69 results
Catch the Rain, Grow with the Grain! The Demi-lune (half-moon) technology is a simple land restoration method used mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. By digging semi-circular pits to capture rainwater and restore soil fertility, it tackles land degradation, water scarcity, and low productivity. First used in Burkina Faso in the 1980s, it has spread to Niger, Mali, Chad, and Senegal. Suitable for millet, sorghum, and legumes, it boosts yields and soil health, helps farmers adapt to climate change, and supports SDGs like No Poverty and Climate Action.
An economically sustainable integrated cassava seed system! Cassava is a major food and industrial crop in many African countries. However, until recently, there was no formal seed system for cassava. Most farmers relied on replanting old stems that were low-yielding and often infected with diseases. This traditional practice limited productivity and spread pests and diseases. The Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System (BASICS) model was developed to address this. It creates a complete and sustainable cassava seed system. It links farmers, seed entrepreneurs, regulators, and processors into one coordinated framework. The goal is to ensure that disease-free, improved varieties reach farmers reliably and consistently. This model has already been tested and applied in Nigeria and Tanzania.
Sell Smart, Grow Fast The Marketing Strategies technology is a toolkit designed to help cassava seed producers improve market access, visibility, and demand for certified seeds. It provides tools for understanding customer segments, developing effective pricing models, and leveraging both digital and traditional marketing channels. By enhancing seed producers' ability to engage with farmers, build trust, and promote high-quality seeds, the toolkit supports sustainable business growth and addresses key challenges in seed marketing, such as low market awareness, distribution inefficiencies, and poor customer engagement.
From Knowledge to Yield — Empowering Cassava Seed Systems. The Building Capacity technology aims to strengthen cassava seed systems by addressing capacity gaps among seed producers. It provides a comprehensive toolkit with training resources, business development tools, and partnership frameworks to enhance technical skills, market access, and regulatory collaboration. The technology promotes sustainable seed production, boosts productivity, and ensures seed quality. Key activities include capacity assessments, tailored training curricula, and stakeholder collaboration. By improving seed systems, it supports economic growth, food security, and climate resilience, benefiting seed producers and farmers alike.
Building stronger cassava seed businesses for African seed entrepreneurs and farmers. The Cassava Seed Association Model (CSAM) was developed as an institutional support system to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of cassava seed entrepreneurs. The model promotes the formation of structured associations of cassava seed producers, which offer collective benefits such as certification, access to finance, capacity building, and policy advocacy. This approach aims to reduce inefficiencies, improve seed quality, and strengthen market linkages, ultimately leading to a more resilient and sustainable seed production system. Its has been successfully validated in countries like Nigeria and Tanzania and is currently being scaled in Rwanda and Kenya. Over 2,700 seed entrepreneurs have benefited from this model, which addresses many of the challenges faced by individual seed producers in the cassava seed industry.
Transforming Cassava Farming Through Entrepreneurial Innovation! Cassava is a staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, crucial for food security and income generation. However, traditional cassava seed systems have been informal and unsustainable, relying on farmer-to-farmer sharing and sporadic free distributions by governments and NGOs. This approach has led to the widespread use of low-quality, disease-prone planting materials, resulting in reduced yields and limited adoption of improved varieties. The Cassava Seed Entrepreneur (CSE) Business Model offers a structured, market-driven solution to revitalize the cassava seed system. It empowers rural men, women, and youth to become certified seed entrepreneurs who produce and sell high-quality cassava planting materials. By integrating training, digital tools, and strategic partnerships, the model ensures the availability of clean, certified seeds, enhancing productivity and livelihoods.
Structure, Trace, Scale & Connect with Solutions eProd is a digital supply chain management platform designed for agriculture. It helps organizations register farmers, monitor production, ensure traceability, and manage payments efficiently. The system is modular, works offline, and integrates easily with other digital tools.
Breeder & Foundation Cassava Seeds—Always Within Reach This technology enables seed companies and certified producers to multiply and supply breeder and foundation cassava seeds directly from research centers. It follows national seed certification standards, uses both in-house and outgrower schemes, and ensures that farmers and seed entrepreneurs get access to clean, high-quality planting material. Registration with seed authorities and proper field inspection are required for participation.
Improved cassava varieties crucial for enhancing food security, increasing farmer incomes, and reducing poverty in Africa. The technology is a market-driven cassava breeding system that develops improved varieties based on market needs, such as for fresh consumption, processing, or biofortification. It involves stakeholder input, standard breeding methods, and regulatory collaboration for variety release. Adoption is promoted through trials, launch events, and media campaigns, aligning breeding with market demand to boost cassava productivity and value chain performance.
