The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) attended a pivotal Stakeholders' Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop from October 28 to 31, aimed at enhancing agricultural value chains and strengthening Innovation Platforms (IPs) under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) initiative. The workshop brought together about 60 participants from various sectors of the agricultural community in Madagascar.
The event was officially opened by Mr. Randrianaivomanana Andritiana Luc, Director General of La Coordination Générale des Projets et Partenariats (CGPP), who underscored the Madagascan government's commitment to promote agriculture, food security, and nutrition. He acknowledged the collaborative efforts by regional and continental partners such as CCARDESA, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and CGIAR Centers to strengthen the agricultural sector.
In her address, Ms. Futhi Magagula, CCARDESA Programmes Officer, highlighted CCARDESA's crucial role in the SADC region in coordinating collaborative research to develop and disseminate improved agricultural technologies. She discussed CCARDESA’s leadership in the regional implementation of the Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP), which includes Madagascar along with Malawi, Tanzania, and Comoros.
The workshop was facilitated by FARA, as the organization that has been commissioned by the AfDB to lead the Capacity Development and Technology Outreach (CDTO) compact of the TAAT initiative. CDTO's mission is to enhance capacities within the TAAT ecosystem by deploying an IP approach to meet the objectives of the AfDB's Feed Africa Initiative.
TAAT aims to double productivity for crops, livestock, and fish, targeting over 40 million smallholder farmers by 2025. The initiative seeks to generate an additional 120 million metric tons of food and lift 130 million people out of poverty across the continent.
Dr. Abdulrazak Ibrahim, FARA’s Institutional Capacity & Future Scenarios Cluster Lead Specialist, emphasized the importance of collaboration among TAAT partners and stakeholders.“TAAT is all about taking technologies from the shelf and delivering them to the last mile,” he remarked. This collaborative approach aims to ensure the rapid dissemination of knowledge and technology in agricultural practices across Africa.
During the workshop, participants established around 12 IPs focusing on key commodities such as cassava, maize, rice, sorghum, beans, peanut, sweat potato, irish potato, cocoa, bio fertilizer, and dairy milk. These platforms were encouraged to register on the FARA portal to access small grant support from TAAT, enabling them to implement activities and seek additional funding opportunities.
The successful hosting of this workshop marks a significant step towards improving food systems in Madagascar and underscores the commitment of stakeholders working together to create lasting change in the agricultural landscape of Africa.
