The European Commission-funded project
“Realizing the agricultural potential of inland valley lowlands in sub-Saharan
Africa while maintaining their environmental services (RAPS)” was launched in
Benin (25-27 March) and in Mali (30 March – 1 April).
The project seeks to improve the livelihood of
the rural poor by enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of inland
valleys through sustainable intensification and diversification of agricultural
productivity and product value chain development, while conserving land and
water resources.
It is jointly carried out by the Africa Rice
Center, Wageningen UR, ICRA, CIRAD and the national research and extension
systems of Benin and Mali.
The use of the Participatory Learning and Action
Research (PLAR) co-learning and co-innovation approaches and multi-stakeholder
platforms will ensure the ownership of research results and rapid diffusion of
knowledge beyond the key sites in each target country.
