December 2020

Vision: A world where women & men farmers play decisive roles in ARD for sustainable livelihoods

In several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, diverse organisations joined forces to promote local innovation processes in agriculture and natural resource management (NRM). After analysing their own experiences in agricultural research & development (ARD), they formed multistakeholder Country Platforms (CPs), designed their own programmes and agreed on international activities for mutual learning and policy dialogue. Thus, a Global Partnership Programme (GPP) was built from the bottom up, at first under the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) umbrella, and remains a vibrant community of practice to this day.

PROLINNOVA is an NGO-initiated international multi- PROLINNOVA seeks to: stakeholder partnership promoting local innovation • demonstrate the effectiveness of farmer-led participatory processes in ecologically oriented agriculture and innovation for sustainable development NRM. It focuses on recognising the dynamics of • build partnerships in agricultural innovation indigenous knowledge (IK) and enhancing capacities of farmers (including pastoralists, fishers and forest • enhance capacities of farmers, researchers and extension agents in participatory approaches keepers) to adapt to change – to develop their own • facilitate decentralised funding mechanisms to promote site-appropriate systems and institutions to manage local innovation resources so as to gain food security, sustain their • engage in national and regional policy dialogue to livelihoods and safeguard the environment. The stimulate and enhance local innovation processes essence of sustainability lies in the capacity to adapt. • set up platforms for reflection, analysis and learning The network builds on and scales up farmer-led about promoting local innovation processes approaches to participatory development that start • integrate participatory approaches to farmer-led innova- with finding out how farmers create new and better tion into institutions of research, extension and learning. ways of doing things. Understanding the rationale behind local innovation transforms how researchers Participatory design of the global network and advisors view farmers. This stimulates mutual Starting in 2003, organisations engaged in ARD in interest in joint action to develop local ideas further in , and – supported by IFAD a process that integrates IK and scientific knowledge. (International Fund for Agricultural Development) – collected experiences in recognising local innovation How it all started and promoting PID. In workshops, they analysed The idea of PROLINNOVA was conceived in 1999, when these and planned PID upscaling. From 2004, the Southern and Northern NGOs – supported by GFAR, Netherlands Government partly funded the 3 CPs and the NGO Committee (CGIAR) & the French Ministry of supported similar processes in , Nepal, Foreign Affairs – met in France to explore how to , South Africa, and . In 2006, the scale up participatory approaches to ARD based on francophone network expanded to include Burkina local initiatives. Participants asked ETC Foundation, a Faso, and . Later, groups in several other Dutch NGO, to help build up a GPP from country countries in Africa, Asia, the Andes & Europe joined. level. Asian and African NGOs facilitated Activities differ between CPs depending on history, multistakeholder design of CPs that agreed to: experience and self-identified capacities. However, • create an enabling environment for small-scale farmers common elements include: to experiment and innovate to address their own and community problems • bringing farmers, advisors and scientists together to plan and implement joint experiments, starting from • document local innovation and experimentation by jointly prioritised local innovations; small-scale farmers and communities; • creating multistakeholder platforms (MSPs) to learn • strengthen links between farmers, development about and mainstream local innovation and PID; agents, scientists and other actors to refine local innovations and encourage others to try them out; • building capacities to identify and document local innovation and to engage in PID, through training • create awareness of and skills in participatory workshops for farmers, advisors and scientists innovation development (PID) through a variety of learning mechanisms; • participatory monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of joint activities, outcomes and impacts; • develop and expand mechanisms that give farmers more influence over formal research & extension; • creating awareness and influencing policy through innovation fairs, publications, mass media and dialogue • institutionalise PID approaches in research, advisory with policymakers in research, extension & education services, development and education. to create enabling conditions for PID.

