti
22-26 October 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Conference: Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Africa: From Microbes to Markets (ISFM Africa)
Purpose of the conference: A conference of organizations and projects delivering ISFM technologies to small-scale farmers in Africa.
Focus: Dealt with the comparison and scaling-up of candidate breakthrough technologies, monitoring and evaluation of their impacts within rural settings and along agricultural value chains. It also explores strategies to increase human and institutional capacities in Integrated Soil Fertility Management.
4-5 October 2012 Arusha, Tanzania
Meeting: Stakeholders’ Meeting of the Africa RISING – East and Southern Africa Project
Purpose of the meeting: To discuss the review of the achievements from the first year and research plans for the second year of Africa RISING (Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation) Program.
Africa RISING is a multi-stakeholder agricultural research program to sustainably intensify key African farming systems
Meeting type: A participatory research process drawing upon dialogue with partners from public, voluntary and private ‘to ensure appropriate research visioning, implementation and information exchange.’
Key players: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is the lead institute for the ESA maize- and rice-based systems research project. Funder is the USA Government’s Feed the Future Initiative.
Focus countries: West Africa, Ethiopian Highlands, and Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA)
Project focus: The program focuses on delivering research outputs that provide pathways out of hunger and poverty for small holder families through sustainably intensified farming systems that sufficiently improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base.
26-28 September 2012 Arusha,Tanzania
Conference: The African Green Revolution Forum
Purpose of the meeting: AGRF 2012 builds on recent momentum to tackle global food security. The forum sets the stage for African ownership in the next phase of scaling agricultural development solutions and steering investment to build a sustainable food secure future
ASHC role: ASHC is delighted to announce it has been invited to have a stand at AGRF 2012
ASHC team: to be confirmed
Purpose of ASHC presence: to showcase recent ISFM materials developed by ASHC and to share methodologies for producing farmer friendly extension materials.
September 2012 Tamale, Ghana
Write-shop: Improving soil health information for farmers and extensionists in Ghana
Purpose: ASHC working with AGRA, AGRA Grantees from the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, Tamale, the University for Development Studies, Tamale and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture designed a 2-day write-shop to create some new integrated soil fertility management materials (day 3 field testing of the draft materials)
Context: There are some really exciting soil health projects in Ghana. Like elsewhere in Africa there is a challenge of packaging this information to achieve significant adoption of this new practice. This write-shop will seek to develop some sample suites of information materials and test the concepts in the field.
Objectives of the write-shop:
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To get a complete suite of soil health information developed field-tested and into production-based on the priorities set by the participating organizations
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Record any emerging practice or innovation in the way dissemination materials are produced
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Other objectives to be decided on by the participants
ASHC delivery team: Jane Frances Asaba, Collins Marita with Duncan Sones
ASHC event flyer
30 July - 1 August 2012 Africare, Hohoe, at Nsuta, Kadjebi, Ghana
Write-shop: Improving soil health information for farmers and extensionists in Ghana
Purpose: ASHC working with AGRA, AGRA Grantees from Africare, Hohoe and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture designed a 2-day write-shop to create some new integrated soil fertility management materials (day 3 field testing of the draft materials)
Context: There are some really exciting soil health projects in Ghana. Like elsewhere in Africa there is a challenge of packaging this information to achieve significant adoption of this new practice. This write-shop will seek to develop some sample suites of information materials and test the concepts in the field.
Objectives of the write-shop:
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To get a complete suite of soil health information developed field-tested and into production-based on the priorities set by the participating organizations
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Record any emerging practice or innovation in the way dissemination materials are produced
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Other objectives to be decided on by the participants
ASHC delivery team: Jane Frances Asaba, Collins Marita with Duncan Sones
ASHC event flyer
24-26 July 2012 Kumasi, Ghana
Write-shop: Improving soil health information for farmers and extensionists in Ghana
Purpose: ASHC working with AGRA , AGRA Grantees at the Soil Research Institute, Kumasi and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture designed a 2-day write-shop to create some new integrated soil fertility management materials (day 3 is field testing of the draft materials)
Context: There are some really exciting soil health projects in Ghana. Like elsewhere in Africa there is a challenge of packaging this information to achieve significant adoption of this new practice. This write-shop will seek to develop some sample suites of information materials and test the concepts in the field.
