CORAF

Student training is at the heart of the capacity building policy of CORAF, the leader in agricultural research in West and Central Africa. With this in mind, student scientific days were organised in Togo from 22 to 26 April 2024 to share the results of doctoral and master's theses with CORAF's Scientific and Technical Committee (STC).

This initiative was part of the food systems resilience programme, which aims to support national centres of specialisation in building up a critical mass of researchers in order to conduct high-quality research and ensure the next generation of researchers.

For example, in 2023, CORAF launched a call for applications for study grants, which led to the selection of 10 candidates for doctoral grants on subjects of interest in the West African sub-region. The selection was based on the region's priorities, taking into account the constraints of the main agricultural value chains in the region. The results of their work will help to find solutions to the challenges identified.

The meeting in Lomé was an opportunity for CORAF's Scientific and Technical Committee to analyse and provide better guidance to the scholarship holders on their research work. These scholarship students from Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad and Togo will be better supported, guided and oriented so that at the end of their research, the sub-region can have practical agricultural solutions that will eventually be easily passed on to users.

In practical terms, during the work in Lomé, each student and his or her supervisor presented their work project, how they intend to go about it, what the methods are to achieve it, what results will be generated and together we will analyse it in depth to ensure that each student leaves with the right guidance to ensure that his or her work is useful. 

As part of the West African Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), CORAF recently concluded a series of regional training workshops aimed at strengthening the skills of stakeholders in national agricultural research systems (NARS) in biotechnology and bioinformatics. These workshops, the latest of which took place at the end of 2023 at the Faculty of Science and Technology of Cheikh Anta Diop University (FST/UCAD) in Dakar, brought together a variety of players, including researchers, students and engineers from Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal and Togo.

These participants had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and develop practical skills in key scientific areas, particularly biotechnology and bioinformatics. These regional training courses are part of the strategy of CORAF and the FSRP project to strengthen the skills of researchers and stakeholders in national agricultural research systems.

With a total commitment of 50 participants for the two training courses, CORAF succeeded in reaching its target. This holistic approach aims to equip the region with the skills needed to meet the challenges of agriculture and food in an innovative and sustainable way.

The training modules covered crucial subjects such as the basic concepts and application of biotechnological methods and tools in agriculture, modern methods for diagnosing plant and animal diseases, and tools for the genetic improvement of crops and animals. In addition, sessions were devoted to the analysis of sequencing data and the use of genetic databases. Participants thus acquired in-depth knowledge of the use of modern methods in agricultural research, enhancing their ability to contribute to more resilient food systems.

Through this training, CORAF is renewing its commitment to strengthening the capacities of national agricultural research systems (NARS) in West and Central Africa and to creating a community of researchers better equipped to face the current challenges in the agricultural sector

25 experts in monitoring-evaluation and communication from Benin, Burkina-Faso, Mali, Ghana, Chad, Togo, Senegal and Sierra-Leone have been given a better understanding of how to contribute to the valorisation of agricultural technologies from research centres in order to reduce food insecurity in West and Central Africa.

The training, organised by CORAF in Dakar, provided participants with an in-depth understanding of the valorisation of Agricultural Technology Parks (ATPs), logical frameworks, performance indicators and digital data collection tools. The workshop also included practical training in strategic communication, photography, writing success stories and engaging the media to raise the profile of ATPs.

In order to measure the impact of PTAs effectively, key performance indicators have been defined, along with an agreed reporting template. These indicators include the number of technologies demonstrated in the ATP, the number of individual and farmer visits to the ATPs, and the number of public-private partnerships created. These data are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of ATPs and guiding future decisions.

CORAF and its partners are working to ensure that innovations are effectively scaled up to create employment opportunities for young people and transform the agricultural industry in the region.

The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) intends to strengthen the leadership of Innovation Platforms (IPs) in countries and at the regional network level. This approach, which CORAF has tested in several countries as part of projects to disseminate the results of agricultural research, strengthens collaboration between government organisations, NGOs, private companies, universities and local farmers.

As part of the implementation of the West African food system resilience programme (PRSA/FSRP), CORAF intends to contribute to the inclusion of innovation platforms in training programmes and curricula in West Africa.

To this end, a study has been commissioned to examine the feasibility of this vision. From 3 to 5 April 2024 in Ouagadougou, stakeholders and partners in the agricultural world were invited to report on the results of this study with a view to moving on to the stage of developing training curricula to be implemented in agricultural training institutions and centres.

Agricultural innovation platforms in West Africa have emerged as essential catalysts for the region's agricultural development.

These are physical hubs or centres where farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers and other players in the agricultural sector meet to share ideas, access training and resources, and develop innovative solutions.  IPs support agricultural start-ups by providing space, mentoring, training, funding and other resources to develop their ideas and products.

Innovation Platforms play a crucial role in promoting innovation, productivity and sustainability in West Africa's agricultural sector, helping farmers to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of a rapidly changing environment.

As part of the implementation of the West African food system resilience programme (PRSA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) has invited experts and decision-makers on environmental issues to a regional training workshop on assessing the climate-smart characteristics of agricultural innovations and technologies, from 26 to 28 July 2023 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

This meeting for CORAF, which coordinates the activities of component 2 of the PRSA on "the sustainability and adaptability of the productive base of the food system", with financial support from the World Bank, was aimed at building the capacity of players in national agricultural research systems and Alliances for Climate-Smart Agriculture (AIC) to develop AIC projects using tools and methods for assessing AIC characteristics, practices and technologies.

According to the researchers, the AIC concept is based on 3 pillars: productivity, resilience and mitigation of the effects of climate change.