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At annual meetings since 2004, participatory planning - 2011 PELUM–Tz, PROLINNOVA–Tanzania at international level mirrors the approach at national - 2012 ADAF-Gallè, PROFEIS–Mali and grassroots level: partners develop their own pro- - 2013 KARI & World Neighbors, PROLINNOVA– - 2014 CEDAC, PROLINNOVA–Cambodia gramme based on self-defined needs and interests. - 2015 PANE/Best Practice Association, PROLINNOVA–Ethiopia - 2016 Agrecol-Afrique, PROFEIS/PROLINNOVA–Senegal Structure of the decentralised network - 2017 ACDEP, PROLINNOVA–Ghana In each country, normally an NGO is secretariat for a - 2018 Regional meetings: Kenya (Africa), Philippines (Asia) CP governed by a National Steering Committee - 2019 Agrecol-Afrique, PROFEIS/PROLINNOVA–Senegal (NSC) with members from research, extension, - 2020 Online meeting because of Covid-19. education, NGOs, farmer groups and private sector. Capacity strengthening is central to PROLINNOVA. IIRR The NSC defines the CP activities; gives strategic gave international training in PID facilitation in the guidance and helps mobilise resources. A smaller Philippines in 2004, Uganda 2006, Ethiopia 2007 and core team coordinates implementation of activities. Kenya 2009. The participants trained research and Subregional/regional platforms are forming in West advisory staff in their own countries. With Nuffic funds, & Central and Eastern & Southern Africa and in Asia. the IST gave PID training in Kenya in 2013, Uganda 2014, South Africa 2016, Benin & 2020. An International Support Team (IST) supports the national activities through capacity strengthening, In 2006, PELUM–Tz gave an international course on mentoring, policy dialogue, web-based information policy dialogue. A mini-workshop on this was held at management, networking and publishing. An the 2007 IPW in Senegal. Further training in policy International Secretariat was first at ETC and then at dialogue was given in 2009 in The Netherlands. KIT (Royal Tropical Institute) in the Netherlands. Now, A writeshop on gender issues in PID, with learning Agrecol Association for Agriculture & Ecology in through joint documentation by CP partners, was held Germany is the Northern Focal Point of the network. in 2008 in Uganda. In 2018–19, with FAO support, a The PROLINNOVA Oversight Group (POG) serves as guide for gender-responsive PID was developed governance mechanism to ensure accountability to and tested in Kenya. It is now integrated into regular the CPs, their constituencies and donors. PID training of the PROLINNOVA network. Writeshops on piloting Local Innovation Support PROLINNOVA Oversight Group (POG) Funds (LISFs) were held in 2008 in Ghana and 2012 • Bernard Triomphe, Mexico ([email protected]) in Mali, and a writeshop on agroecological • (Ms) Brigid Letty, South Africa ([email protected]) intensification in Burkina Faso in 2018 – in both • Chris Macoloo (co-chair), Kenya ([email protected]) cases, prior to publishing the documentation. • (Ms) Emily Monville, Philippines ([email protected]) An M&E framework with guidelines for the global and • Joe Ouko, Kenya ([email protected]) local PROLINNOVA tracking of results was developed in • (Ms) Lisa van Dijk (co-chair) UK ([email protected]) 2006. An international workshop to learn from the • Peter Gubbels, Ghana ([email protected]) M&E experiences was held in Ethiopia in 2010. With • Suman Manandhar, Nepal ([email protected]) support from CIRAD (France), the CPs developed a participatory impact assessment guideline in 2010. The POG comprises 4 people from CPs, 1 from the South–South mentoring between CPs allows mutual IST and 4 independents elected by the CPs and IST learning and strengthens capacities to partner in ARD. to serve 2-year terms. It meets face-to-face once a In 2012, African advisors facilitated self-assessment of year and communicates otherwise by email or Skype. lessons learnt in multistakeholder partnering in Kenya, It has drawn up several guidelines for the network Tanzania & Uganda. South–South mentoring has (www.prolinnova.net/content/prolinnova-guidelines). increased in recent years with network regionalisation. Participatory learning and mentoring Thematic initiatives In 2004, the first International Partners Workshop CPs with common interests in specific themes have (IPW) was hosted by AgriService Ethiopia (ASE) / joined forces in several initiatives: PROLINNOVA–Ethiopia. Local farmers explained how • Local Innovation Support Facilities/Funds (LISFs). their innovations helped them achieve food security. Action research in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Government and NGO participants from each CP Nepal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda helped shared experiences in farmer–extension–research– develop mechanisms to channel ARD funds to farmer education partnerships and planned joint activities. researchers. After start-up support from DURAS (Promot- ing Sustainable Development in Agricultural Research In 2005, the IPW was hosted by Environmental Alert / Systems), Rockefeller Foundation provided co-funding PROLINNOVA–Uganda prior to the Forum on Agricultur- through FAIR (Farmer Access to Innovation Resources). al Research in Africa (FARA) General Assembly, so • Farmer-led documentation (FLD). PROLINNOVA, InSight that PROLINNOVA partners could join the pre-plenary Share and COMPAS (Comparing & Supporting Endoge- meeting to set up an NGO ARD consortium in Africa. nous Development) piloted participatory video in Ghana Since then, international workshop hosts have been: to share local innovations. In 2006, PELUM–Uganda, PROLINNOVA and Oxfam–Novib held an international FLD - 2006 CEDAC, PROLINNOVA–Cambodia - 2007 IED–Afrique, PROFEIS–Senegal workshop in Uganda. FLD was facilitated in Burkina Faso, - 2008 ACDEP, PROLINNOVA–Ghana Ethiopia, Niger, South Africa (SA) and Sudan. Collabora- - 2009 LI-BIRD, PROLINNOVA–Nepal tion with the NGO A Growing Culture started in 2015 to - 2010 ETC Netherlands (PROLINNOVA Secretariat) build a farmer knowledge commons and give farmers more opportunity to share their innovations.

