The Agricultural Innovations Program

Program Director (For ATPS): Dr. Kevin Urama, Executive Director, ATPS
Program Coordinator: Dr. Nicholas Ozor, Senior Research Officer, ATPS
Email Contact: executivedirector@atpsnet.org or nozor@atpsnet.org

The ATPS Agricultural Innovations Program is aimed at contributing to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goal number One (MDG 1) which calls for the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger and halving hunger and poverty by 2015 in relation to 1990. To realize this Africa must build its institutional capacities in Agricultural science, technology and innovation. A fundamental analysis of the underpinning national and regional strategies, policies, institutions and actors in the agricultural and allied sectors as well as the inter-linkages amongst them is required to form the basis for responsible innovation responses to the complex challenges in the agricultural systems for development. This forms the main focus of the ATPS Agricultural Innovations Program.

Since the inception of the ATPS Phase VI Strategic Plan, two initiatives have been launched under the Agricultural Innovations Program. These include:

The Regional studies on Agricultural Innovations and Emerging Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Africa
The Universities, Business and Research in Agricultural Innovations (UniBRAIN).

Specific activities implemented under the program in the reporting period include:-

Implementation of three (3) regional studies on Agricultural Innovations and Emerging Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Africa

This activity aims to support research and research capacity building on agricultural innovations for climate change adaptation in Africa. Under this program implementation objective, the ATPS is currently conducting regional research on agricultural innovations for climate change adaptation in Africa. Regional grant call for proposals targeted applications from West Africa Anglophone (Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia), West & Central Africa Francophone (Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon & Mali), and Southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, and South Africa).

The specific objectives outlined in the Call for Proposals were six folds, namely:

To mainstream the concept of innovation in African agriculture through targeted training and field demonstrations in selected countries,
To identify and document indigenous and emerging innovations and good practices for improving food security in the face of climate change in Africa and elsewhere,
To develop a system based integrated innovation systems framework for improving agricultural productivity in Africa taking into consideration climate change and global financial crisis.
To build the capacities of African Young Professionals, Women and Policymakers on agricultural innovation systems through an integrated capacity building training programs including hands-on case studies, farm placements and country tours to show case and learn from good practices elsewhere.
To enhance individual and institutional behavioral changes towards sustainable farming and other agri-businesses innovations in Africa.
To support the implementation of the NEPAD CAADEP program through popularization and policy advocacy.