This presentation was given for the SEARCA Forum-workshop on Platforms, Rural Advisory Services, and Knowledge Management: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development, Los Banos, 17-19 May 2016. It briefed innovation, innovation systems and multistakeholder processes (innovation platforms and learning alliances).

A Training Workshop for Trainers in Results-Based Monitoring & Evaluation (RBM&E) was held at Adama from 02 to 05 July of 2012. This Workshop was jointly organized by the Oromia Bureau of Agriculture (OBoA) and Improving Productivity and Market Success (IPMS) project upon the request from OBoA. This is the 6th training workshop and it is part of the capacity building program that IPMS provided for the four regions where the project was operating and for federal MoA. Twenty two trainees (19 males and 3 females) have been trained with full attendance.

The Climate Change and Social Learning (CCSL) Initiative is a cross-organisation group working to build a body of evidence on how social learning methodologies and approaches contribute towards development targets. Together with a select number of participating initiatives from a variety of organisations, we are working towards establishing a common monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for new projects and programmes using a social learning-oriented approach.

Agricultural marketing is the main driving force for economic growth. But it is poorly developed in most developing countries. The main cause for the poor development of the agricultural production is the poor development of the agricultural marketing. To overcome this problem the government of Ethiopia has developed a master plan to enhance market oriented production. To realize this plan different projects have been developed and implemented in different parts of the country.

Ethiopia has a diverse agro-ecology and sufficient surface and ground water resources, suitable for growing various temperate and tropical fruits. Although various tropical and temperate fruits are grown in the lowland/midland and highland agro-ecologies, the area coverage is very limited. For example, banana export increased from less than 5,000 tons in 1961 to 60,000 tons in 1972, but in 2003 declined to about 1,300 tons worth less than USD 350,000.

Graduate programs in agriculture and allied disciplines in Ethiopia are expected to make concrete contribution to market-oriented development of smallholder agriculture. This, among others, calls for realignment and engagement of the programs with smallholder farmers and, value chain, R&D and policy actors. No panacea exists, however, as to how to ensure effective linkages, and thereby responsiveness. Lessons from initiatives on the ground in the country and beyond is thus crucial to inform the development of appropriate policy and innovative strategy.

Upon a request from Jimma University, IPMS conducted four days Training of Trainers Workshop on Results-Based Monitoring & Evaluation to the University staff. The training workshop was organized jointly by the University and ILRI-IPMS from January 16-19, 2012 at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine campus, Jimma. Thirty one participants drawn from different departments (Animal Science, Economics, Accounting, Information Science, Statistics, Epidemiology, Management, Rural development & Agricultural extension etc.) have attended.

Strengthening the capacity of farmer training centers (FTCs) in Ethiopia and enhancing FTC‐based training and knowledge services is important to leverage and optimize potential contributions of FTCs to facilitating market‐led and knowledge‐based agricultural transformation.

This Annual Report contains a description of activities undertaken under iAGRI auspices from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015 and progress which has been made regarding achievement of iAGRI objectives. It also contains a discussion of results, outputs and preliminary impacts. 

The project of Innovation for Agriculture Training and Education (innovATE) seeks to strengthen the full range of institutions that train and educate agricultural professionals in developing and emerging economies. This capacity building will serve to build an equipped agricultural workforce that can lead to increased social and economic growth.