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• HIV/AIDS and PID (HAPID). In 2008–11 PROLINNOVA–SA an IST member in 2006 in the USA. In 2006, CEDAC coordinated action research in Mozambique and SA to presented Asian experiences to APAARI (Asia Pacific explore implications of HIV/AIDS for PID and possibilities Association of Agricultural Research Institutions) and of using the approach in working with communities PROLINNOVA–Nepal did so in 2007 and 2016. confronted by HIV/AIDS. PROLINNOVA experiences were shared at GCARD (Global • Integration into education. Several CPs have integrated Conference on Agricultural Research for Development) in PID into agricultural education and training, after they France (2010), Uruguay (2012) and SA (2016) and at exchanged course designs and materials at a workshop PAEPARD meetings in Europe in 2011 and 2012. In in Uganda in 2009. In partnership with the University of 2015, 4 POG members joined GFAR’s Constituent Virginia, numerous students interned with CPs in Africa Assembly in Bangkok. PROLINNOVA is a GFAR partner. and Asia in 2014–19. th • PID and climate change (CC). In 2008–10, CPs in At FARA’s 4 General Assembly (GA) in SA in 2007, Nepal, Ethiopia & Niger studied how farmers innovate in PROLINNOVA–SA organised an event with Research Into the face of CC. In 2012–14, CPs in Cambodia, India & Use (RIU), where farmers showcased their innovations in Nepal promoted local innovation and PID (LINEX–CCA) posters, brochures and videos. In 2010, Mali and Niger with Misereor funds. PROLINNOVA worked with CCAFS partners joined the GA in Burkina Faso. (Climate Change, Agriculture & Food Security) on PROLINNOVA collaborated with international research innovation, gender and CC adaptation and mitigation, centres (CIAT-Africa, IFPRI and ILRI) and IIRR to hold especially in Cambodia, Kenya & Senegal. the Innovation Africa Symposium in 2006 in Uganda. • Community resilience. In 2012–16, Eastern African In 2009, it co-organised with CIAT-Asia and ICIMOD the CPs, funded by Rockefeller Foundation, strengthened Innovation Asia-Pacific Symposium in Nepal. community resilience to change in Combining Local Several network partners joined the Farmer First Re- Innovative Capacity with Scientific Research (CLIC–SR). visited conference 2007 in the UK. PROLINNOVA was pre- In 2015–18, West African CPs engaged in similar work sented at the ISDA (Innovation for Sustainable Develop- with Groundswell in the Global Resilience Challenge. ment in Agriculture & Food) symposium 2010 in France. • Farmer-led research and agroecology. In 2014–15, st working with the CGIAR Research Programs AAS The POG co-chair attended the 1 meeting of GFRAS (Aquatic Agricultural Systems) and CCAFS, PROLINNOVA (Global Forum on Rural Advisory Services) in Chile in explored the impact of farmer-led research. Field studies 2010. Partners attended GFRAS meetings in 2011 in in 2016 deepened knowledge of how this capacity was Kenya, 2012 Philippines, 2016 Cameroon and 2017 SA. built. A workshop on farmer-led research in West Africa PROLINNOVA took part in EU projects INSARD (Including was held in Burkina Faso in 2015, together with CCAFS, Smallholders in ARD) and JOLISAA (Joint Learning in CORAF, McKnight Foundation, Misereor and SDC. Since Innovation Systems in African Agriculture), which co- 2015, CPs in Mali and Burkina Faso support farmer-led organised the Eastern Africa Farmer Innovation Fair + research networks (FaReNe) for agroecological Agricultural Innovation Systems in Africa workshop intensification, with McKnight Foundation support. (http://aisa2013.ilriwikis.org/Home) in Kenya in 2013. • Food & nutrition security. In 2016–19, the Proli-FaNS PROLINNOVA co-organised the West Africa Farmer project (Promoting local innovation in Food and Nutrition Innovation Fair (FIPAO) in 2015 in Burkina Faso. Security), funded by Misereor, enhanced men’s and women’s innovation in producing and processing food. A LISF experiences were presented often since 2012, at 3-year follow-on project SULCI-FaNS (Scaling Up Local e.g. World Bank’s Agricultural Innovation Systems Capacity to Innovate for FaNS) started in late 2019. workshop, USA; Coady International Institute, Canada; ACDEP coordinates this project in Burkina Faso, McKnight Foundation, USA; CTA Brussels Briefing on Cameroon, Ghana & Kenya. In late 2020, PROLINNOVA farmer-driven