Innovations for Agricultural Value Chains in Africa: Applying Science and Technology to Enhance Cassava, Dairy, and Maize Value Chains

Activities

1. Field Trip | Collaborative Concept Generation

Meridian Institute, working closely with our Value Chain Partners, organized a field trip for the Science Team to meet with smallholder farmers and various cassava, dairy, and maize processors in Kenya and Ghana in August 2009. The field trip was the primary activity to generate ideas for new technologies and technology enhancements that have the potential to reduce inefficiencies in the cassava, dairy, and maize value chains. The Science Team had an opportunity to meet with farmers and small- and medium-size processors and observe and gain hands-on experience with the value chain constraints described in the overview papers (see overview papers on Cassava, Dairy, and Maize pages). The Science Team generated ideas that were then refined following the trip. For an overview of the technology ideas, please view the Technologies page. 

The field trip went to the following locations in southern Rift Valley and Western Provinces of Kenya to experience dairy and maize farming and processing:

• Lesiolo Maize Storage Warehouse and Receipt System (Nakuru)
• Dairy and Maize Farmers (Bomet Area)
• Siongiroi Cooling Plant (Bomet Area)
• Bomet Women Milling Group (Bomet Area)
• Chemaso Farmers Group (Bomet Area)
• Miwani Milk Bulking/Exchange Center (Kisumu Area)
• Kabiyet Farmers Chilling Plant and Grain Farmers Group (Eldoret Area)
• Rift Valley Machinery (Eldoret Area)
• Kipkaren Cooling Plant (Eldoret Area)

The field trip went to the following locations in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana to experience cassava farming and processing:

• Small manufacturers of cassava processing equipment (Kumasi)
• Hansua Community Women’s Processing Group and nearby farmers and micro-processors (Techiman Area)
• Cascacoxa Ltd and nearby farmers and micro-processors (Chiraa Area)
• Bredi Agric Enterprise and nearby farmers and micro-processors (Duayaw Henzawila Area)

To inform the field trip participants, New Growth International wrote a report that captures lessons learned from previous technology introductions—successes and failures—to address value chain constraints. The report is based on a review of the extensive body of relevant literature and was written to provide contextual information to those Science Team members who had limited experience working in Africa. The report is available by clicking here.

2. Concept Briefs

Supported by Arthur D. Little’s Technology and Innovation Group, Meridian will develop detailed concept briefs for five products that utilize cutting edge technology and are highly promising for their potential impacts on sustained income increases of poor farmers. The concepts included are: Modified Plastic Tank with Dryer Options; Milk Bicycle Racks and Extenders; Cassava Tuberator; Reproductive Health Diagnostics; and Vector-Borne Disease Diagnostics.

3. Concept Development

Meridian and our partners are actively pursuing next steps to further develop the following six concepts: Modified Plastic Tank with Dryer Options; Cassava Tuberator; Milk Container with Anti-Microbial Properties; Universal Power; Milk Safety Diagnostics; Reproductive Health Diagnostics; and Vector-Borne Disease Diagnostics. These were seen as highly promising for their impact on smallholder farmer income. Please contact Meridian Institute to learn more about the status of development of these concepts.

4. Technology Commercialization Initiative

At the request of BMGF, Meridian is developing recommendations for a potential Post-Harvest Technology Commercialization Initiative that would support and accelerate the commercialization of post-harvest technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa (including, but not necessarily limited to, innovations developed by participants in the Meridian project) to improve smallholder farmer food security and income in sub-Saharan Africa. Initial analysis by Meridian and our partners indicates that there is an opportunity to systematically improve the processes and approaches for post-harvest technology commercialization aimed at increasing smallholder farmer incomes.

A Steering Committee was put in place to help guide the process of developing recommendations and analyzing potential models and approaches for agriculture technology commercialization. A meeting was held in New York City in May 2010 of members of the international development community, private sector, entrepreneurs and individuals with commercialization and agricultural expertise.  Meridian and partners will reach out to share next steps and preliminary recommendations.