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On Thursday October 19, 2023, the 2nd Edition of the Open Day of the Agricultural Technology and Innovation Park of the Institut d'Économie Rurale (IER) in Mali took place. The aim of this event, which brought together players in the plant and associated crop value chains, was clear and ambitious: to explore promising technologies and innovations likely to transform agricultural production systems.

This 2nd Open Day 2023 of the Agricultural Technology and Innovation Park is part of the joint activities of the "Agricultural Technologies and Innovations for Increasing the Resilience of Production Systems and Family Farms in West and Central Africa (TARSPro)" and the West African Food System Resilience Program (FSRP/PRSA).

" These programs are the result of collaboration between CORAF and its financial partners, namely the Swiss Development Cooperation and the World Bank. These two programs fit in perfectly with the Strategic Research Plan for the Development of the Agricultural Sector, and in particular with the strategic axes of the Malian government's action program, which emphasizes the promotion of technology transfer by setting up a mechanism for the dissemination and valorization of research results ", explains Cheick TRAORA, representative of the Malian Minister of Agriculture at the open day.

Continuing, the Managing Director of the Institut d'Économie Rurale underlined that this Technology Park open day is a space for exchange between stakeholders, offering the opportunity to share information on technologies and innovations developed by research, while gathering the needs of stakeholders. The Technology Park showcases cutting-edge technologies and innovations in agricultural value chains. These full-scale demonstrations are presented as showcases, enabling stakeholders to learn about and adopt them to improve their own production systems.

Participants had the opportunity to visit and learn about the various crops grown at the Centre Régional Agronomique, including millet, fonio, cowpeas, groundnuts, corn, soybeans, sesame, as well as food trees, forages and market garden produce. They also explored the exhibition stands, enriching their knowledge of the latest technological advances and innovations that they could appropriate to improve their own production systems.

Furthermore, in the current context of high climate variability, emphasis was also placed on climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive and gender-sensitive technologies to be promoted among family farms. This approach demonstrates a commitment to resilient agriculture that is adapted to the needs of society.

This second edition of the Institut d'Économie Rurale's agricultural technology and innovation park open day was a catalyst for the evolution of agricultural practices and the strengthening of production systems, demonstrating Mali's dedication to a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable agricultural future.

As a reminder, the TARSPRO Program, spread over a total period of 12 years in three successive 04-year phases, stems from a partnership agreement signed on November 30, 2020 between the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Its overall objective is to ensure food, nutritional and economic security for the populations of West and Central Africa.