AGFAX service

Recent highlights
 
AGFAX: January 2010

RIU Best Bets - win funding to put research into use (long)

Utiang Ugbe: RIU Best Bets Coordinator, West Africa

A boost for West African Farming (credit: RIU)

Summary:
Utiang Ugbe, West African coordinator for RIU Best Bets, describes the criteria the judges will be using to choose the Best Bet technologies. He goes on to describe how the initiative will encourage private sector involvement in getting research into use. At 1 minute 12 seconds, this item would be suitable for use in a longer news report or short feature.

Suggested introduction:
A new approach to boost agricultural production is coming to West Africa. The Research into Use Best Bets initiative, funded by the UK Government, is inviting applications from West African researchers and entrepreneurs, working in partnership, who believe they have a new technology that can help farmers. Their challenge will be to present a business plan that shows exactly how that technology can be taken from the research station and brought to the thousands or millions of farmers who need it.
Last year, start-up grants worth US$2.5 million were awarded to four business ventures in East, Central and Southern Africa. But who will win the money this time round? That decision will be made by an expert panel of African research and business people. RIU coordinator for West Africa, Utiang Ugbe, shared with us the kind of criteria they'll be using.

Tape in:
The criteria for selecting: one...
Tape out:
...it's here and it's very exciting.
Duration:
1'12"
 
you must be registered to listen to the audio

Closing Announcement:
Utiang Ugbe, coordinator of the RIU Best Bets initiative for West Africa. And if you want more information about applying for Best Bet funding, go to the RIU website - www.researchintouse.com (Research into Use is written as one word), and you will find a News Flash with all the details.

Further information:
RIU Website - www.researchintouse.com or bit.ly/RIUBestBetsWA
Further information - www.agfax.net/RIU/

Transcript

The criteria for selecting: one, does it have to do with getting agricultural research into use? Number two, will it address an innovation challenge in the agricultural sector? Number three, will it lead to poverty alleviation in the countries targeted? Part of what they look at is linkage to the private sector. What is the role of the private sector in the particular project? Is it going to be sustainable being private sector led?
It's going to be really exciting to try to support the state and move away from exclusively state funded extension. This is an alternative way of trying to get research into use through private sector led or non-governmental organisation led initiatives that don't necessarily depend on state resources to achieve results.
This is really exciting probably because East Africa came first and it was like, wouldn't West Africa be included? So now it's here and it's very exciting.
AddThis Feed Button