PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Global Programme "Green Innovation Centres in the Agricultural and Food Sector" (GIAE), financed by BMZ under the "One World, No Hunger" initiative, has been working since 2014 to transform the agricultural landscape in 13 partner countries. The programme aimed to raise the incomes of small-scale farmers, create employment in the agricultural sector, and improve food security by fostering agricultural innovation and building knowledge networks that support value chains.

ICON-INSTITUT was contracted by GIZ to conduct a comprehensive review to evaluate its impact and sustainability. The review was essential for assessing how well the GIAE initiative had promoted sustainable farming practices, market access, and innovation within individual farming systems. It also focused on how effectively the programme had supported agricultural education and training, and encouraged research and innovation. The project aimed to take stock of the programme’s achievements, particularly in anglophone partner countries, to understand both the successes and the challenges encountered in these diverse contexts. The evaluation also explored how value chains were being strengthened and how small-scale farmers could better access markets and improve processing capabilities. An important aspect of the review was identifying the synergies and reciprocal effects between the partner countries, as this highlighted areas where shared learning and collaboration were enhancing the programme’s overall impact. The results of the review were synthesized into a comparative analysis across all 13 countries. This analysis provided key insights into the achievements so far, the potential for future growth, and the specific challenges that each country faced. Based on these findings, the review offered concrete recommendations on how to further develop and upscale the programme’s activities, ensuring that the interventions could have a lasting and sustainable impact on agricultural innovation and food security.

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