Innovating Against Hunger

Innovating Against Poverty and Hunger 2013 Calendar

ICRISAT Offices: ICRISAT-Patancheru (Headquarters)

ICRISAT-Nairobi (Regional hub ESA) Nairobi, Kenya

ICRISAT-Bamako (Regional hub WCA) Bamako, Mali

ICRISAT-Niamey ICRISAT-Bulawayo ICRISAT-Lilongwe Niamey, Niger (Via Paris) Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Lilongwe, Malawi

Science with a human face

www.icrisat.org

ICRISAT-Maputo Maputo, Mozambique

Innovating Against Poverty and Hunger ICRISAT 2013 Calendar

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his calendar is an exhibition of images illustrating the impact of science-based agricultural innovations in improving livelihoods and attaining food and nutrition security of smallholder farmers in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Research for the poor Research innovations can only impact poverty and hunger if they reach the farmer and are adopted by them. The calendar covers the research for development (R4D) initiatives of ICRISAT and partners in ensuring successful solutions to help poor farmers in Asia and Africa grow more and diverse food, sell surpluses at the market, have a harvest even when rainfall is unpredictable or scarce and resist pest attacks. The images take us from India to Mali, via the Ethiopian highlands, where farmers like Niruji, Temegnush and Bedilu, the faces of smallholder agriculture, show us what impact agricultural innovation has had on their farm and household food security.

Partnership ICRISAT works closely with farmers, local governments, national research institutions, NGOs and the private sector to make innovations accessible even to remote farming communities.

The farmer is firmly at the center of R4D initiatives which means that their feedback is integrated and successful solutions are more easily adopted by them. Best practice and tools are spread through communities via farmers, NGOs, extension workers, agricultural entrepreneurs and policy makers using creative approaches such as small seed or fertilizer packets, farmer-to-farmer videos and self-help group networks.

About ICRISAT The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is a nonprofit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world.

ICRISAT is headquartered in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, with two regional hubs and five country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a member of the CGIAR Consortium.

Our Vision: A prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. Our Mission :To reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics.

Our Goal: Partnership-based international agricultural research-for-development that embodies Science with a human face. Our Approach: IMOD Inclusive Market-Oriented Development

Science with a human face

A member of the CGIAR Consortium Photo: Alina Paul-Bossuet (ICRISAT)

Bounty harvest Having access to drought tolerant and high yielding chickpea varieties has led to bumper harvests for Ethiopian farmers. ICRISAT is working with national research and government partners to promote drought-tolerant chickpea varieties that also help diversify production and improve soil fertility.

Photo: Alina Paul-Bossuet (ICRISAT

January 2013

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Better lives through better seeds Temegnush Dhabi, a widow with six children, took part in ICRISAT research trials to test how well the drought and pest resistant varieties of chickpea grew in her fields. She chose to cultivate the successful seeds and has had high yields over the last four years.

Photo: Alina Paul-Bossuet (ICRISAT)

February 2013

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Meeting market demand Improved varieties (drought tolerant, high yielding, pest resistant) of leguminous crops are spread through local communities via farmers like Bedilu who has been trained by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIARS) and ICRISAT to produce certified seeds. He then works with neighboring farmers to demonstrate best farm management with these improved varieties.

Photo: Alina Paul-Bossuet (ICRISAT)

March 2013

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Improved varieties plus best practices Gebeyehu Melesse and his son sell chickpeas at a local market in Addis Ababa. Seed delivery systems are key to meeting increasing demand. A number of farmers have been trained by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and ICRISAT to multiply certified seeds, spread them to farmers and demonstrate good crop management.

Photo: Alina Paul-Bossuet (ICRISAT)

April 2013

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Empowering women Priscilla Mutie from Muuni village in Eastern Kenya shells pigeonpea to get a better price at the market. Women make up the majority of smallholder farmers. Their role in increasing incomes and improving food security is vital and must not be neglected.

Photo: Swathi Sridharan (ICRISAT)

May 2013

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Small pack revolution Selling improved seeds in small quantities makes high yielding seeds available to smallholder farmers, especially women. ICRISAT and donors have supported seed entrepreneurs to help the poor access technology that improves their yields.

Photo: Alina Paul-Bossuet (ICRISAT)

June 2013

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Saving and investing Self-help groups enable women to access credit and adopt innovations.

Niruji, on the left, got a loan from her group savings scheme to set up a tree nursery and invest in her fields.

Photo: Alina Paul-Bossuet (ICRISAT)

July 2013

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Orphan crops no more ‘Orphan’ or neglected crops like pearl millet can have a vital role in food security. ICRISAT and partners have developed varieties of pearl millet resistant to downy mildew, minimizing losses if a crop is infected by the fungus. In India, downy mildew resistant pearl millet has a high social impact as the food security of thousands of families depends on its harvests.

Photo: PS Rao (ICRISAT)

August 2013

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Fighting aflatoxin Aflatoxin is a fungus that affects the health, harvests and incomes of smallholder farmers. ICRISAT supported the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM) to use better and low-cost aflatoxin management techniques to supply highquality peanuts to UK supermarkets and develop a booming fair trade business.

Photo: ICRISAT

September 2013

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Worm power Improving soil fertility through simple ecological methods such as vermicomposting, is an essential step to increase yields in a sustainable way.

ICRISAT is working with the government, local farm centers, NGOs and farmers in many Indian villages to improve soil and water management and increase yields.

Photo: Alina Paul-Bossuet (ICRISAT)

October 2013

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Farmers on film Digital Green helps women farmers develop short farmer-friendly films to enable them to train others and improve extension services. ICRISAT helps in spreading successful research innovations on water, soil and crop management through communities by partnering with development organizations like Digital Green.

Photo: Alina Paul-Bossuet (ICRISAT)

November 2013

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Creating a better future Agricultural innovations can make a big difference to people’s lives. The challenge is to ensure that these innovations are accessible and acceptable among communities, and that the impact is sustainable, creating better opportunities for the next generation.

Photo: Swathi Sridharan (ICRISAT)

December 2013

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