Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, West Africa Regional Hub

🌟 Exciting news from Niger! 🌟 In a region where agriculture often relies on a few crops, the importance of diversification cannot be overstated. To address this, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture has initiated a new 16-month project aimed at strengthening the horticulture value chains in Niger. With collaborative partnerships and funding from University of California, Davis-based Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture as part of the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative, this project is being implemented in Gaya (Dosso) and Birni N’Konni (Tahoua) to sustainably enhance horticultural productivity. 🌱 🌍Key Objectives 🌱Capacity Building: Strengthening farmers' cooperatives, researchers, and extension agents with tailored training and resources. 🌱Postharvest Management: Improving preservation techniques to reduce spoilage and enhance product quality through affordable, low-cost technologies. 🌱Seed Systems: Promoting innovative conservation techniques and ensuring continuous support for adoption. 🌱Gender and Youth Inclusion: Empowering women and youth by providing access to knowledge, technology, and financial resources. 🌱Market Linkages: Strengthening connections across value chain actors, from farmers to wholesalers, for better market performance. 📅 Recent Activities Last week, the team engaged with local horticulture experts in Niger through exchanges and presentations to gain insights and refine project objectives on the first day. Representatives from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, including Associate Director Archie Jarman, experts from the University of Ghana (Naalamle Amissah, PhD, Freda E. Asem, Ph.D and Jude Dokbila Kolog), and Global Predict team members (Adama Ouedrogo, Aristide Bako and GARBA BOULAMINE Mounkaila), engaged with local horticulture stakeholders in Niger. Insights into the horticulture value chain were shared by key organizations such as FCMN, RECA, INRAN and UAM through presentations. The session also included a presentation of the project objectives by the Horticulture Innovation Lab, gathering feedback to refine its implementation strategy. The day fostered meaningful connections among farming cooperatives, small input suppliers and other stakeholders. On the second day, two impactful training sessions were also held: 🌱Post-Harvest Drying Techniques: Leveraging tools like the UC Davis DryCard to combat mold and aflatoxins. 🌱Agribusiness Training: Delivered by experts from Global Predict and the University of Ghana. These efforts lay the foundation for addressing challenges in post-harvest losses, seed supply, and institutional capacity while ensuring inclusivity and sustainability.🌿 Stay tuned for updates on our progress in transforming Niger's horticulture sector! Also, visit https://lnkd.in/gxKH6S8t for more information. #AgricultureInnovation #Horticulture #Niger

🌟 Empowering Youth in Climate-Smart Horticulture! 🌱 We're excited to share that the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture-funded project led by Dr. Atanda Oladejo at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, conducted an inspiring discovery trip for youths across southwest Nigeria! This transformative event brought together young minds eager to explore sustainable farming practices. Here is what made it special: 🌿 Focus on Indigenous vegetables and fruits 🖥️ Introduction to cutting-edge digital tools in agriculture 🌡️ Climate-smart techniques for resilient farming One participant shared: "Growing indigenous vegetables is essential for maintaining ecological balance, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting community well-being. By supporting the cultivation of indigenous vegetables, we can contribute to a more sustainable and equitable food system." 💪 Why this matters globally: 🌍 Nurturing the next generation of agricultural leaders 🌱 Promoting sustainable practices for food security 🌿 Preserving local biodiversity in the face of climate change 💡 Inspiring youth-led innovation in agriculture We're thrilled to see these young champions paving the way for a more resilient and technologically advanced farming sector. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and their impact will be felt far beyond Nigeria's borders! Stay tuned for more updates on how we're shaping the future of sustainable horticulture, one young mind at a time. 🚀 You can also visit the project webpage for more details: https://lnkd.in/dRCq_ZQv. #YouthInAgriculture #ClimateSmartFarming #NextGenFarmers.

🌱 Strengthening Partnerships for Improved Nutrition 🌱 This past Wednesday, we met with a team from USAID’s new multisectoral nutrition activity - ELEVATE Nutrition as part of their scoping activity. This meeting aimed to introduce the ongoing Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture-funded projects of the West Africa Regional Hub to the scoping team so they could understand their scope and identify areas for potential collaboration.📈 Led by Lutuf Abdul-Rahman (Development Assistance Specialist - USAID/Ghana, Tamale Sub-Office), the ELEVATE team included Samuel Tagoe (Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist), Kathryn Beck (Technical Advisor, ELEVATE Nutrition), Kristen Cashin (Deputy Director for Country Programs, ELEVATE Nutrition), and Eliasu Yakubu (Nutrition consultant), who engaged in discussions with Freda E. Asem, Ph.D (Hub Coordinator and PI), Dr. Gloria Essilfie (PI), and Jude Dokbila Kolog (Hub Researcher). Together, we explored ways to align our initiatives for greater impact in advancing nutrition across Ghana and West Africa.🌾 ELEVATE Nutrition (2023-2028), funded by USAID and led by FHI 360, is advancing nutrition for women and children, focusing on the crucial 1,000 days from pregnancy to age two. Through partnerships, ELEVATE bridges global evidence with local action. The program strengthens diet quality, prevents malnutrition, promotes healthy behaviors, and enhances nutrition governance and capacity at national and community levels. By fostering knowledge-sharing and accessible resources, ELEVATE is paving the way for a healthier future in USAID’s priority countries. 🌍   #NutritionSecurity #Collaboration #USAID #ELEVATE

