Driving agroecological transitions in the humid tropics of Central and Eastern Africa through traNsdisciplinary Agroecology Living LabS” (CANALLS)
Brief project description
The overall objective of CANALLS is to drive agroecological transitions in the humid tropics of Central and Eastern Africa via multi-actor transdisciplinary Agroecology Living Labs (ALLs). We start by establishing 8 ALLs across DR Congo (DRC), Burundi (BR), Cameroon (CR) and Rwanda (RW), enabling over 1,000 farmers and value chain actors to co-create and directly benefit from tailored combinations of agroecological practices. Our consortium of 14 African and 8 European partners will engage in solid multi-actor collaboration as well as policy dialogues with rural communities, advisory services and governments to develop and use practical tools for evaluating the socio-economic and environmental performance of agroecological strategies, employing the evidence generated to build capacity and share good practices as well as to design fair inclusive and sustainable business models, facilitating access to markets. Our vision is to create and sustain a growing network, we dub as the Central and Eastern Africa Network of ALLs (CANoLL), that builds on EU and AU cooperation to jointly conduct transdisciplinary research, offer scientific support and drive coordinated action for delivering holistic agroecological solutions that meet the challenges of food systems in the humid tropics of Central and Eastern Africa.
This project builds on results and lessons from SERVInnov (strengthens innovation support services) for sustainable food production in Africa. It will provide the OCATI which will be adapted for agroecological transitions and tested with advisors in CANALLS (CIRAD: Coordinator, UHOH, AFAAS: Partners).
- Task 5.2: Co-shaping demand-driven and fair value-propositions for agroecological food products (M12-M18) (Lead: AFAAS, main support: Q-PLAN, RIK, UCB, APDIK, CAMF, CAPAD, RAB, AATF, NATUR)
- This task, leverages multi-actor engagement, to co-shape value propositions that fit the needs of the market segments and establish fairness for value chain actors involved to enhance commitment to change.
- Task 6.2: Scaling up the use of the Decision Support Tools (DSTs) across advisory and extension services in Africa (M18-M48) (Lead: AFAAS, main support: CIRAD, IITA, UHOH, RIK, APDIK, CAMF, CAPAD, RAB, AATF).
- Task 6.2 rolls out the DSTs developed in Task 2.5, scaling up their use by extension and advisory service providers in Africa, leveraging the network of AATF and AFAAS as well as other networks interlinked with our partners (incl. the West and Central Network for Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services, the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services, etc.).