Objectives of the write-shop:
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To get a complete suite of soil health information developed field-tested and into production – based on the priorities set by the participating organsiations
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Record any emerging practice or innovation in the way dissemination materials are produced
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Other objectives to be decided on by the participants
ASHC delivery team: Jane Frances Asaba , Collins Marita with Duncan Sones
ASHC event flyer
4-8 June 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Meeting: AGRA Soil Health grantees meeting: Reviewing experiences in project implementation and strategies for going beyond the demos
Purpose of the meeting: This meeting provides an opportunity for grantees to share experiences and also interact with key partners.
Context: AGRA’s Soil Program has funded over 80 projects that aim at scaling out integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) in 13 focal countries in sub-Saharan Africa since its inception in 2008. Half of these grants are for research and extension in East and Southern Africa relating to cereals and grain legumes of various types in demonstration plots and/or trials under ISFM practices.
Objectives for the meeting:
• Share lessons and experiences emerging from ISFM scale out projects in East and Southern Africa.
• Provide opportunity for grantees to receive feedback on the agronomic and socioeconomic data that is being generated for manuscript preparation.
• Identify knowledge gaps in approaches to scale out ISFM technologies and approaches to capture, synthesize and communicate emerging knowledge of relevance at country, regional and global level.
• Provide opportunities for cross projects and country collaboration through engaging in partnership such the CABI-Africa Soil Health Consortium, AfNet, Tropical Legumes II project, AfSIS, N2 Africa, COMPRO, etc. who will provide feedback to what the grantees are implementing and create resource networks.
ASHC event flyer
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
3-4 May 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Meeting: The Africa Soil Health Consortium (ASHC) project’s Technical Advisory Group Meeting
Purpose of the meeting: To update the members of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on project progress and to chart way forward for the project to increase its effectiveness and ultimate impact. The specific objectives are to:
• share progress to date and learnings
• develop strategies for addressing current challenges and exploiting emerging opportunities
• help shape project directions and plans to December 2012
• review current project oversight and how that is working so far.
Draft agenda for TAG
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.odour@cabi.org
2 May 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Meeting: Scoping workshop establishing best management practices and decision system support systems for key crops and cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa
A joint workshop by AGRA and the Gates Foundation
Objectives for the workshop are:
Capture actual yield and existing crop management practices including fertilizer use for key cropping systems of selected geographies (TBD).
Consolidate and where necessary update best crop management practices and associated yield gains for the selected geographies based on existing expert knowledge for key cropping systems,
Identify the challenges and opportunities for economic fertilizer use to exploit existing yield gaps in key cropping systems and geographies.
Assess the need and opportunities for the development of a new generation of decision support tools such as the Nutrient Manager for Rice.
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
18-20 April 2012 Agadir, Morroco
Conference: 2012 FMB Africa Fertilizer Conference
Purpose of the meeting: Topics to be covered at the conference includes
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Subsidies for African agriculture
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Public/private partnerships
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Innovative business models for finance, subsidies and insurance
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Aggregation – benefits and drawbacks
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Connecting African farmers to the international marketplace
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Hedging crops and inputs
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Land acquisition
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Local development banks and their role in African agriculture
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Smallholder farming
2012 FMB Africa will examine the challenges facing the continent as it looks to prioritise its Green Revolution, borrowing on the practical experience of some of the major producers, importers, distributors and agencies operating throughout Africa.
Purpose of ASHC attendance: Networking with soil and fertilizer specialists and look out for potential case studies and other materials for dissemination by ASHC.