🌍🌿Cracking the Nut 2024! 🌱🌍 We are thrilled to share that our team made up of Freda E. Asem, Ph.D (Hub Coordinator) and Jude Dokbila Kolog (Hub Researcher) participated in the Cracking the Nut 2024 Conference last week in Abuja, Nigeria, representing the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture. This year’s conference focused on the pressing issues of rural investment, agricultural risks and climate adaptation. It provided us with the opportunity to engage with global leaders and innovators across diverse sectors, all working towards building resilient food systems in the face of climate change. 🌱 Key sessions that resonated with us included: 📢 Mitigating GHG emissions through sustainable agricultural practices. 📢 Scaling climate-smart solutions in vulnerable regions. 📢 Mobilizing private sector investments for impactful climate interventions. We're excited to bring the insights gained back to the West Africa Regional Hub and continue our work to drive sustainable horticulture development across the region and beyond. 🌍   #CrackingTheNut2024 #SustainableAgriculture #ClimateAdaptation

A validation workshop and policy dialogue organized by the the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa - FARA, CSIR - Food Research Institute and the Department of Crop Science University of Ghana was held on 6th August 2024 at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement Auditorium, University of Ghana, following a value chain analysis conducted on four indigenous crops (Okra, Garden eggs, Turkey Berry, and Cocoyam leaves) in Ghana. A key objective of the project: Enhancing the production and consumption of Indigenous fruits and vegetables to improve nutrition in Ghana and Mali; funded by Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture is to address structural and systemic challenges, harness opportunities along the value chains, and identify potential policies for the prioritization of Indigenous vegetable value chains. The principal investigator of the project Gloria Essilfie emphasized the need to focus on indigenous crops owing to their high nutritional value. Below is an excerpt captured by the nation's broadcaster GTV during the event. #valuechainanalysis #Indigeouscrops #turkeyberry #gardenegg #okra #kontomire #policydialogue Gloria Essilfie Eric Worlanyo Deffor Rosalyne Baddoo Samuel Lamptey, BSc. MPhil. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, West Africa Regional Hub Raphael Ashiade Matilda Afful Naalamle Amissah, PhD Charles Tortoe Kwaku Antwi (PhD) Jude Dokbila Kolog

🌱🌍 Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture Associate Director Archie Jarman, and Project Manager Kristen Becker are back from a productive trip to our Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, West Africa Regional Hub! The week was jam-packed with activity – from attendance and participation in both a Horticulture Investment Workshop led by Freda E. Asem, Ph.D and Peninah Yumbya, PhD at the University of Ghana, and the #E2AbyICED Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation-themed Evidence to Action (E2A) conference and exhibition event at the University of Ghana Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), to field site visits at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute, and celebrating the grand opening of Dr. Gloria Essilfie's Horticulture Innovation Lab-supported Postharvest Innovation Hub at University of Ghana. Highlights include Archie Jarman as a speaker on the #E2A2024 "Climate Smart Agricultural Innovations, Adaptation, and Resilience" panel, alongside Sophie Javers from Feed the Future MRR Innovation Lab, Dr. Portia Adad Williams from Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr. George Tee Forpoh from the Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Liberia, and Mback Niang from The African Capacity Building Foundation. Research projects are advancing in leaps and bounds, and we’re so thrilled to have witnessed and participated in the latest developments! 📸 Kristen Becker, Peninah Yumbya, PhD, International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED), Jude Dokbila Kolog

Hub for Innovative Postharvest Solutions Launched at the University of Ghana 🚀🌱CoolBot® technology is an inexpensive, innovative cooling system developed by Store It Cold being incorporated into several Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture research initiatives to reduce postharvest losses. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture management entity Associate Director Archie Jarman and Project Manager Kristen Becker, and Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, West Africa Regional Hub Manager Naalamle Amissah, PhD participated in the launch of the Postharvest Innovation Hub in the Department of Crop Science at the University of Ghana. 🌍✨ The program was honoured with the presence of officials from the College of Basic and Applied Sciences including the Provost Prof. Boateng Onwona-Agyemang and the College Secretary Mrs. Mavis Otoo-Ayeh. Also present were Dr. Atanda Oladejo (also a PI of Horticulture Innovation Lab-funded research project https://lnkd.in/dRCq_ZQv ) and Dr. Augusto Bock (Coordinator of another research initiative in Guinea-Bissau https://lnkd.in/dxjJ8srx ). 🎓🌿 The facility was established by Dr. Gloria Essilfie, with financial support from Busters Apex Limited for the building construction and grant funding from Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture for equipment and materials to be used for educational and research programs. The aim of the Postharvest Innovation Hub is to promote innovative postharvest solutions through the use of adaptable technologies and the development of innovative products, with a main feature being the CoolBot®.❄️📦🌾 #Postharvest  #Technology #Sustainability

