Tropentag 2021, September 15 - 17, hybrid conference, Germany "Towards shifting paradigms in agriculture for a healthy and sustainable future"

GIZ’s Fund for the Promotion of Innovations in Agriculture (i4Ag)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany

Abstract

In many developing countries, agricultural production and processing remain below their capacities. Innovations are therefore constantly needed to fully unlock the great potential of the agriculture and food sector to contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas. Such innovations change existing routines or introduce new ones. They should boost income and employment, improve food security as well as mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and the consequences of inappropriate land use. However, the successful introduction of innovations is often hindered by a lack of access to knowledge, financing tailored to target groups and a suitable political environment. Especially women and young people often have difficulty accessing innovations for structural and cultural reasons. In many cases, innovations are also not fully developed or are insufficiently adapted to the local context. This is where i4Ag provides a contribution: i4Ag is a fund that promotes innovations in the agriculture and food sector, focusing on the five key areas of mechanisation, digitalisation, renewable energy, research and extension and cooperation with the private sector. The objective of i4Ag is to promote gender-sensitive and sustainable innovations for the agriculture and food sector that are self-sustaining and can be leveraged by the fund’s target groups, such as smallholder farmers and food processors. Lessons learned from innovation partnerships that have received support are applied by multipliers, such as international cooperation projects, companies, public organisations and research institutions. One of the first funded innovation partnership is the four-year Academy of International Agricultural Research (ACINAR) which aims to strengthen the scientific cooperation between German Universities and the CGIAR++ Centersby providing PhD training and stipends. They are awarded to research topics with a developmental relevance. Other examples from the current portfolio of already funded innovation partnerships will be presented.

Keywords: Agricultural research and extension and private sector cooperation, digitalisation, innovation promotion, mechanisation, renewable energy

Contact Address: Evelin Ayadi-Krenzer, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Eschborn, Germany, e-mail: evelin.ayadi-krenzergiz.de