On January 31st, 2018 The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small-Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) hosted an International Symposium on Irrigation in African Small Holder Farming Systems. Through this symposium, ILSSI brought together experts from around the globe to share new perspectives on the current role and full potential of small-scale irrigation in African farming systems, with a focus on opportunities and constraints for investors. It highlighted emerging irrigation innovations and their application in smallholder systems. The symposium included both presentations highlighting new evidence on the potential and constraints of small-scale irrigation as well as panel discussions focusing on the insights from African policymakers, the private sectors, and donor perspectives.
Symposium Proceedings
- The role of water in global food security
Rob Bertram, Chief Scientist, USAID Bureau for Food Security - The role of irrigation in sustainable intensification
Jerry Glover- Senior Sustainable Agriculture Advisor, USAID Bureau for Food Security - Supporting inclusive and sustainable farmer-led irrigation: Where are we?
Steven Schonberger, Global Lead for Water in Agriculture, World Bank - The Impact of research on Irrigation: Results of the Innovation Laboratory for Small-Scale Irrigation (ILSSI)
- OverView of ILSSI – Neville Clarke, Director ILSSI
- Results from the field interventions – Nicole Lefore, IWMI
- Gender, nutrition, and other opportunities – Claudia Ringler, IFPRI, Elizabeth Bryan, IFPRI
- Modeling Small Scale Irrigation impacts: Results from the Integrated Decision Support System (IDSS)
Raghavan “Srini” Srinivasan - The role of the private sector in supporting small-scale irrigation
Moderator: Phil Riddell, Director, Indo African Agricultural Capital
Panel discussants:- Curt Reintsma Food Security Partnership Specialist, USAID Bureau for Food Security
- Nicole Lefore, IWMI
- Linda Kwamboka, Co-founder, M-Farm
- Martin Fisher, Co-Founder &CEO of KickStart International.
- Converting potential to practice for small-scale irrigation in developing countries
Moderator: Timothy O. Williams, Africa Regional Director, IWMI
Panel discussants:- Getachew Gebru, President, Ethiopian Society of Animal Production
- Raymond Kayumbe, National Coordinator of the Agricultural Sector Development Program II, Tanzania
- Mbogo Futakamba, Chair National Multi-Sectoral Water Management Committee, Tanzania
- Ben Nyamadi, CEO, Ghana Irrigation Development
- Evelyn Namubiru –Mwaura, Vice President African Association of Agricultural Economists
- Summary and conclusions
Nicole Lefore, IWMI
Symposium Presentations
- The Role of water in Global Food Security
- Agricultural Water Management for Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farms
- Impact of research on Irrigation in Smallholder Farming Systems
- Integrated modeling and scaling
- Field Interventions, Gender & Nutrition
For further information, please contact Matt Stellbauer – Matt.Stellbauer@ag.tamu.edu
