CIALCA marks 10 years of transforming livelihoods in Rwanda, Burundi and DR Congo
June 13, 2016
A field visit to CIALCA site.
Kigali, Rw anda – 12 June 2016 – The Consortium for Improving Agriculture-based Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA), a multi-partner platform, marks its 10th anniversary this year with over half a million people lifted out of poverty in Rw anda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.
The initiative has widely tested and disseminated a range of innovative technologies to increase the productivity ― and resilience to climate change ― of legume-based farming systems in the three countries to improve the food security, nutrition, and livelihoods of the farming communities. These interventions include improved, high-yielding and disease resistant varieties, pest control, and integrated soil fertility technologies.
An impact assessment conducted in 2014 by one of the founding partners, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) concluded that in South Kivu, DR Congo, and in Rw anda, CIALCA had contributed to lifting an estimated 560,000 people out of poverty.
In its first phase, the initiative’s research-for-development agenda focused on on-farm testing and validation of technologies to enhance crop production and scaling out of these proven technologies in the second phase (2009-2011).
From 2011, CIALCA became a key operating platform for the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics. It builds on its many years of investment in innovation and partnerships to mobilize multi-stakeholder networks in Burundi, Rw anda, and eastern DR Congo for technology dissemination and adoption.
CIALCA was created in 2006 by three international research organizations―Bioversity International, the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and IITA. It is funded by Belgian Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGD). The initiative has also worked with a range of partners at both national and international levels including national agricultural research systems (NARS) and training institutes.
A forum to celebrate a decade of achievements will take place during the 7th African Agricultural Science Week organized by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) taking place in Kigali, Rw anda on 12 – 16 June.
Some of CIALCA’s major impacts include:
Contributing to lifting an estimated 560,000 people out of poverty in South Kivu, DR Congo, and in Rw anda . Changes in poverty rates due to CIALCA are about 3%, 10%, and 21% for Burundi, South Kivu (DR Congo), and Rw anda, respectively.
Training of over 10 PhDs and 40 MSc students in a region that had lost of much of its science capacity during years of conflict. Many of CIALCA’s former MSc and PhD students are now in key positions in ministries and NARS in the three countries.
Promoting intercropping of banana and coffee systems for climate change mitigation, pest reduction, and augmentation of farmer’ income that has led the Rw andan Government, which had a strict monocropping policy on coffee, to tolerate banana/coffee intercropping in many parts of the country.
Bringing under control the bacterial wilt disease (BXW) that had nearly wiped out banana production in entire farms and villages in the three countries.
Training of over 50 partner organizations and more than 1000 trainers in―among others―seed multiplication technologies (e.g., macropropagation) and effective pest and disease control (e.g., BXW management), good agricultural practices and intercropping techniques, new crop varieties, postharvest processing, and collective marketing.
Advancing science related to integrated soil fertility management, climate-smart opportunities for smallholders, and the effectiveness of agricultural extension and other partnership modalities in supporting (specific groups of) farmers.
CIALCA will continue to further strengthen its strategic engagement with policy actors and other investment actors to support capable farmers with improved production, h andling, and marketing innovations and strengthen (agricultural) work opportunities for vulnerable groups, including the youth and women. It will address current and future challenges in integrated systems research while applying the many lessons learned along the way in its 10- year journey.
For more information:
Marc Schut, Social Scientist, IITA-Rw anda, m.schut@cgiar.org;
Katherine Lopez, Head of Communication, IITA-Nigeria, k.lopez@cgiar.orgAbout CIALCAwww.cialca.org
The Consortium for Improving Agriculture-based Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA) is a Consortium of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Bioversity International, and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and their national research and development partners, supported by the Belgian Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGD), and aiming at improving livelihoods through enhancing income, health, and the natural resource base of smallholder farmers in Central Africa.
About IITA, www.iita.org
IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research-for-development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. It is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
Olamide Deborah Nwanze is a Senior Research Associate specializing in gender mainstreaming research to inform participatory and inclusive breeding, variety development, and seed systems policies regarding root, tuber, and banana (RTB) crops in the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Headquarters, Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Ibadan and holds an MSc and B. Agric in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. Olamide is a fellow of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development – Gender Responsive Agricultural Systems Policy (AWARD-GRASP) and the Gender Responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT). She seeks to apply her gender-mainstreaming learnings, gender-responsive research, and policy development, and review expertise to facilitate women, youth, children, and vulnerable social group’s access to and adoption of agricultural Innovations that guarantee food, nutrition, income, and livelihood security in Africa. Her current roles include mentoring research fellows, development of guides and training manuals, implementation and adaptation of gender frameworks and tools, value chain actors’ engagement as citizen science partners, policy review and redesign, data management, and analysis. Her current research explores mixed methods and participatory and interdisciplinary approaches to capture and highlight gender dynamics, needs, preferences, and challenges stakeholders face within the agricultural livelihood value chain to prioritize gender-inclusive strategies in breeding programs, policy design, and implementation.
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