Farmers Organisations Leading Research & Innovation(FO-RI) project launch in Tanzania

Farmers Organisations Leading Research & Innovation(FORI) project launch in Arusha, Tanzania. Photo : Imani Hezron

We Effect, AgricordEuropean Union, and the  Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), in partnership with Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Mkoa wa Arusha (MVIWAARUSHA), launch a new project, Farmers Organisations Leading Research & Innovation (𝐅𝐎-𝐑𝐈) that aims to increase women and youth-led research and active participation in sunflower and leguminous crops value chain.

The 4-year project on agroecology for sustainable food systems – will contribute to improved livelihoods of smallholder farmers, especially women and youth in the sunflower value chain with leguminous intercropping in (Monduli, Karatu & Arusha DC) districts of Tanzania, through farmer-led research and innovative agroecology practices.

MVIWAARUSHA will promote and facilitate farmer-to-farmer learning, i.e., the grassroots networks, and create sharing forums such as innovation fairs, where farmers can engage in research and exchange knowledge among themselves and other farmers.

One other partner in this project is Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI)  who will provide guidance from planning, design and successful implementation of the research project by smallholder farmers using ‘community-volunteer innovators’ to strengthen the capacity of farmer-facilitators and/or farmer-researchers.

Speaking during the launch Damian Sulumo the programs officer, MVIWARUSHA, said the project will support more than 2000 women and youth and another 4000 indirectly.

Globally, the Farmers Organisations Leading Research & Innovation on agroecology for sustainable food systems (FO-RI) was officially launched on June 2022 and is operational in  16 countries other countries; In Africa (Burkina, Mali, Senegal, Cameroun, Burundi, RDC, Madagascar, Tanzania), Asia (Philippines), Pacific (Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Samoa), Caribbean (Haiti) and Latin America (Brazil & Uruguay).

In line with the European Green Deal framework, FO-RI will provide the momentum for farmer organizations to effectively engage in the policy arena in relation to agroecology. The main goal of this action is to drive a transition towards resilient, productive and sustainable agroecological food systems through farmer-led innovation and research.

Watch media coverage of the launch:

 

Written by

Catherine Waking'a

Farmers Organisations Leading Research & Innovation(FORI)

FO-RI