1. ITAACC is funded by GIZ on behalf of BMZ
Implemented by GFA Consulting Group GmbH
Nairobi, 7th of May 2014
ITAACC Demand-Supply Assessment
Bridging the gap between agricultural research
and farmers’ practice
International Workshop - Findings and lessons learnt
7-8 May 2014, Nairobi, Kenya
Report : Patrice SEWADE

3. Opening Session
• Participants introduced themselves to the people
sitting at their table, and announced their names,
countries they come from, organizations they work for
and their professions.
• 93 Participants form 24 country
• Overview of the workshop program by Dr. Tom Apina.

4. Opening remarks by Mr. Jasper Nkanya (Director, Agricultural
Engineering Services, State Department of Agriculture)
• Mr. Nkanya pointed out that the workshop is an important event
as it provides an international platform to present and validate
findings on the assessment of the demand-supply match for
agricultural innovations in Africa.
• He added that the workshop provides an opportunity for the
participants to interact, share ideas and establish linkages.
• Mr. Nkanya described challenges agriculture sector is facing in
Kenya, and other African countries.
• He added that in order to increase food supply, and pursue food
security, which is a big challenge, we should do it while preserving
the environment.

5. Welcome remarks by Dr. Lorenz Bachman,
team leader
• Dr. Bachman pointed out that the main topic of the
workshop is to see how research is responding to
farmers’ needs. What are the gaps, and how we can
shorten these gaps.
• It is also about drawing lessons from all stakeholders
on how to reduce poverty, improve livelihood of
people in Africa.
• Dr. Bachman added that the task is especially
difficult with hanging climate change making it hard
to fight poverty related issues.

6. Presentation of ITAACC program by Mr. Jörg
Lohmann/GIZ headquarter, Germany
• Mr. Lohmann first thanked icipe for the venue.
• He put emphasis on the objectives already made by Dr.
Lorenz Bachman.
• He added that ITAACC provides a platform, allowing to
draw lessons from all stakeholders, with the long term
objective a long lasting effect on African farmers livelihood.
• Mr. Lohmann pointed out that an amount of 5 millions Euros
is devoted to increasing innovation transfer to farmers in
Africa, through building on the existing.
• He informed participants that based on the three regional
and the final workshop major findings will be sent to all
participants very soon and uploaded on ITAAC website.

7. ITAACC methodology of the assessment of demand
and supply by Lennart Woltering
• Mr. Lennart Woltering gave a detailed
description of the methodology followed by
GFA team.
• The opening session was followed by
questions from the participants to the project
team regarding the objectives of the study
and the methodology followed.

8. Session 1: DEMAND and SUPPLY for INNOVATIONS: what sort
of innovations do farmers need?
• Dr. Bachman introduced the first session by sharing findings of
the 2014 IPCC report and consequences for actors in African
agriculture.
• He and Mrs. Brigid Letty presented ITAACC findings on need
for innovations in Africa by analyzing Hypothesis 1 (IARCs are
addressing key needs of farmers).
• They demonstrated that maize was the most frequently
mentioned crop – more spread for intermediaries and IARCs.
• For livestock, cattle, dairy goats and dairy cattle are the most
frequently mentioned.

9. What sort of innovations do farmers need? (Cont.)
• With regards to farmers’ needs in innovations, they reviewed
the analysis of problems via coding of open questions.
• The case of maize, cassava, sorghum and tomatoes for crops,
cattle and goats for livestock were used as examples.

10. Hypothesis 2:
Innovations are affordable for farmers
• Innovations were characterized according to
FOs, intermediaries and IARCs.
• The types of innovations were also
characterized.
• The amount of investment needed for adoption of innovation
by beneficiaries were presented with regards to crops,
livestock, trees and others.
• The most important criteria agricultural innovations should
fulfill for successful adoption by smallholder farmers were
analyzed.

11. H3. Farmers and scientists share similar views on key
criteria for design/adoption of innovations
• All stakeholders thought that big comparative advantage was
most important.
• Farmer don't go for maximum yield, as marketing is the
limiting factor.
• Affordability is rated on similar levels by all three
stakeholders.
• All stakeholders give "risk reduction" a medium rank,
considering that climate change will increase production risk
in the future.

12. H4: Gender equity is an important criteria for
actors in the innovation system
• Both IARCs and intermediaries indicated that they
gave attention to gender, but substantially higher for
the intermediaries.
• Stakeholders seem to be aware that women
dominate agricultural activities.
• In fact, harvesting, weeding & field preparation are
the most mentioned as women's tasks.
• In some cases women sell produce but the income is
controlled by the male household head.

13. Farmer organizations testimonials
• Mrs. Lucy Gichinga from Kenya, a former teacher, and now a
farmer gave a vibrant testimony on the main challenges she
is facing as livestock and vegetable producer, and how she is
managing to alleviate them.
• Mr. Claudius Marimo, a vegetable producer, from Zimbabwe,
put emphasis on the difficulties farmers are facing, especially
with increased input costs, and marketing challenges.

14. Farmers problems and solutions
• Mr. Marc Bernard, who contributed to ITAACC project
through his extensive data collection in several African
coutries, shared his findings with participants.
• He described the original extension scheme he participated
in implementing in some African countries.
• This new approach of outreach is worth generalizing, as it
links payments of services to the satisfaction of farmers.

16. Market place ‘’dare to share’’