The RUFORUM Blog

As part of efforts to ensure effective partnerships with user-led processes and thus engage in articulating demand for relevant research and capacity building, RUFORUM is an active partner and leader of Work Package – Capacities in the EU-supported project “Platform for African-European Partnerships for Research and Development (PAEPARD). The PAEPARD Project is led by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA); and brings together several organisations in Africa and Europe. RUFORUM and ICRA, have strategically used this platform to engage over 30 consortia to promote interaction between academia, researchers and end-users, including the regional farmers’ organisations under the umbrella of the Pan-African Farmer Organisation (PAFO). These interactions require resources (both human and financial) to remain sustainable and the different teams have had several opportunities to develop project proposals.

One such opportunity was during the week of 16 – 20th March 2015; when 14 Consortia each represented by 2 – 3 participants gathered in Entebbe, Uganda to develop applications targeting the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) 2015 Call for Proposals. In attendance were 30 participants from RUFORUM Member Universities, National Agricultural Research Organizations, Private Sector and Non-Governmental organizations from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Ethiopia and Benin. A total of 14 proposals developed in line with the Call are proposing to introduce game-changing innovations at scale that should enable the development of improved and sustainable food systems focusing on value chain constraints along key agricultural commodity value chains. As per call guidelines all projects must involve Canadian partners and RUFORUM has made efforts to ensure that the 14 projects obtain and engage Canadian organisations in the development of the proposals. All the teams have committed to finalize and submit by the Call deadline of 27th March 2015.