research, Belgium; GIZ-CGIAR workshop began collaboration with the German Institute for Tropical on agricultural innovation, Germany; Agrinatura Science & Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL) in NaviNut, exploring Days on family farming, Austria; Expo Milan, Italy; and mothers’ innovation in child-feeding in Benin & Kenya. European Migration Network, Malta. • Natural resource management. A 3-year project to In 2015, farmer innovator Joe Ouko from Kenya and 3 promote local innovation in water management in family other PROLINNOVA members joined the Quaker United farming in the Sahel started in January 2020. It is funded Nations Office workshop in Switzerland on Small-scale by Misereor, coordinated by AgriBio Services (Senegal) Farmer Innovation in Biodiverse Systems. and underway in Burkina Faso and Senegal. PROLINNOVA members are also active in movements for Networking, co-learning and policy dialogue family farming, e.g. with World Rural Forum and Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA). In 2018, an IST The network shares information through magazines, member spoke in a panel on “Putting family farmers at Facebook, Twitter, www, Googlegroup and other e- the centre” in the International Symposium on Agricul- networks. It also produces and disseminates printed tural Innovation for Family Farming in FAO, Rome. publications and links with other media, e.g. radio, video. It has MoUs with A Growing Culture and its Library for Sources of support Food Sovereignty (www.agrowingculture.org) and with After inception funding from IFAD, DGIS was the main Access Agriculture (www.accessagriculture.org). donor until 2011. Donors for specific activities include: PROLINNOVA takes part in many international ARD fora. ActionAid, CTA, EED (Church Development Service), At the 2003 GFAR meeting in Kenya, ASE told how the Ford Foundation, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopian CP was set up. At GFAR 2004 in Mexico, GFAR, ICRAF, McKnight Foundation, Misereor, Nuffic, Environmental Alert presented the Ugandan CP. At the RIU, Rockefeller Foundation, SDC, World Bank and 2005 European Forum on ARD in Switzerland, LI-BIRD WorldFish. The partners in the IST and CPs cover much and Farmer Support Group presented their partnership of total costs themselves, but seek funds to support new experiences in Nepal and SA. The POG chair reported CPs, new thematic initiatives, and subregional and on PROLINNOVA progress to GFAR 2005 in Morocco, and regional coordination, learning and networking.

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Some PROLINNOVA publications CAMEROON c/o COSADER & National Alliance against Hunger Contacts: (Ms) Christine Andela / Jean Bosco Etoa • Developing technology with farmers: a trainer’s guide for ([email protected] / [email protected]) participatory learning. ZED Books, London, 1997 / reprint IIRR, Silang, 2004 (also in Spanish & Arabic) ETHIOPIA c/o tba Contact: Elias Zerfu ([email protected]) • Farmer innovation in Africa: a source of inspiration for agricultural development. Earthscan, London, 2001. GHANA c/o Assoc. of Church-Based Devt Projects (ACDEP) • PTD for agricultural improvement: challenges for institutional Contacts: Joe Nchor / Malex Alebikiya integration. IIRR, 2002. ([email protected] / [email protected]) • Advancing PTD: case studies on integration into agri-cultural INDIA SOUTH c/o Peermade Development Society (PDS) research, extension and education. IIRR, 2003. Contact: PJ James ([email protected]) • IK Notes (World Bank 2004–06): KENYA c/o World Neighbors (WN) 70. Ethiopia: a woman innovator speaks Contacts: Vincent Ojwang’ Mariadho / Joseph Makonge Righa 71. Participatory video: rural people document their innovations ([email protected] / [email protected]) 72. Regional radio in Tunisia 74. Building MSPs to promote farmer innovation in Ghana MALI c/o ADAF-Gallè 76. Promoting local innovation: enhancing IK dynamics Contacts: (Ms) Assétou Kanouté / Bourama Diakité 77. Burkina Faso: indigenous innovation in farmer-to-farmer extension ([email protected] / [email protected]) 78. South Africa: smallholder innovation in producing and exporting fruit 85. Innovation Support Funds for farmer-led research MOZAMBIQUE c/o Association for Rural Community Development 96. Ethiopia: Endogenous and modern innovations Contact: (Ms) Gilda Fafitine ([email protected]) • Participatory approaches to ARD / Farmer innovation as entry NEPAL c/o Group of Helping Hands (SAHAS) Nepal point to participatory research and extension / PTD where there Contact: Surendra Shrestha ([email protected]) is no researcher / Developing partnerships to promote local innovation. In: Sourcebook on participatory research and PERU c/o World Neighbors (Vecinos Mundiales) development for sustainable agriculture and natural resource Contacts: Lionel Vigil / Raul Arones management. CIP-UPWARD, 2005 ([email protected] / [email protected]) • Facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships. 