Booking details: If you want to join ASHC and the 500 other delegates at the conference
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
11-12 April 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Consultative workshop: On high value non-staple crop technologies and innovations
Host: Association for strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa [http://www.asareca.org]
Purpose of the meeting:
• to present the achievements of the projects so far
• to discuss the technologies and innovations that have been generated
• to identify gaps that need to be addressed in future in projects
• to make recommendations on scaling out and communicating results of previous efforts
Presentations will be made for one and half days. During the afternoon of the second day there will be plenary discussions to make recommendations on future plans.
Draft agenda
Consortium contact: Caroline Nyakundi, Lydia Waregi, email: l.wairegi@cabi.org
5-9 March 2012 Ghana
Meeting: George Oduor met with a range of partners and stakeholders in organization in Ghana, to provide information on the progress with ASHC, seek partners and source proven ISFM materials. One other objectives of the meetings was to set up an information product-development workshop for key ASHC stakeholders in Ghana in April.
Meetings included:
Accra
Purpose: to discuss how in soil fertility management information is received and disseminated to the their customers
Tamale
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8 March am - Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI)
Purpose: to share information on-going ISFM initiative (project) especially on maize, lowland irrigated rice and/or sorghum/millet/cowpea cropping system)
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8 March pm - Media
Purpose: explore how media can disseminate integrated soil fertility management information to their audiences
Accra
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9 March pm - International Centre for Soil Improvement and Agricultural Development (IFDC)
Purpose: to share information on-going ISFM initiatives and explore possibilities of working together
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
7-9 March 2012 Nairobi
Meeting: AGRA Soil Health Program (SHP) retreat
Purpose of the meeting: ASHC was invited to attend the meeting on 8 March 2012 as a strategic partner in the implementation of AGRAs SHP projects.
Consortium contact: Dannie Romney , e-mail: d.romney@cabi.org and Lydia Wairegi, e-mail: l.wairegi@cabi.org
20-22 February 2012 Mali
Event: Mali field visits
What we did: ASHC set up interviews in the field with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agro-dealer Association and radio and tv stations, AGRA grantees undertaking ISFM projects, research institutions (IER and AfSIS) and both men and women farmers.
Attenders: Delegate list
Consortium contact: Collins Abuga, e-mail: cmarita@ifdc.org
13-17 February 2012 Bamako, Mali
Workshop: Information materials development workshop
What we did: ASHC held a practical workshop based on preset objectives, where participants explored the challenges of producing and disseminating ISFM information – including the best formats and channels for dissemination to user groups. The participants explored collaboratively designing and producing materials on ISFM technologies for disseminated and up-scaled.
Attenders: Delegate list
Consortium contact: Caroline Nyakundi.
9-13 January 2012 Kenya
Workshop: TSBF- CIAT & AGRA Soil Health Programme data analysis and manuscripts writing workshop
What we did: ASHC team attended and participated in the agenda. The aims of the workshop were to help improve ISFM project to improve their reporting. The team raised the profile of ASHC and networked with the workshop participants (many of whom were AGRA grantees) to find ISFM information that could be out-scale as level 3 materials.
Consortium contact: Caroline Nyakundi, Rodney Lunduka and Lydia Wairegi
14 -16 December 2011 Entebbe, Uganda
Conference: The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) General Assembly,
Theme: Feeding our region in the 21st century
What we did: Displayed ASHC information materials at a booth during the General Assembly
Consortium contact: Jane Frances Aasaba, e-mail: j.asaba@cabi.org
23-25 November 2011 Tanzania
Workshop: Africa Soil Health Consortium write-shop for product development teams (PDTs)
What we did: Held a consultation and training for product development teams on development of knowledge products - workshop report
Consortium contact: Caroline Nyakundi, or Jane Frances Asaba, e-mail: j.asaba@cabi.org.
21-25 November 2011 Jinja, Uganda
Conference: Soil Science Society of East Africa (SSSEA)
Theme: Strategic management of soil resources to climate change adaptation and mitigation for a prosperous East Africa region
What we did: Rodney Lunduka made a presentation The financial benefits of integrated soil fertility management
Consortium contact: Rodney Lunduka.
