Posted on February, 17, 2025 at 10:31 am
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is establishing a new Regional Scaling Hub in Kenya to advance agricultural solutions across East and Southern Africa.
The hub is expected to support the transformation of food, land, and water systems by ensuring that scientific innovations reach farmers and other users.
According to CGIAR, the initiative is designed to strengthen collaboration and improve the adoption of research-driven solutions developed in partnership with organizations across Africa.
Inga Jacobs-Mata, a key figure behind the initiative, stated that the hub will serve as a dedicated space where CGIAR and its partners can work together to refine and implement scientific innovations.
She emphasized the need for practical strategies that enable faster and more cost-effective adoption of agricultural technologies while ensuring inclusivity and sustainability.
The facility will provide an environment that encourages collaboration, creative problem-solving, and cross-sectoral engagement.
The hub aims to enhance knowledge-sharing and innovation by bringing together various stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
These include smallholder farmers, farmer cooperatives, government agencies, financial institutions, research organizations, universities, civil society groups, private sector players, and youth agricultural influencers.
By facilitating connections among these groups, CGIAR hopes to create an ecosystem where innovations can be effectively adapted and scaled across different agricultural landscapes.
Part of CGIAR’s 2025-2030 Global Portfolio
The Scaling Hub is integrated into CGIAR’s broader research agenda for the next five years, which focuses on delivering long-term agricultural solutions worldwide.
As part of the Scaling for Impact Program, the initiative is expected to provide access to agricultural innovations for over 62 million people, including marginalized and underrepresented communities.
By 2030, CGIAR estimates that 250,000 jobs will be created or improved, and around 480,000 people—half of them women—will gain access to better nutrition.
This Regional Scaling Hub will serve as a physical workspace where experts from various disciplines can collaborate on strategies for expanding agricultural innovations.
Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute, stressed the importance of ensuring that solutions developed for small-scale farmers are practical and scalable.
CGIAR has spent decades developing agricultural technologies tailored for Africa, and the new hub is expected to facilitate the widespread application of these innovations through coordinated efforts with different partners.
Source: Food Business Africa