This side event will provide an interactive forum for sharing experiences and ideas on how information and knowledge exchange is promoting learning and innovations for improved agricultural production.

1. 1
6TH
AFRICA AGRICULTURE SCIENCE WEEK & FARA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Theme:Africa Feeding Africa through Agricultural Science and Innovation
Accra International Conference Centre, Accra, Ghana15-20 July 2013
Information & Knowledge for Food Security
Organised by the RAILS and DONATA team
15-16 July 2013
Executive Room 2(Rm 117a)
Introduction:
In the present dispensation where knowledge is driving development, stakeholders are taking
advantage of available knowledge to grow Africa’s agriculture. With FARA support, learning and
innovations platforms are being established to enhance access to knowledge and technologies by
key stakeholders in the effort to catalyze agricultural development on the continent. The side event
on information and knowledge for food security will provide an interactive forum for sharing
experiences and ideas on how information and knowledge exchange is promoting learning and
innovations for improved agricultural production.
The team of RAILS and DONATA actors with diverse learning experiences and ideas are eager to
share with the participants at the 6th
Africa Agriculture Science Week their own unique experiences,
lessons, and ideas to build a strong knowledge base for improved agriculture productivity and
resilience in the drive to enable Africa feed Africa.
Objectives:
Specifically, the event is organised to:
i. Share and learn innovations to enable knowledge drive agricultural productivity in Africa
ii. Learn and propose strategies for up and out-scaling of existing and effective innovative
interventions in learning exchange / platforms for improved agricultural production.
iii. Harvest and develop ideas that will strengthen and empower stakeholders with knowledge to
drive agricultural improvements in local communities, national, regional and continental
levels.
Expected output
The key outputs expected from the side event which should feed into the general outcome of the
week are as follows:
REPUBLIC OF GHANA

2. 2
a. Enhanced knowledge of the successes, challenges and opportunities for knowledge-driven
innovations in Africa agriculture development.
b. Strengthened commitments by key actors to strategic regional and continental platforms for
learning and knowledge exchange for the development of agriculture in Africa.
c. Identification of effective models for facilitating knowledge exchange among stakeholders
local and national leveland thereby ensure innovation and resilience in Africa agriculture
development.
Agenda
The main components of the two-day Side Event would include:
- PSTAD: RAILS+DONATA country learning experiences
- eRAILS & eRAILS-2
- CIARD – current and emerging issues
- ICM strategy in African countries
- Film festival
Day 1: Monday, 15 July 2013
Time Topics Resource Person
08.30 Registration of Participants Mariam Sanni
Opening Session Chair: Dr Yemi Akinbamijo
Facilitator: Krishan Bheenick
09:00 Welcome Remarks Ifidon Ohiomoba
09:10 Keynote Presentation Justin Chisenga
09.25 Opening Statement Dr Yemi Akinbamijo
09:35 Setting the Scene – information & knowledge for food
security (objectives, modalities, expected outcomes)
Ifidon Ohiomoba
10:00-10.30 Tea/coffee break Mariam Sanni
10.30-12.15 Session 1: Learning from Experience (RAILS
&DONATA)
Chair: Dr Adrienne Martins
Facilitator: Krishan Bheenick
10.30 - 11.00 Sub-regional experiences in information & knowledge
driven ARD:
i. ASARECA
ii. CORAF/WECARD
Dr Lydia Kimenye & Dr. Jacky
Nyagahima
Dr Sidi Sanyang & Dr. Anatole
Koné
11.00 – 11.45 Break-out group discussions (see ToR below)
i. Group 1 –
ii. Group 2 –
iii. Group 3 –
Groups to be formed around
country case studies

3. 3
11.45 - 12.30 Group reporting (To the Plenary) & Discussions
12.30-13.30 Lunch break Mariam Sanni
13.30-15.00 Session 2: Models for Opening Information &
Knowledge in ARD
Chair: Dr. Lydia Kimenye
Facilitator:Dr. Nicky Shongwe
13.30-13.40 i. Effects of Improved information system &
knowledge management on agricultural
development: the Case of Madagascar
Mr. Andry Rasoanindrainy
13.40-13.50 ii. Plantwise: Beyond implementation of Plant
Clinics to Sustainably Strengthen Plant Health
Systems in Africa
Dr. Washington Otieno
13.50-14.00 iii. Improving Access and Application of Information
and Knowledge for Agriculture by Transforming
Telecentres into Agricultural Knowledge Hubs
Mr. Wandila Simon
Kamukwape
14.00-14.30 Q & A
14.30-17.00 Session 3: Strategic Approaches to Opening
Agricultural Information & Knowledge
Chair: Myra Wopereis-Pura
Facilitator: Dr. J. Nyagahima
14.30 – 14.45 i. The CIARD Movement: envisioning global
partnership for local benefit
Stephen Rudgard
14.45-15.00 ii. ICM strategy in African countries Krishan Bheenick
15.00 – 15.30 Question & Answers
15.30 – 16.00 Coffee/Tea Break
16.00 – 18.00 Session 4: Film Festival Chair: Ifidon Ohiomoba
Facilitator: Jacky Nnam
16.00 – 17.00i. Presentation of Films
i. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI):
Producing more Rice with Less Water -
Experiences from Kenya
Prof. Bancy M Mati
ii. 2SCALE Illustrated Dr ToonDefoer (Rep François
Dossouhoui)
iii. Succeed with Seeds Dr Paul Van Mele (Rep Tom
iv. Let’s Talk Money BougounaSogoba
v. Alimentation des escargots / Feeding of snails Fr Godfrey Nzamujo,
SONGHAI, Benin
17.00 – 17.45 Discussions, Voting for the Films, Collation of
votes
Jacky Nnam
17.45 – 18.00 Announcements Dady
18.00 End of Day 1

