In West Africa, IITA works with multi-disciplinary Results for Development (R4D) partners in selected communities located in Northern Ghana and Southern Mali. More particularly, in Northern Ghana three regions were chosen for the study: the Northern, Upper-East and Upper-West regions. These areas cover both maize-based and rice/vegetables-based systems and therefore allow to address the production constraints characterizing both realities. As IFPRI (2012) highlights, the northern regions of Ghana are characterized by small land holdings and low input / low output farming systems, which adversely impact food security. In particular, they are subject to a seasonal cycle of food insecurity of three to seven months for cereals (i.e., maize, millet and sorghum) and four to seven months for legumes (i.e., groundnuts, cowpeas, and soybeans). These crops in the savannahs are often produced in a continuous monoculture, steadily depleting the soil's natural resources and causing the yields per unit area to fall to very low levels. The poverty profile of Ghana identifies the three northern regions as the poorest and most hunger-stricken areas in the country. Gender inequalities are also apparent in these regions, since women have limited access to resources and therefore limited capacity to generate income on their own.

In Ethiopia, the project, led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), will be supporting crop-livestock farming systems. Multiple participatory and adaptive agricultural interventions are currently taking place in eight kebeles (Goshe Bado, Gudo Beret, Salka, Ilu-Sanbitu, Jawe, Upper Gana, Emba Hasti and Tsibet) in four regions (Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP), and Tigray) in Ethiopia, led by researchers from the ILRI. Experts from ILRI have supported or introduced intercropping, new crop varieties, water conservation practices, and integrated tree cropping. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) leads the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities of the AR program. As part of the M&E activities in Ethiopia, IFPRI contracted BDS Center for Development Research to conduct baseline household and community surveys in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray regions. The main objective of this survey is to collect high-quality baseline household data to support the M&E activities of the AR Program in Ethiopia. More specifically, the survey aims to collect detailed information on the composition of the household, employment, health, agriculture, income and expenditures, credit, assets, subjective welfare and food security, shocks, and the anthropometric status of children and women.

As part of the US government’s Feed the Future initiative that aims to address global hunger and food security issues in sub-Saharan Africa, the US Agency for International Development is supporting three multi-stakeholder agricultural research projects under Africa Research In Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING - AR) program. The overall aim of the program is to transform agricultural systems through sustainable intensification projects in Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Mali, and (potentially) Zambia.

In Tanzania, the project, led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), will be supporting cereal-based farming systems. Multiple participatory and adaptive agricultural interventions are currently taking place in Babati, Kongwa, and Kiteto, three districts in Tanzania, led by researchers from the IITA. Experts from IITA have supported or introduced intercropping, drought-tolerant crop varieties, water harvesting practices, and organic fertilizer application. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) leads the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities of the AR program. As part of the M&E activities in Tanzania, IFPRI contracted Economic Development Initiatives (EDI) to conduct baseline household and community surveys in Babati, Kongwa, and Kiteto districts. The main objective of this survey is to collect high-quality baseline household data to support the M&E activities of the AR program in Tanzania. More specifically, the survey aims to collect detailed information on the composition of the household, employment, health, agriculture, income and expenditures, credit, assets, subjective welfare and food security, shocks, and the anthropometric status of children and women.

In Malawi, the project, led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) will be supporting cereal-based Farming Systems. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) leads the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities of the AR program. As part of the M&E activities in Malawi, IFPRI contracted Invest in Knowledge Initiative (IKI) to conduct baseline household and community surveys in Ntcheu and Dedza districts. Ntcheu and Dedza are the two districts in which participatory action research and adaptive experimentation is currently being conducted, led by researchers from Michigan State University (MSU). Interventions in these two districts involve "mother and baby" adaptive trials. Four intervention extension planning areas (EPAs) have been identified within the two districts to implement the research activities, with each EPA having 2 "mother" trials and about 110 "baby" farmers. The main objective of this survey is to collect high-quality baseline household data to support the M&E activities of the AR program in Malawi. More specifically, the survey aims to collect detailed information on the composition of the household, employment, health, agriculture, income and expenditures, credit, assets, subjective welfare and food security, shocks, and the anthropometric status of children and women.

In order to better understand how the FARM II project reached farmer-based organizations (FBOs) and farmers across the Greenbelt region and how the project may have influenced beneficiaries to use improved technologies or management practices, FARM II conducted two process evaluations in March 2016. The evaluations were conducted in 28 payams across eight counties of Central, Eastern, and Western Equatoria states. This first evaluation, the FBO survey, assessed the technical and managerial capacity of elected leaders of farmer-based organizations that received assistance from the FARM II project. The second evaluation, the farmer survey, measured knowledge, attitudes, and the application of improved technologies and management practices by targeted farmer beneficiaries.

In order to better understand how the FARM II project reached farmer-based organizations (FBOs) and farmers across the Greenbelt region and how the project may have influenced beneficiaries to use improved technologies or management practices, FARM II conducted two process evaluations in March 2016. The evaluations were conducted in 28 payams across eight counties of Central, Eastern, and Western Equatoria states. This first evaluation, the FBO survey, assessed the technical and managerial capacity of elected leaders of farmer-based organizations that received assistance from the FARM II project. The second evaluation, the farmer survey, measured knowledge, attitudes, and the application of improved technologies and management practices by targeted farmer beneficiaries.

In order to better understand how the FARM II project reached farmer-based organizations (FBOs) and farmers across the Greenbelt region and how the project may have influenced beneficiaries to use improved technologies or management practices, FARM II conducted two process evaluations in March 2016. The evaluations were conducted in 28 payams across eight counties of Central, Eastern, and Western Equatoria states. This first evaluation, the FBO survey, assessed the technical and managerial capacity of elected leaders of farmer-based organizations that received assistance from the FARM II project. The second evaluation, the farmer survey, measured knowledge, attitudes, and the application of improved technologies and management practices by targeted farmer beneficiaries.

Niger Compact - Regional Sahel Pastoralism Support (PRAPS)

A survey of 2400 farming households in the Delta du Niger and Koutiala Plateau of Mali was conducted in several visits during the 2017-18 growing season. This data asset contains 22 datasets with household socio-demographic data, data on off-farm income, transfers and remittances, data on crop production and commercialization for key crops, plot inventory, plot management practices, diet diversity.