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Agricultural technology parks are essential to the process of technology transfer and agricultural transformation in West and Central Africa. The Innovation, Research, Extension and Consultancy Hub (iReach), through its support for the establishment of agricultural technology parks, is accelerating the transformation of agricultural research in this region. 

Implemented by CORAF, the iReach project aims to propel agriculture to new heights by facilitating the adoption of advanced technologies and innovative practices to modernize agriculture in West and Central Africa. The iReach project is funded by Kansas State University through the USAID Feed the Future program, and operates in nine countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

To date, 10 agricultural technology parks have been created in synergy with CORAF's FSRP and TARSPro programs. These parks are intended to be dynamic hubs for the dissemination and scaling-up of agricultural technologies and innovations, paving the way for more productive and sustainable agriculture.

In these parks, visits are organized for growers, offering them advisory and extension services to help them adopt new technologies, improve their cultivation practices and increase their yields. 

"The idea behind these visits is to enable farmers in our various localities to get a first-hand feel of the different technologies being put in place by research. There are technologies they've never seen before, like certain improved seed varieties they didn't know about. Our aim is to enable them to appropriate these technologies and see to what extent they can replicate them in their own farming activities", explains Dr. Etienne SODRÉ, Agro-pastoralist at the Institut de l'Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA) in Burkina Faso.

In all iReach project countries, over 500 cutting-edge technologies and innovations are being demonstrated, including agronomic, agro-ecological and farming system innovations; genetic innovations, including new varieties, hybrids and genotypes; post-harvest technologies; and digital tools, mechanization and other innovations. 

"For 2023-2024, 55 open days and guided tours were organized, attracting 4,245 participants, 36% of whom were women and a significant number of young growers. These events provide a platform for farmers, researchers and policy-makers to observe and discover the latest advances in agricultural technologies, fostering knowledge exchange, partnerships, business development and networking for the scaling-up and adoption of agricultural technologies and innovations by farmers and agricultural practitioners", confides Dr. Caroline MAKAMTO SOBGUI, technical coordinator of the iReach project at CORAF.

Regional training programs mobilized nearly 50 staff from national agricultural research systems. In addition, training sessions in communication and park management were organized to strengthen the skills of park managers. At national level,"National capacity-building activities in FY 2023 focused on agricultural production, post-harvest management and food processing, involving 447 men and 233 women, demonstrating the project's commitment to inclusive agricultural development", says Dr. Caroline MAKAMTO SOBGUI.

Thanks to the iReach project, a resilient and sustainable future for farming communities is being built.