15-17 November 2011 Nairobi, Kenya
Conference: Innovations in extension and advisory services international conference
Theme: Linking Knowledge to Policy and Action for Food and Livelihoods
What we did: The consortium was represented on the CABI stand in the exhibition hall.
Consortium contact: Dannie Romney, e-mail: d.romney@cabi.org and Paul Van Mele
24-27 October 2011 Kigali, Rwanda
Conference: CIALCA International Conference
Themes: System components; system integration, drivers for adoption and knowledge-intensive approaches
What we did: Lydia and Piet made a presentation Exploring the scope of fertilizer use in the East African region and produced a poster
IRIN news report on CIALCA conference: includes quotes from the ASHC presentation
Consortium contact: Lydia Wairegi, e-mail: l.wairegi@cabi.org and Piet van Asten
16-21 October 2011 Lilongwe, Malawi
Team visit: Africa Soil Health Consortium team visit to Malawi,
What we did: Rodney Lunduka was invited by the Pan African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) to attend a bean breeder’s workshop to introduce the African Soil Health Consortium project to the breeders. The breeders, mainly working with CIAT, came from Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, DR Congo, Mozambique, Malawi, Uganda, Mauritius, South Africa, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Zambia and Zimbabwe, were appreciative of the project objectives. Rodney also visited: the Land Resources Conservation Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation; the National Association of Smallholder Famers in Malawi (NASFAM); the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Land Resources Centre.
Consortium contact: Rodney Lunduka.
3-7 October 2011 Nairobi, Kenya
Workshop: Write-shop for the development of level 1 handbook,
What we did: ASHC brought together experts on integrated soil fertility management to collaborate on the production of the level 1 Handbook. This process was led by Thomas Fairhurst of Tropical Crops Consultants Ltd. who is the project’s Technical Editor. The group developed the structure of the handbook and held a write-shop – which is a collaborative process where participants write and then critique each others work to move to a consensus about the style and content of the finished text. This is a core reference material on principles and approaches of ISFM.
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
20 September 2011
Publication: Draft gender strategy
What we did: Pubished the draft gender strategy.
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
Consultants working for the ASHC: Louise Mailloux and Luingamla Kashungnao
12 -16 September 2011 Lusaka, Zambia
Team visit: Africa Soil Health Consortium team visit to Zambia
What we did: This visit was designed to engage Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and other stakeholders in the African Soil Health Consortium project. We found out how COMESA is currently working with member countries in policy development and advocacy. Rodney also visited: The Zambia Agriculture Research Institute, University Of Zambia, Zambia Food Security Research Project (FSRP) and Ministry of Agriculture (CAADP coordinator) and discussed how research institutions in Zambia, engaged in integrated soil fertility management activities, could work with the ASHC project. He also discussed partnering with them to develop polices and disseminate research finding. The main outcome of the meetings was an understanding of the importance of the ASHC project activities, the need to sign Memorandum of Understanding and finally pledges to support and collaborate with the ASHC project.
Consortium contact: Rodney Lunduka.
22-25 August 2011
Workshop: Technology audit on soil fertility enhancement in ECA sub-region – ASARECA
Theme: Audit technologies generated and draft a roadmap to facilitate their uptake.
What did we did: The ASHC team attended and Lydia Wairegi made a presentation. A concept note, for upscalling identified technologies was drafted
Consortium contact: Lydia Wairegi, e-mail: l.wairegi@cabi.org
21-26 August 2011 Mali
Team visit: Africa Soil Health Consortium team visit to Mali
What we did: George Oduor visited key individuals and organsiations involved in soil health in Mali including: Willem van Campen, IFDC representative; Benjamin Coulibaly, agronomist IER; Yamoussa Coulibaly APVM Co-op; Abou Dearthe, Country Rep SG2000; Doua Demba Diallo & Amara Diakite, CNFA; Ibrahima Diakite, President CRU; Mamourou Diouarte, head of sorghum programme, IER; Mamadou Doumbia, head of laboratory, IER; Zoumana Kouyate, agronomist, IER; Aga Mada, Farmer; George Okwach, head of HOPE project, ICRISAT; Mamadou Roger, Maize Programme, IER; Bino Teme DG, IER; and Drissa Traoure , ORS.