On this basis and on the basis of field experience, the participants, made up of researchers, farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs, saw their knowledge improved on (i) the basic concepts and phenomenon of climate change, (ii) climate-smart agriculture for more resilient agricultural systems, (iii) methods and tools for assessing the climate-smart characteristics of agricultural technologies and practices.

At the end of the three-day course, participants will be able to develop projects that take AIC into account and identify technologies and practices that integrate AIC.

The third edition of the Market for Agricultural Innovations and Technologies (MITA), held from 12 to 15 September 2023 in Ouagadougou, was an important event for highlighting the innovations and technological advances coming out of research and public and private inventors in West and Central Africa.

Participants discussed the following theme: "Facilitating access to gender- and nutrition-sensitive agricultural technologies and innovations". This regional meeting organised by CORAF was an opportunity to promote gender- and nutrition-sensitive innovations that meet the needs of the various links (production, post-harvest, processing, mechanisation, etc.) in the agricultural value chains. MITA also provided a forum for strengthening access to and dissemination of agricultural technologies in West and Central Africa.

In four days of exchanges punctuated by an exhibition of the main results of research and innovations, the third edition of MITA was above all a framework for the exchange of technological information and innovation for the benefit of the public and agricultural professionals, through B to B sessions and workshops. Researchers, students, producers and private sector players took advantage of MITA to showcase proven innovations and technologies that have the potential to transform agriculture and contribute to greater food security.

MITA 2023 brought together a wide range of participants, including ministries of agriculture, regional bodies, research institutes and universities, private sector players, non-governmental organisations, farming associations, potential investors and others.

Numerous cutting-edge agricultural technologies were presented, in-depth discussions took place and excellence was rewarded at the gala evening for agricultural innovators. The results achieved during these 4 days of exchanges underline the strong commitment of decision-makers to support agricultural research and the scaling-up of climate-smart and gender- and nutrition-sensitive technologies as part of the implementation of the Farming System Resilience Programme (FSRP).

MITA is a platform designed by CORAF to disseminate the technologies and innovations developed by agricultural research in West and Central Africa. As an exhibition and discovery platform, the MITA digital platform presents more than 400 technologies classified by value chain and by country. It facilitates interaction between technology developers and end-users, with a view to increasing the rate of adoption of proven technologies and innovations. In this way, MITA contributes to food and nutrition security in West and Central Africa. 

At the age of 25, Marie-Claire KONÉ, a young woman of Malian origin, embodies hope and ambition in the field of agricultural research. A third-year research student at the Faculty of Agronomy and Animal Medicine, Marie-Claire not only excels in her studies: she is also the major of her class, a recognition that testifies to her dedication and talent.

Young graduates from vocational schools often face obstacles such as a lack of practical learning environments, professional experience and networks. To overcome these challenges and strengthen the skills of young researchers at universities and public research institutions in West and Central Africa, CORAF has set up an immersion program at national centers of specialization in West Africa.

Marie-Claire had the opportunity to take part in this immersion program in Senegal, organized by the Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricoles (CORAF) as part of the Food System Resilience Program in West Africa (‘FRSP’). This experience took place at the headquarters of the Regional Center of Excellence (CRE) on dry cereals and associated crops (CERAAS), a center renowned for its contributions to improving agricultural production in a context of climate change. Over the course of a month, Marie-Claire explored four state-of-the-art platforms at CERAAS: the genotyping platform, the biochemistry research and training platform, the phenotyping platform and the bioinformatics facility. Each week in these high-tech environments was a revelation for her. Supervised by experts, she discovered new and fascinating fields, in particular genotyping, which redirected her professional ambitions.

“This immersion trip was a real revelation for me. I’d never had the opportunity to work in a research laboratory of this scale, and it changed my view of science and my own abilities,” Marie-Claire confides enthusiastically. “CORAF’s support has been invaluable. They have opened doors that I didn’t think I could get through, especially as a woman in a field still largely dominated by men,” said Marie-Claire KONÉ.

Like Marie-Claire, ten other students and young scientists (50% of them women) have benefited from this immersion program in the specialization centers. Talla LO from Senegal and Hassane YAYE ABDOU from Niger spent their respective stays at the aquaculture specialization center in Nigeria. CISSE Awa Marie Coll and Talla KANE, both from Senegal, were hosted at the CRE-Fruit et légumes in Burkina Faso. Marie-Claire is particularly grateful for this opportunity as, until now, similar opportunities at her university were mainly reserved for men. Her selection by CORAF was a great surprise and a source of pride. “I hope my story will inspire other young Malian women to pursue careers in agricultural research, a crucial field for Africa’s future,” she insisted.

With ambitious dreams for the future, Marie-Claire aspires to a PhD and hopes one day to become her country’s Minister of Agriculture. Her journey is proof that, with hard work and the right opportunities, anything is possible. “I encourage all young girls to go into agricultural research. Our continent needs our ideas, our determination and our passion to solve tomorrow’s challenges,” she concludes with determination.

With ambitious dreams for the future, Marie-Claire aspires to obtain a doctorate and wishes to one day become her country’s Minister of Agriculture. His journey is proof that, with hard work and the right opportunities, anything is possible. “ I encourage all young girls to embark on agricultural research. Our continent needs our ideas, our determination and our passion to solve the challenges of tomorrow,” she concludes with determination.

For Prof Niéyidouba LAMIEN, Program Manager at CORAF, “CORAF’s initiative to organize immersion trips for research students is crucial. It helps to mentor and inspire young people to pursue a career in research, ensuring a succession to the aging generation of researchers in West Africa.”

Through this initiative, supported by the World Bank-funded West Africa Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP), CORAF seeks to strengthen the skills of young researchers across the region, offering them practical experience and high-level training.