2006. PHILIPPINES c/o IIRR Philippines Contacts: (Ms) Emily Monville / (Ms) Maggie Rosimo • Recognising local innovation. 2008. ([email protected] / [email protected]) • Innovation Africa. Earthscan, London, 2008 SENEGAL c/o Agrecol–Afrique • Building partnerships to promote local innovation processes. In: Farmer First Revisited, London, 2009 Contacts: Assane Gueye / Djibril Thiam ([email protected] / [email protected]) • Farmer-led joint research. 2010. • Farmers take the lead in research and development. In: State of SOUTH AFRICA c/o Institute of Natural Resources (INR) the World 2011: Innovations that nourish the planet, Worldwatch Contacts: (Ms) Brigid Letty / (Ms) Zanele Shezi Institute, New York. 2011. ([email protected] / [email protected]) • Strengthening local resilience to climate change. 2011. SUDAN c/o National Center for Research (NCR) • Farmer-led documentation. 2011. Contact: (Ms) Mawahib Ahmed ([email protected]) • Providing farmers with direct access to innovation funds. In: TANZANIA c/o Partic. Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Agricultural Innovation Systems. World Bank. 2012. Contacts: Zacharia Malley / Donati Alex Senzia • Farmer Access to Innovation Resources: findings & lessons ([email protected] / [email protected]) learnt on facilitating Local Innovation Support Funds. 2012. TIMOR LESTE c/o RAEBIA • Scaling up Local Innovation Support Funds (LISFs). 2013. Contact: Xisto Martins ([email protected]) • Impacts of farmer-led research supported by CSOs. 2014. UGANDA c/o Environmental Alert (EA) • Farmer governance of local agricultural research and Contacts: Joshua Zake / Alex Lwakuba innovation. The African Technopolitan. 2016. ([email protected] / [email protected]) • Small-scale farmers’ perspectives on what enhances capacity to UNITED KINGDOM c/o Farmer-Led Innovation Network (FLIN) innovate. IFSA 2016 conference. Contact: (Ms) Lisa Williams ([email protected]) Small-scale farmer innovation. Misereor / WeltSichten. 2016. • ZIMBABWE c/o PELUM-Zimbabwe • Some guidelines for organising a farmer innovation fair. 2017. Contact: (Ms) Gertrude Pswarayi-Jabson ([email protected]) • Le projet FaReNe et l’approche participative: les experiences du Mali et du Burkina Faso. 2019. Subregional Coordinators in Africa • Collaboration between farmer innovators & formal scientists in Eastern & Southern Africa: Jacob Wanyama PID. 2019. ([email protected]) • Supporting local innovation for household food and nutrition West & Central Africa: Abdel-Karim Ali Mahamane security. 2020. ([email protected]) • Bringing women innovators to the fore: guidelines for gender- responsive farmer-led innovation and research. FAO. 2020. Northern Focal Point in Europe Agrecol Association for AgriCulture & Ecology CONTACT ADDRESSES Guggenhausen, Germany ([email protected]) Country Platforms (CPs) International Support Team (IST) BOLIVIA c/o Integrated Interdisciplinary Devt Programme Abdel-Karim Ali Mahamane c/o AgriBio Services, Senegal (PRODII) Contacts: Félix Vale Vega ([email protected]) / (Ms) Ann Waters-Bayer ([email protected]), Germany Germán Jarro ([email protected]) (Ms) Annie Secretario ([email protected]), International BURKINA FASO c/o Réseau MARP / World Neighbors Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), Philippines Contacts: Christophe Ouattara / Mathieu Ouedraogo (Ms) Brigid Letty, Institute of Natural Resources (INR), SA ([email protected] / [email protected]) (Ms) Chesha Wettasinha ([email protected]) CAMBODIA c/o Cambodian Centre for Study and Development Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Netherlands in Agriculture (CEDAC) Contact: (Ms) Tong Chantheang ([email protected]) Jacob Wanyama c/o World Neighbors, Kenya

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