Skip to main content

CGIAR Launches Pioneering East Africa Scaling Hub to Transform Regional Agriculture


    Nairobi, Kenya, December 4, 2024 

 In a bold step towards sustainable agriculture and food security, CGIAR today launched the East Africa Scaling Hub, a collaborative initiative designed to revolutionize farming practices and food systems in the region. The launch event, held at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) offices on Waiyaki Way, Nairobi, brought together a dynamic mix of scientists, innovators, and development partners committed to co-creating solutions for some of the most pressing agricultural challenges of our time.

The East Africa Scaling Hub is a landmark project, marking CGIAR’s first hub of its kind in Africa. It embodies the organization’s strategic commitment to scaling agricultural innovations across six regions and 13 countries, supported by an impressive $45 million annual investment for the next six years.

The hub is designed to tackle three interconnected priorities: Developing technologies and practices to build resilience against climate shocks, creating equitable and environmentally sound pathways from farm to market and then strengthening food security while addressing environmental challenges.

    Two prominent figures in agricultural research graced the event to share their perspectives on the hub's transformative potential:
Dr. Inga Jacobs-Mata, Executive Director for Water, Growth, and Inclusion at the International Water Management Institute, emphasized the crucial role of water resources in achieving sustainable agricultural systems that benefit communities and ecosystems alike.
Dr. Timothy Krupnik, Transitional Director of Scaling for Impact at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, highlighted CGIAR’s innovative approach to delivering scalable solutions that empower farmers and drive regional agricultural growth.

East Africa faces mounting challenges from climate change, population growth, and resource depletion, all of which threaten agricultural productivity and livelihoods. The East Africa Scaling Hub aims to address these challenges by fostering collaboration between research institutions, governments, private sector players, and local communities.

"By bringing together diverse expertise and resources, the hub will catalyze innovations that not only enhance agricultural productivity but also safeguard the environment and uplift rural economies," said Dr. Jacobs-Mata.

The event served as a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and the unveiling of CGIAR’s vision for inclusive agricultural growth. Attendees had the opportunity to explore potential partnerships and witness the unveiling of new technologies that promise to transform the agricultural landscape.

As the hub officially opens its doors, it signals a new era for East Africa’s agricultural sector, one that prioritizes resilience, sustainability, and inclusivity. The East Africa Scaling Hub is poised to become a beacon of innovation and hope for millions of farmers across the region.

Comments

Post a Comment

good

Popular posts from this blog

Records Digitization Failures Risk Digital Kenya; Urges ICT-Records Unity.

Ms. Mary Kerema, OGW, Secretary ICT e-government and Digital Economy. Nairobi, Kenya - July 16, 2025.   Ms. Mary Kerema, OGW, delivering remarks on behalf of Eng. John Tanui, MBS, the Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy , issued a blunt assessment today, government efforts to digitize critical records are failing, risking the paralysis of Kenya's broader digital transformation agenda. Speaking to ICT Directors and various stakeholders at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Kenya Association of Records Managers and Archivists (KARMA) at the Serena Hotel, Kerema conveyed the PS's deep concern over the " significantly low" progress made since the Ministry directed State Corporations to adopt paperless systems in March 2023. She emphasized that the core problem identified by the PS is not funding, but a critical deficit in expertise, infrastructure, and a widespread underestimation of the domain's complexity, a complexity interwoven with leg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wisdom, Not War, WADR Chair Calls for National Shift in Conflict Resolution.

    Women in Alternative Dispute Resolution (WADR Kenya), led by Chairperson Eunice Lumallas(middle). NAIROBI, Kenya  July 16, 2025.  Amidst escalating tensions across Kenya's political, social, and economic sectors, Women in Alternative Dispute Resolution (WADR Kenya), led by its Chair Eunice Lumallas,  has issued a powerful call for nationwide adoption of peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms. Lumallas, emphasizing Kenya stands at a "critical juncture," warned that unchecked disputes threaten to erode hard-won gains in governance, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the rule of law, jeopardizing national unity, business confidence, investment, and the hope of Kenyans. Representing diverse stakeholders, WADR Kenya passionately argued that choosing hostility leads to collective loss, while reasoned dialogue allows everyone to rise and gain. Chair Lumallas urged all Kenyans to prioritize empathy and actively embrace dialogue, mediation, conciliation,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kenyan Religious Leaders Issue Urgent Plea to "Stop Destroying Our Country" Amid Escalating Crisis.

    NAIROBI, Kenya, July 9, 2025.  In a powerful intervention, Kenya’s Inter-Religious Council (IRCK) has demanded an immediate end to state-sponsored violence and political exploitation tearing the nation apart. Following a three-day emergency retreat in Nairobi, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu leaders issued a stark warning that the country is in a "very sad and dangerous state," blaming dominant political elites for fueling unprecedented tensions through their fight to " acquire, protect and consolidate power."   The council condemned the government’s handling of protests against the 2024 Finance Bill, accusing the state of degenerating legitimate discontent into " murderous chaos" marked by extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, abductions, and destruction of public property. It called on President William Ruto’s administration to prosecute senior officials linked to violence and financial scandals, insisting this is essential to resto...
Post a Comment
Read more