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CORAF is launching a capitalization mission on approaches and tools designed to facilitate the adoption and scaling-up of agricultural technologies and innovations. This five (5)-month mission began with a workshop to co-construct the capitalization protocol. This first meeting brought together experts and key players from the Executive Secretariat in Dakar on August 20 and 22, 2024 to harmonize understanding of the mission, the vision of the capitalization process and clarify the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders.

The importance of capitalization for lasting impact

In a context where food security and improving the livelihoods of rural populations are more than ever priorities, CORAF is positioning itself as a key player. Since its creation, the organization has constantly innovated to promote the adoption of high-performance agricultural technologies and approaches. Its flagship initiatives include Innovation Platforms (IPs), Agricultural Technology Parks (ATPs), Community Immersion Poles (CIPs) and the Climate Intelligent Villages (CIVs) approach. These initiatives are all aimed at boosting agricultural productivity while taking into account the climatic and social challenges specific to the region.

"This workshop marks a key milestone for CORAF in its commitment to strengthening the resilience of agricultural systems in West and Central Africa. The aim is not only to consolidate what has already been achieved, but also to develop knowledge products that can be widely disseminated and used to inspire other similar initiatives across the continent", explains Dr. Emmanuel NJUKWE, Director of Research and Innovation at CORAF.explains Dr. Emmanuel NJUKWE, Director of Research and Innovation at CORAF.

Participants not only exchanged best practices, but also co-constructed the fundamental elements of a capitalization protocol. This process, steered by CORAF with the support of a firm of capitalization experts, was found to be inclusive and participatory, involving research and innovation and management service managers, project coordinators, communication, monitoring-evaluation and knowledge management officers, accountants, financial specialists, procurement specialists and implementing partners. A field phase at country level will also be conducted to collect information and generate actionable knowledge to improve technology and innovation dissemination and adoption practices in West and Central Africa. 

Prof. Niéyidouba LAMIEN, Program Manager at CORAF, underlines the importance of this collaborative approach: "Capitalizing on innovations is not a mere formality; it's a necessity to ensure that lessons learned are shared and successes can be replicated elsewhere. This workshop is a unique opportunity to pool our experiences for even greater impact in the future."

Sharing knowledge and disseminating innovations

At the end of the workshop, a capitalization protocol will be put in place, paving the way for the experience capture, production and analysis phase of the information gathered at country and regional level. By capitalizing on its approaches and tools, CORAF ensures that the technologies developed for scaling up are documented and disseminated, enabling best practices and lessons learned to be shared, facilitating their adaptation and replicability in various contexts and maximizing their large-scale impact in West and Central Africa and worldwide.