Enhancing cassava productivity through healthy planting material Cassava Seed Quality Management is a national system that ensures the production and distribution of high-quality, disease-free cassava planting material. By regulating and certifying seed quality, governments can control the spread of major cassava diseases, boost productivity by over 100%, and support the formalization of the cassava seed sector for long-term food security and economic development.
Zaï pits are a traditional water-harvesting technique used in the Sahel to combat low rainfall, soil degradation, and poor soil fertility. By digging small pits that trap rainwater and organic matter, farmers can improve moisture retention, nutrient availability, and crop yields by 60–90%. This cost-effective method enables the rehabilitation of degraded lands and enhances the resilience of millet and sorghum crops. When combined with other soil and water conservation techniques, Zaï pits significantly contribute to sustainable dryland agriculture.
Enhancing Cassava Resilience: Targeted Biocontrol with a Beneficial Wasp Biological control of the cassava mealybug (CM) involves introducing natural enemies, such as the parasitoid wasp Anagyrus lopezi, to manage CM populations without chemical pesticides. This method has been successfully implemented in over 20 countries, reducing mealybug populations by about 90% and protecting cassava crops, thereby saving farmers significant amounts of money.
A set of tools on best practices for practitioners and investors in the seeds sector. The Seed2B Toolkit is a comprehensive resource designed to bridge the gap between advanced breeding and the successful commercialization of improved seed varieties. It provides step-by-step guidance, tools, and best practices across the product lifecycle—from problem identification to solution delivery—ensuring smallholder farmers access high-quality seeds tailored to their needs. The toolkit emphasizes collaboration between public and private stakeholders to establish standards for seed development and dissemination.
Excellent natural protection for a wide range of crops, manufactured in France Yukon is an innovative, sustainable fungicide designed to prevent and manage fungal and bacterial diseases in crops. It combines tribasic copper sulfate in its brochantite form, which gradually releases copper ions for consistent and persistent action, with Xanthane, a natural adjuvant derived from fermentation, ensuring excellent leaf coverage and rainfastness. This advanced formulation works at the cellular level to inhibit fungal development stages, including spore germination and mycelium growth, while also limiting bacterial growth. Yukon minimizes environmental impact by using less copper per hectare and is compatible with organic farming practices. Widely adopted in European agriculture, it enhances crop quality and yield, promotes resistance management, and supports eco-friendly farming practices, making it a valuable tool for sustainable agricultural development.
Improve your performance, Increase your Income BM START® is a liquid biostimulant made from GoActiv®, a seaweed extract that boosts plant growth and improves crop yields. It enhances nutrition, accelerates flowering, and increases fruit set across a variety of crops. BM START® has been proven to increase yields by up to 231%, as seen in mango production, and is effective in diverse climates. It improves plant health, reduces environmental impact, and supports sustainable farming. Approved in France, it has been tested on over 10 million hectares and is recognized for its high ROI and ability to improve food security and agricultural productivity.
MahuWévi, the solution for aquaculture that sustainably feeds The MahuWévi is an advanced oxygenation system designed for sustainable fish farming in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly for tilapia. It provides efficient, low-cost oxygen enrichment, ensuring high dissolved oxygen levels through short, regular micro-injections, while operating with minimal energy use. This technology reduces water demand by 50%, lowers nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, and enhances water recycling for crop irrigation, supporting a circular economy. Adaptable to various users, MahuWévi boosts profitability (with an ROI of 30%) and aligns with key SDGs by promoting food security, environmental sustainability, and economic opportunities for youth and women in aquaculture.
BSFL proteins for sustainable local fish and chicken feed production A major challenge for fish and chicken farming in sub-Saharan Africa is the lack of a consistent and reliable supply of feed throughout the year. The rising cost of feed, which makes up 60-70% of total production expenses, adds to this problem. At the same time, about 30-40% of food produced today is lost or wasted, leading to large amounts of organic waste and animal manure that harm the environment if not properly managed. The traditional way of producing and consuming goods also creates issues for the economy, ecosystems, and society. To address these challenges, Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae composting offers a smart solution. This technology tackles two key problems: managing organic waste and reducing the high cost of animal feed in the region. BSF larvae turn organic waste into valuable protein feed for animals and nutrient-rich fertilizer, cutting down on waste sent to landfills and reducing environmental harm. The larvae are highly efficient at transforming organic by-products into protein-rich feed, providing a more sustainable option for fish and chicken farming. By reusing agricultural waste, BSF technology supports a circular economy that benefits both the environment and the economy.
