WHAT WE STAND FOR
The Organization operates through a well articulated vision, mission, strategy and programmes developed through a participatory and consultative process all aimed at achievement of the millennium development goals and the goals of NEPAD.
Our Vision
Smallholder farmers enjoying increased incomes and are sure of food and nutrition security
Our Mission
To undertake agricultural research and innovations that transform the lives and incomes of smallholder farmers while ensuring food and nutrition security and environmental sustainability.
Objectives
1. To generate and accelerate utilization of knowledge and innovations for sustainable agricultural development and advancement of science and technology in Africa.
2. To facilitate learning, and bridge information gaps through managing our knowledge base, publishing our research findings, sharing of lessons learnt and holding of conferences, seminars and camps.
3. To promote entrepreneurship and accelerate transformation of knowledge and innovations into agri-business ventures through partnerships and linkages with the private sector players in agriculture and industry.
4. To promote and participate in capacity development in agriculture, research, science, and innovations for sustainability of the agricultural sector.
Key focus areas
1) Commodity value chains development: addresses key constraints at both the supply and demand side of the value chain; supports value addition and commercialization of commodities; and enhances participation by smallholder farmers, SMEs and commercial firms in the value chains.
2) Climate change and environment sustainability: seeks to understand the nature and dynamics of climate change, develops and enhances climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, addresses data and information needs for ensuring agricultural and environment sustainability.
3) Agriculture for improved nutrition: aims to optimize nutrition outcomes from agricultural projects and interventions.
4) Innovations partnerships: works with the private sector companies to execute specific projects to create new products and opportunities or solve critical problems facing a private company wanting to develop new products
Strategy and Funding
The institute has networking and partnership as its cardinal principle. In the short run, AfrII will target potential clients such as:
- donors wanting to fund development projects in Africa
- international organizations looking for a good partner institution with whom to implement projects funded by donors (for example Sasakawa 2000 needing a partner for a USAID-funded project), and
- international organizations looking for local consulting services to, for example, study the local fertilizer markets or analyze cotton pricing policy. AfrII has embarked on efforts to cultivate a rapport and to build a constituency of development agencies and donors willing to fund core programmes of the institute. It has also embarked on efforts to cultivate special relationships that will motivate private commercial companies and industries to fund AfrII to undertake research projects that addresses their industry concerns. The institute is now gearing to expand to the neighboring countries such as Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, among others.