The Africa Knowledge Platform and the Regional Centres of Excellence program will be presented at the Regional Multi-actor Research Network Project Inception Meeting in Kampala, Uganda.
Background
Agriculture is a critical economic pillar in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), contributing significantly to the region's GDP through various sectors including crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries, and forestry. With the need to ensure both agricultural sustainability and environmental protection, agroecology has emerged as a viable approach to achieve these goals. Agroecology applies ecological principles to farming, enhancing ecosystem services and reducing reliance on external inputs. The EU's Multi-year Indicative Programme (MIP) for Africa supports the scaling of agroecological practices, an area where Africa, despite its ecological diversity, still lags in terms of documenting and sharing knowledge. Challenges such as insufficient research, underdeveloped bio-input markets, and limited impact of digital solutions on agroecological practices persist. To address these issues, the Regional Multi-actor Research Network (RMRN) Project has been initiated, aligning with international agreements like the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. The project aims to elevate Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) capacities in agroecology implemented by sub-regional organizations like ASARECA, CCARDESA, and CORAF, to support the green transition in SSA. The project has three strategic objectives: to strengthen STI capacities in agroecology with a gender-sensitive approach; to increase RMRNs' contributions to agroecology through quality research and knowledge dissemination; and to enhance gender-sensitive support to agroecology stakeholders.