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
23 August 2011 Nairobi, Kenya
Meeting: Harmonization of M&E Indicators in legume research and development
Who was involved: AGRA, ICRISAT, TSBF-CIAT, CABI and IFDC
What we did: Project staff agreed to share key performance indicators for monitoring and evaluating and to work towards the production of a common performance indicator table. This table will include indicator definition, methodology for data collection and source and frequency for data collection. The project team also agreed to work towards a protocol for joint impact evaluations, data collection methodologies/tools harmonized and improved data reporting. A stakeholder workshop will share the proposed framework of collaboration and plans for its development.
Consortium contact: Kelly P Stenhoff.
7–12 August 2011
Team visit: Africa Soil Health Consortium team visit to Uganda
What we did: The Africa Soil Health Consortium (ASHC) team met Grameen Foundation and AppLab staff and went on a field trip to see community knowledge workers interacting with farmers. They saw innovation @ the Last Mile and “Business in a box” approaches. The team also visited the Presidential Initiative for Banana and Industrial Development (PIBID) in Bushenyi; National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) centres in Mbarara and Kawanda; the Uganda National Agro-input Dealers Association (UNADA) in Kampala; and the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) in Kampala.
Who attended: Lydia Wairegi, Jane Asaba, Caroline Nyakundi and Kelly P Stenhoff.
Consortium contact: Kelly P Stenhoff.
4-6 July 2011
Team visit: Africa Soil Health Consortium team visit to Ghana
What we did: George Oduor visited key individuals and organsiations involved in soil health including AGRA and ISFM; SARI and IFDC.
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
6-10 June 2011 Nairobi Kenya
Workshop: AGRA Soil Health Programme Grantees workshop
What we did: We presented information on the Africa Soil Health Consortium’s work in an information sharing session to the 59 participants.
Consortium contact: Lydia Wairegi, e-mail: l.wairegi@cabi.org, or George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
25-26 May 2011
Workshop: Africa Soil Health Consortium held their inaugural workshop
What did we did: This two-day event provided an opportunity for participants to understand better the thinking behind the Consortium and contribute to planning how it will function. Delegates came from a range of partner organisations including:
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Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)
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Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
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Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
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CIAT-TSBF (International Centre for Tropical Agriculture – Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Research Programme)
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Grameen Foundation
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International Centre for Research on Women
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International Centre for Soil Improvement and Agricultural Development (IFDC)
Terms for the technical advisory group were agreed. And Thomas Fairhurst explained a proposed pocket is aimed at raising awareness on incidence and prevalence of deficiency symptoms and their impact on crop productivity in Africa. It will feature commentaries on soil fertility indicators, nutrient deficiency symptoms and crop information. Partners agreed that the booklet could be used to train extension workers.
Dannie Romney, Project Executive for ASHC, spoke on the need to prioritize cropping systems in different areas. The criteria used to select the priority cropping systems where the project will focus included: existing transport and market infrastructures, water availability, supportive government policies and high probability of small scale farmers benefiting from the systems. At the end of the workshop, members felt that the objectives were achieved and that they had a better understanding of the project. Teamwork, enthusiasm, participation, willingness and interest of various partners to collaborate helped ensure the success of the workshop.
Consortium contact: George Oduor, e-mail: g.oduor@cabi.org
23-24 May 2011
Workshop: Diagnostic tools and decision aids for soil health in Africa – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Theme: Towards a development platform for soil health decision support
What did we do?: The ASHC team attended and Lydia Wairegi made a presentation
Consortium contact: Lydia Wairegi, e-mail: l.wairegi@cabi.org