🎉LAUNCH OF POSTHARVEST INNOVATION HUB The Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, chalked a significant milestone as it officially commissioned the Postharvest Innovation Hub at the Sinna’s Garden on 23rd July 2023. The Hub was commissioned by the Provost of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Professor Boateng Onwona-Agyeman, the College Secretary Mavis Otoo-Ayeh, together with a key partner that sponsored the construction of the facility Busters Apex Limited, and representatives from Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture management entity based at the University of California, Davis Associate Director Archie Jarman and Project Manager Kristen Becker, and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, West Africa Regional Hub the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture West Africa Regional Hub Manager Naalamle Amissah, PhD. Also in attendance was Atanda Oladejo, Principal Investigator (PI) of [https://lnkd.in/dRCq_ZQv] in Nigeria.🌿🌍 Dr. Gloria Essilfie, PI and founder of the Postharvest Innovation Hub expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Busters Apex Limited for sponsoring the construction of the building and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture for providing funding for small laboratory equipment and a CoolBot® Walk-in Cold Room Demonstration Unit. She also thanked all who graced the occasion and explained that the mandate of the Hub is to develop, implement, and disseminate innovative solutions that will reduce postharvest losses, and enhance the livelihoods of value chain actors through research, collaboration, and capacity building, in postharvest management. 🌱🔬 Goodwill messages shared during the occasion from the Provost Prof. @Boateng Onwona-Agyeman, implementing partners, and sponsors advocated for sustainable maintenance of the facility and the development of innovative products to significantly reduce postharvest losses. Guests toured the facility and features of the CoolBot® technology were explained by Archie Jarman. Innovative products developed at the Postharvest Innovation Hub through research support from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture project at the University of Ghana titled, “Enhancing the Production and Consumption of Indigenous Fruits and Vegetables in Ghana and Mali,” were also on display. 🍎🍆[https://lnkd.in/gMKjymyV] 🙏🎊Special thanks to all who attended the event and made the launch a great success! 🙏🎊

Horticulture Research and Development Investment in Ghana 🌱📈 Last week, Freda E. Asem, Ph.D, Hub coordinator of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, West Africa Regional Hub, and Peninah Yumbya, PhD, East Africa Regional Hub Manager Facilitated a Horticulture Investment Workshop in Accra, Ghana. This workshop was organized by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, West Africa Regional Hub as a side event of the #E2AConference, organized by International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED) at ISSER UG, University of Ghana.🌍🎓 Experts shared their insights on research and development related barriers to horticulture investment in Ghana. Under the watchship of visiting Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture management entity members based at University of California, Davis, Associate Director Archie Jarman and Project Manager Kristen Becker, the convening drew horticulture stakeholders from all sectors including Government, Academia, NGOs, international development organisations and private sector along with other Horticulture Innovation Lab members, including project PIs, Atanda Oladejo, Dr. Augusto Bock and  Mr. Adama Ouedraogo, who were present on the day.🌿🔬🤝 This successful workshop in Ghana adds to others organized in Kenya, Nepal and Guatemala. We’re looking forward to upcoming workshops being held in other regions, including Benin, Cambodia, Honduras, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.🌍✨ #HorticultureInvestment #ResearchAndDevelopment #Agriculture

🌿 Strengthening Horticulture in West Africa 🌿 The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, West Africa Regional Hub held its annual meeting as a side event at the #E2AConference, organized by International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED) at ISSER UG, University of Ghana. The event brought together principal investigators, the management of the Hub and partners to discuss the progress and impact of our horticulture projects across #WestAfrica. Naalamle Amissah, PhD, the West Africa Regional Hub Manager moderated the event. Key Highlights of  the day included: A presentation on “Innovations in Horticulture: Global Perspectives and Local Applications,” by Archie Jarman, Associate Director for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture. Insightful presentations on updates from various projects, including: “Promotion of Food and Nutrition Security in the West African Sub-region through Indigenous, Neglected and Underutilized Fruits and Vegetables,” by Project PI, Freda E. Asem, Ph.D.  “Enhancing the Production and Consumption of Indigenous Fruits and Vegetables to Improve Diets in Ghana and Mali,” by Project PI, Gloria Essilfie. “Youth Participation in the Production of Indigenous Vegetables and Fruits Using Climate-smart Approached Leveraging Locally Available Resources,” by Project PI, Atanda Oladejo. “Strengthening the horticulture sector in Guinea-Bissau,” by In-country Project Coordinator, Dr. Augusto Bock, and “Strengthening Horticulture Value Chains in Niger,” by Mr. @Adama Ouedraogo, project partner. Concluding discussions of the meeting centered on: Sustainability synergies and collaborations across projects. Innovations in postharvest technologies, value-added products and digital tools. Strategies for long-term impact and scalability. The meeting was a resounding success, reflecting our commitment to improving the horticulture sector in  #WestAfrica through collaboration, innovation and community engagement. 🌍🌱   #HorticultureInnovation #NutritionSecurity #Collaboration