African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) have announced a five-year partnership agreement aimed at enhancing utilization and adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies; value-adding processes and, loss-reducing practices among smallholder farmers in Africa.
The agreement will establish a long-term relationship for purposes of carrying out complementary research, innovation, institutional development, and capacity building.
The organisations agreed to focus on two core areas of work covering technology adoption, uptake and use including post-harvest management and advocacy on policy, regulations and legislation related to technology uptake and utilization.
The collaboration will see AATF and AFAAS develop training modules and materials for use by extension services providers; support development and implementation of product promotion and promote demonstration gardens for newly released varieties.
In addition, the organisations will jointly contribute to policy advocacy through provision of proven scientific information on agriculture extension and technology adoption in Africa.
Speaking after signing the partnership agreement, Dr. Canisius Kanangire, the AATF Executive Director said the collaboration and partnership will go a long way in enhancing the mandates of the two organisations that seek to empower smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa with a wide choice of agricultural innovations that generate wealth and health for their families and communities.
“At AATF, we seek synergy and complementarity of other players such as AFAAS in the agricultural space to deliver agricultural technologies to farmers,” he said.
Dr Silim Nahdy, the Executive Director, AFAAS, stated that the agreement will help push cutting-edge agricultural technologies including biotechnology to the hands of farmers to enhance productivity and livelihoods.
“AATF and AFAAS will seek the best means of supporting each other where possible and necessary to enhance the voices of stakeholders in relation to policy matters. We will lend our voice as appropriate as representing extension services across the region,” said Dr. Nahdy, adding that the agreement will create the much-needed synergies between the two organisations to bring more impact at the farm levels through extension service.