ethiopia_highlands


 * Africa RISING ** Ethiopia Highlands

The Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) program comprises three research-for-development projects supported by the United States Agency for International Development as part of the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative.

media type="custom" key="25211168" align="right" Through action research and development partnerships, Africa RISING will create opportunities for smallholder farm households to move out of hunger and poverty through sustainably intensified farming systems that improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base.

In Ethiopia, the main aim of the project is to identify and validate solutions to the problems experienced by small-holder crop-livestock farmers. Some problems arise from the difficulties facing farmers in managing natural resources and achieving efficiencies from managing crops, trees, water and livestock together. These efficiencies are often influenced by other factors such as access to inputs and the reliability of markets. To address this complexity, Africa RISING takes an integrated approach to strengthen farming systems. It conducts participatory research that identifies technologies and management practices that work for farmers and take account of contextual issues like markets for inputs and outputs, community and other institutions and of the policy environments that influence farm households.

**//Sites //**
In Ethiopia, the project works in eight interventions kebeles ((the lowest administrative units in Ethiopia) in four woredas/districts of Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray regions


 * ** Region ** || ** Woreda/district ** ||< ** kebeles ** ||
 * Amhara || Basona Worena ||< Goshe Bado and Gudo Beret ||
 * Oromia || Sinana ||< Salka and Ilu-Sanbitu ||
 * @SNNPR || Lemo ||< Jawe and Upper Gana ||
 * Tigray || Endamehonei ||< Emba Hasti and Tsibet ||

**//Research //**
To address the program-wide hypotheses listed in the program framework ( [|cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/25079] ), the project’s research is organized around 5 research components and 7 research themes. The components are:
 * **Component 1 **: A full characterisation and stratification of households within engaged communities as a basis to identify and propagate improved technologies and management strategies
 * **Component 2: ** Activities supporting action at a more integrated, community scale, including support for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange within communities and strengthening and augmenting existing practices
 * **Component 3: **Participatory market opportunity identification, and value chain analyses leading to the establishment of multi-stakeholder platforms (read more about innovation platforms)
 * **Component 4: **On-farm adaptive research to identify the strongest, options for integrating research deliverables with existing practices to promote sustainable intensification
 * **Component 5 **: Identification of options and processes for wider scaling and active formation of implementation partnerships.

The research themes guiding current activities were developed in the September 2013 work plan and are:
 * 1) Feed and forage development.
 * 2) Field crop varietal selection and management.
 * 3) Integration of high value products into mixed farming systems.
 * 4) Improved land and water management for sustainability.
 * 5) Improving the efficiency of mixed farming systems through more effective crop-livestock integration.
 * 6) Cross-cutting problems and opportunities
 * 7) Knowledge management, exchange and capacity development

To implement the Africa RISING rolling work plan that was developed in 2013, **a set of 33 research protocols** targeting the main problems and opportunities was developed. Download information on research protocols

In 2013, a series of diagnostic exercises were carried out with the following participatory tools:
 * Rapid telephone surveys
 * Value chain mapping
 * SLATE
 * Rapid market assessment
 * Participatory community analysis
 * Agro-ecological knowledge toolkit

In 2012, six early-win projects were implemented in Ethiopia

**//<span style="color: #762022; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Expected results //**
<span style="color: #221e1f; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">By the end of the project, the project will have delivered the following:
 * <span style="color: #221e1f; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Knowledge and skills in farming communities will have been strengthened equitably, allowing all family members to benefit.
 * <span style="color: #221e1f; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> We will see farmers operating systems that are ‘sustainably intensified’- that is, levels of production and productive efficiency have increased in ways that can be maintained both environmentally and economically over the longer term.
 * <span style="color: #221e1f; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> Improved partnerships among farmers, support services and other value chain actors will have re­duced uncertainties about market function; more reliable input supplies will support more resilient production that will ensure a more consistent profit from produce sold at market.