Cut Post-Harvest Losses for Vegetables The Zero Energy Cooling Chamber (ZECC) is an eco-friendly, electricity-free storage system that extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by several days. It operates through evaporative cooling, making it ideal for rural areas. ZECC helps reduce post-harvest losses, increases the availability of nutrient-dense foods, and provides an affordable cooling solution for farmers.
With QualiSani, no more toxic compounds such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in your smoked fish and grilled meat, and reduction of cancer risk for consumers. Traditional methods of grilling and smoking food, particularly in African countries, have long been associated with health risks due to the formation of harmful compounds such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). These carcinogenic substances are produced when food is exposed to smoke and high temperatures, and their presence in grilled and smoked products has raised significant public health concerns. Studies conducted in Benin country have revealed alarming levels of PAHs in smoked and grilled meats and fish, often exceeding international safety standards. This contamination is linked to the direct exposure of food to smoke, the type of fuel used (often wood), and the inefficient design of traditional processing equipment. The accumulation of PAHs not only poses a cancer risk to consumers but also hampers the marketability of these products in regions with stricter food safety regulations. Addressing this challenge requires innovations in food processing technologies that can reduce or eliminate the formation of PAHs while maintaining or improving the efficiency and productivity of the smoking and grilling process. The development of improved equipment, such as QualiSani, represents a significant step towards safer food processing practices. These advancements aim to protect consumers' health, enhance the quality of grilled and smoked products, and support the sustainable development of small to medium-sized food processing enterprises.
Biochar, a powerfully circular way to fight climate change Energy access is a complex issue for the African continent, where 70% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa depends on biomass for energy. This means most people burn firewood, charcoal, agricultural residues, and animal dung for cooking and other daily activities. While bioenergy is renewable, its overuse can cause deforestation and soil erosion. The lack of a secure and sustainable energy supply is connected to Africa’s food security and climate change challenges. Biochar is being promoted as a solution that can address all three challenges by enhancing soil fertility and sequestering carbon.
Mitigating Africa’s worst pest threat to food security by revolutionizing crop protection with a biological and sustainable weed control alternative. The Toothpick Project introduces an innovative biocontrol technology utilizing a specific strain of host-specific fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae, to combat Striga (witchweed), Africa's most severe pest threatening food security. Approximately 50 million hectares of croplands (around 40 million farms) in sub-Saharan Africa are infested with Striga, causing over $9 billion in crop losses annually. Striga plants produce over 50,000 seeds per season, easily spreading through wind, human and animal traffic, and farming tools, adding to the soil seed bank. This selective biological herbicide “Kichawi Kill”, applied by farmers as a seed coating, aims to restore crop yields by targeting Striga without harming maize. This game-changing agri-tech provides a safe, effective, and affordable alternative to traditional chemical herbicides.
long lasting banana nicknamed 'kiwangazi' by farmers. The KABANA 6H/NARITA7 is a high-yielding banana hybrid developed by IITA and NARO. It’s known for its tolerance to diseases like black Sigatoka and pests like weevils and nematodes, which increases the longevity of banana plantations. With a real-life yield of 57.7 kg per bunch and a potential yield of 60 tons/ha/year, it offers significant economic return. This variety was introduced to combat the decreased lifespan and yield decline in Uganda’s banana plantations.
Empowering Farmers with Digital Guidance The NextGen Advisory is an online advisory tool, a comprehensive decision support system designed to provide site-specific fertilizer recommendations for key crops in Ethiopia, such as maize, teff, and wheat. It integrates hyper-localized data and tailored approaches to address specific household needs under the integrated soil fertility management plus (ISFM+) framework. Additionally, the tool offers crucial climate information services to guide farmers on optimal planting dates and fertilizer application timings. By leveraging various technologies and machine learning algorithms, this tool aims to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability by delivering precise, actionable advisories directly to farmers.
GeoAgro-MiSR is a tech tool that uses satellite data to help farmers manage water and fertilizer use for crops like wheat, barley, maize, and potato. It addresses the problem of inefficient resource use, aiming to improve crop yields, reduce input costs, and minimize environmental pollution from overuse of nitrates. The tool offers a free app for farmers to analyze field data and make smart farming decisions. This leads to more sustainable and profitable farming practices.
Cage Culture: Dive Deep for a Sustainable Leap! Cage Systems for Fish Culturing is a method of aquaculture where fish are grown in floating cages in water bodies like lakes or rivers. The cages protect the fish, allow for controlled feeding, and make it easy to harvest the fish when they're ready. This technology is a cost-effective way to grow fish in a natural, safe, and controlled environment.
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