Le renforcement des capacités à innover apparaît comme un nouveau moyen pour assurer un développement durable dans les pays du Sud. Dans le secteur de l'agriculture, l'innovation est essentiellement collective, ce qui appelle les chercheurs à sortir de leur rôle de producteurs de connaissances pour s'engager auprès des acteurs en situation d'innovation. Si une diversité de pratiques de recherche engagée sont apparues, il n'existe cependant pas aujourd'hui une vision claire des différentes façons dont les chercheurs contribuent à l'innovation.
Les organisations de producteurs agricoles sont souvent considérées comme un moyen de permettre un meilleur accès des producteurs aux marchés agricoles. Notre étude montre que cette affirmation n’est valable que dans le cas de filières présentant des caractéristiques techniques relativement complexes, nécessitant une coordination entre producteurs et opérateurs aval pour la commercialisation. Dans le cas de filières à caractéristiques techniques plus simples, la coordination par le marché permet un accès facile des petits producteurs.
“Donor funded projects usually work separately from the government,” says Oudong Keomipheth, Deputy Director of the Planning and Cooperation Division, NAFRI and CDAIS project Country Project Manager . “But instead of setting up their own office or partnering with a national NGO, CDAIS has partnered with us, the government.”
“When I first heard about the CDAIS project two years ago, I knew immediately that it was just what our group of farmers was looking for” explains Edgar Somacumbi. “We have land, seeds, tractors and all the equipment we want, and a processing plant. But moving from being farmer to agro-entrepreneurs is a complex process and requires new skills. And this is where we needed help.” CDAIS is now supporting a group of farmers to improve how they organise themselves and to help them find solutions to their problems.
“Working with the CDAIS project has given us not only knowledge and skills, but also the confidence to make connections with the government and other partners.” says Mrs Dao Sansihalath, member of the Xanakham women’s pig rearing group. “What we have learnt is practical and is helping us grow our business without having to make a lot of costly mistakes.” This has been achieved through support from the CDAIS project since 2016.
“We have changed already since the CDAIS project started working with us” said Mrs Khammone Luanglath. “Because of the project, we have for example divided our responsibilities within the group and our profits have increased.” The CDAIS project is working with a group of organic vegetable growers in Tongmang village in Vientiane province, who produce for local markets.
“I have seen my income grow since I started farming frogs and fish” says Bounlium Planethavong, “but other farmers need support to adopt the techniques I use.” The CDAIS project identified this innovation that increases and diversifies household income and nutrition by promoting the production of aquatic protein sources.
“We realized that we need to work together, and are now seeing changes happen” said Omar Ali, President of the newly formed Shibganj Mango Association. Farmers and orchard owners saw the need to change when interest in mango production grew after exports to the EU started in 2015. With technical assistance from several initiatives, the first 12 registered farmers began to follow ‘good agricultural practices’.
Today, entering Trishal, Mymensingh on the road from Dhaka, one sees rows of fish ponds. One after the other, they show a massive diversification from rice to fish cultivation in recent years, and an intensification of production. The tradeoffs between green crops and silver fish appear to be clear, as ever more farmers see the benefits in terms of profits and returns, and make the move into fish farming.
Cassava is an important crop especially in the south of Rwanda. A processing factory was constructed, but it was unable to source enough roots to make it profitable. Since CDAIS became involved, however, actors got together, saw the problems and agreed ways forward. Now a few years later business is booming for all involved, from farmers with a secure market, producers of improved planting material, and the factory itself that produces much more cassava flour and now employs 230 people.