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CORAF has designated twenty-one (21) champions whose essential mission is to set up innovation platforms (IP) and turn them into levers for the adoption of high-impact technologies and innovations in northern Benin and beyond.

These players come from the milk, corn, mango, onion, potato, soy and meat sectors.

These are the seven (07) value chains identified as priorities for setting up IPs in Benin, by the Agricultural Technologies and Innovations for Increasing the Resilience of Production Systems and Family Farms in West and Central Africa(TARSPro) project. 

The champions were identified through a participatory process of peer identification, following the training of TARSPro project stakeholders in the establishment and facilitation of IPs, held from May 09 to 14 in Parakou (Benin).

"We have chosen to select three champions per sector, who will become the pioneers of innovation platforms in their respective sectors. They are responsible for setting up functional innovation platforms in their areas of intervention", explains Marie Nicole Taha NKOUM, TARSPro Project Manager at CORAF.

Aware of what is at stake, the champions are committed to taking advantage of the knowledge acquired during the training and to making the IP tool their own to facilitate the adoption of technologies and innovations in the four (04) departments in the north of Benin: Alibori, Atacora, Borgou, and Donga.

"I recognize that this is a heavy responsibility, and I'm ready to do my bit to boost the onion sector," says onion champion Joel DAYE LOFFA, Head of the Vegetable Crops Program, based in Malanville, who is already drawing up plans and a roadmap to the effective implementation of the IP in his locality, the Alibori department. 

"This training will help me to set up an innovation platform dedicated to the mango sector, which will facilitate the adoption of technologies that will help to increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and increase profitability for players in the sector at all levels," says Angèle TAWARI, Manager of Natitingou-based agri-food processing company Angel's Floor.

The training that led to the designation of these champions will be replicated in the other countries where the TARSPro project is being implemented, namely Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad.

Read also: 

• Benin: TARSPro to boost technology adoption with innovation platforms
• TARSPro will help set up innovation platforms in seven value chains in Benin