4. 4
Day 2: Tuesday, 16th
July, 2013
08.30-10.30 Session 5:Farmer-centered web-based network for
knowledge management
Chair: Dady Demby
Facilitator: Krishan Bheenick
08.30 Recap of Previous Day’s Conclusions Jacky Nyagahima
08.40 i. The Film "A Bridge between Science and
Farmers"
Marc Bernard
09.00 ii. Introduction to eRAILS-2 Marc Bernard
09.10 iii. Stories from the field I: Kenya outputs and
outcomes
FredahMaina
09.20 iv. Stories from the field II: Guinea outputs and
outcomes
ElhadjIbrahimaKalil KANDE
09.30 Q & A
09.50 Innovations in Extension Services for Improved
Agricultural Productivity in Uganda
WinnifredKabachaki
10.00 Outline for Out-scaling of eRAILS2 Concept Eria BWANA-SIMBA
10.10-10.30 Discussions
10.30 - 11.00 Coffee/Tea Break
11.00-13.00 Session 6: Lessons from Experience for future ARD
activities (Brainstorming Working Groups)
Chair: Myra Wopereis-Pura
Facilitator: Dr.Nicky Shongwe
11.00 - 11.10 Synthesis and setting up of working groups and
presentation of WG /ToRs
11.10 - 12.00 WG 1:successes, challenges and opportunities for
knowledge-driven innovations in Africa agriculture
development
Adrienne
WG 2:strengtheningcommitments by key actors to
strategic regional and continental platforms for
learning and knowledge exchange
Coulibaly
WG 3: models for facilitating knowledge exchange
among stakeholders to ensure innovation and
resilience in ARD
Justin
12.00 – 13.00 WG Report out at Plenary & Discussions
WG1
WG2
WG3
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch Break

5. 5
14.00 – 15.00 Session 7:Synthesis and main lines for way forward
(General roadmap) Plenary
Chair: Ifidon Ohiomoba
Facilitator: Krishan Bheenick/
Jacky Nyagahima
o Drawing from the outputs of the sessions,
develop by consensus, overall
guidelines/roadmap for the implementation of
the outputs of the side events
15.00 – 16.00 o Summary, Conclusions & Closing
Highlights Outcome of the Side Event for the
Main Conference Plenary
16.00-16.30 Coffee/Tea Break
Departure
Session 1: TOR for Group discussion on learning from experiences
Group 1:Opening access to knowledge resources: how have we faired?
o What does content mobilisation and knowledge sharing entail?
o How to improve on gather evidence of success through documenting and story writing
from the field?
o Who should play which role for this to happen
o How to advocate for investment/resources (skills, equipment, tools, financial, etc.)
o Which partnerships/synergies could be developed with existing initiatives or partners at
local level
o How to put this into practice/implementation: pathways with time lines
o How to make sure that this happens - incentives, accountability, and monitoring
Group 2:The Learning team model for strengthening KS: what lessons?
o What are learning teams?
o How are they facilitating learning?
o What the mechanisms in place for LT to function?
o What tools should be engaged to facilitate knowledge sharing?
o What is the convergence between LT and KS pathways?
o What are the challenges and how are they being resolved?
o How should LT prime knowledge to drive ARD?
Group 3: Making information & KS pathways more visible and effective
o What does IPTA entail? How has it enhanced KS?
o What other KS approaches are there?
o Who should play which role for this to happen?
o How should it be out-scaled?

6. 6
o What resources (skills, equipment, tools, financial, etc.) would be needed to make this
happen?
o Which partnerships/synergies should be developed to improve information &
knowledge sharing within IPTAs
o How to put this into practice/implementation: roadmap with time lines
o How to make sure that this happens (monitoring, follow up)
Session 6: ToR for Working Groups on lessons for
Knowledge sharing in future AR4D
WG 1: successes, challenges and opportunities for knowledge-driven innovations in Africa
agriculture development.
What evidence of success do we have? How can these be out-scaled? What are the
challenges for out-scaling? What are the opportunities? What specific arrangements
should be in place to ensure success?
WG 2:commitments by key actors to strategic regional and continental platforms for
learning and knowledge exchange.
Which are the continental platforms? What promise do they hold for KS in Africa
ARD? How should they be organised? How should they be translated to make impact
at sub-regional and national level? Who are the key players? What role should they
play?
WG 3: models for facilitating knowledge exchange among stakeholders to ensure
innovation and resilience in ARD
What are the low hanging fruits in existing models? What change or modification is
required to make them more functional? Are new models required? What models are
available? What potentials do they present for improved KS in ARD?