**//<span style="color: #762022; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Partners //**
<span style="color: #221e1f; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">The Africa RISING project in the Ethiopian highlands is led by scientists from the International Live­stock Research Institute in partnership with scientists from other CGIAR centres. It is implemented in close partnerships with national and local partners: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">– Wachemo, Mekelle, Madawolabu, Debre Berhan and Hawassa universities; Maichew Agricultural College <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">– Amhara Regional Agricultrural Research Institute, Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">– Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research, Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute >
 * Academic institutions:
 * Regional research organizations:
 * Federal research organizations:
 * Offices of Agriculture:
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">– Endamekoni (Tigray), Basona Worena (Amhara), Lemo (SNNRP) and Sinana (Oromia)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Agricultural Transformation Agency

**//<span style="color: #762022; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Contacts //**
Peter Thorne, Project coordinator ILRI, Ethiopia (p.thorne[at]cgiar.org) [] Simret Yasabu, Research communication specialist ILRI, Ethiopia (s.yasabu[at]cgiar.org)

About Africa RISING in Ethiopia

 * Project profile
 * Project Management
 * Communication activities in Ethiopia
 * Site Selection
 * Key documents


 * Implementation plans:**
 * [[file:AR_ethiopia_workplan2014.pdf|Africa RISING Ethiopia Work Plan January 2014 onwards 14-04-07]]
 * [[file:AR-EH Project Plan 2012-2013.pdf|Ethiopian Highlands, Project Implementation Plan]] (2012-2013)
 * [[file:RC1 Plan 2012-2013 ver 11-11-12.docx|Draft document for research component 1]] (2012-2013)
 * [[file:RC2 Plan 2012-2013 ver 11-11-12.docx|Draft document for research component 2]] (2012-2013)
 * [[file:Research Proposal for Research components combined 3 & 4.docx|Draft document for research component 3 & 4]] (2012-2013)

Latest news and updates
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Partner Research Forum meetings

[|Africa RISING Ethiopia calendar of activities]
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Reports and Documents
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 * These are the most recent Ethiopia-specific documents uploaded on CG Space: **


 * Key documents**

Field and other reports





 * [[file:Field report Butajira-29 - 30 May, 2014.doc|Field report Butajira-29 - 30 May, 2014]]
 * [[file:Africa RISING field report 4-8 Feb 2014.docx|Africa RISING field report 4-8 Feb 2014]]
 * Field visit to Lemo woreda 9-10 Jan 2014
 * Field value chain reports Amhara, SNNPRS and Oromiya
 * [[file:Africa RISING Field visit (Lemo)-8-9 Nov 2013.docx|Africa RISING Field visit (Lemo)-8-9 Nov 2013]]
 * [[file:AR Field visit (Debre Birhan and Lemo)-9 and 13-15 Aug 2013.docx|Africa RISING Field visit (Debre Birhan and Lemo)-9 and 13-15 Aug 2013]]
 * [[file:Report- SLATE training-final.docx|Report on SLATE training]] (1-5 April 2013)
 * [[file:africa-rising/eth_highland_megasite.doc|Site characterization report]]
 * [[file:Africa RISING FieldTrip-report March 25-27-2014.docx|Africa RISING FieldTrip-report March 25-27-2014]]

Africa RISING-CGIAR Partners Monthly meetings

 * 4 April 2016
 * [[file:Minutes of AR update meeting with CG partners- 28 January 2016.docx|28 January 2016 ]]
 * 25 June 2015
 * 7 April 2015
 * 5 March 2015
 * 26 January 2015
 * 30 October 2014
 * <span class="wiki_link_ext">[[file:Minutes of AR update meeting with CG partners- 6 October 2014.docx|6 October 2014 ]]
 * [[file:Minutes of AR update meeting with CG partners- 28 August 2014.docx|28 August 2014]]
 * [[file:Minutes of AR update meeting with CG partners- 31st July 2014.docx|31 July 2014]]
 * 26 June 2014
 * [[file:Minutes of AR update meeting with CG partners- 29 May 2014 final draft MM.docx|29 May 2014]]
 * [[file:Minutes of AR update meeting with CG partners- 30 April 2014.docx|30 April 2014]]
 * [[file:africa-rising/Minutes of AR update meeting with CG partners- 28 March 2014.docx|28 Mar 2014]]
 * [[file:Minutes of the Africa RISING Ethiopian Partners Catch Up meeting-27 Feb 2014.docx|27 Feb 2014]]
 * [[file:Minutes of the Africa RISING Ethiopian Partners Catch Up meeting-30 Jan 2014.docx|30 Jan 2014]]
 * [[file:Minutes of the Africa RISING Ethiopian Partners Catch Up meeting-29 Nov 2013.docx|29 Nov 2013]]
 * [[file:Minutes of the Africa RISING Ethiopian Partners Catch Up meeting-5 Aug 2013.docx|5 Aug 2013]]
 * [[file:Minutes of the Africa RISING Ethiopian Partners Catch Up meeting-18 july 2013.docx|18 July 2013]]