Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small-Scale Irrigation Alan Duncan Ethiopia Partner meeting, Mar From Plan to Action Field Studies and Ex Ante Analysis

Major Elements Small Scale Irrigation Coop Agreement Identifying promising, context appropriate, small-scale irrigation interventions, management and practices for poverty reduction and improved nutrition outcomes Evaluating production, environmental, economic, nutritional, and gender impacts, trade-offs, and synergies of small scale irrigation technologies and practices Identifying key constraints and opportunities to improve access to small scale irrigation technologies and practices Capacity Development and Stakeholder Engagement

Methods Assess recent innovations in SSI Stakeholder engagement (iterative) Detailed experimental design Ex ante assessment of consequences Environmental assessment Field studies Ex post assessment and scaling out Constraints analysis and mitigation Training

Integrated Decision Support System

Related Farm Household Surveys Baseline and post field study assessment Household level surveys in communities involved in field studies Assess: – gender issues – human nutrition – economic consequences

Early Results Stakeholder workshops in all countries Definitive plans for innovations and locations in Ethiopia Plans in progress for Tanzania and Ghana Potential delay in Ghana – Ebola Field research planned in all countries in year two Training workshops planned in all countries in year two

Cross Cutting Issues Factors affecting/enhancing gender in adoption and use of interventions Impact on/enhancing human nutrition at household levels Impact on/ameliorating effects of SSI on water safety at farm and stream levels Environmental assessment of SSI at farm and watershed levels

ILRI/ARARI/SARI role To develop and test livestock feed interventions supported by small-scale irrigation technologies for livelihood benefits – Identify dedicated livestock interventions as well as look at synergies with crop interventions – Look for feed options emerging from other system changes – Contribute to ex ante impact assessment of feed and alternative crops using the IDSS suite of models through user groups developed in each project country – Work with national partners to do livestock feed system assessment (FEAST) and technology targeting (Techfit) – Work with national partners to train farmers on the technical aspects of forage production

Activity flow logic Identify irrigated forage options Devise a framework for assessing where they might work Apply the framework to a range of candidate sites to focus down on high potential sites Conduct feed assessments and further targeting in shortlisted sites using existing ILRI tools and IDSS Implement field interventions Look at the economics of potential interventions Take preliminary thinking to communities for validation/adjustment Component 1 – Identification of interventions Component 2 – Evaluating impacts, trade-offs… Component 3 – Constraints

Component 1 – identify interventions

Component 2 – evaluate impacts

Component 3 – assess constraints

5 year logic Ethiopia Tanzania Ghana Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5 Develop targeting approaches Test pilot interventions Develop scaling strategy Apply targeting approaches Test pilot interventions Develop scaling strategy Apply targeting approaches Test pilot interventions Develop scaling strategy Synthesis Synth- esis Cross-country synthesis

Questions for group work What are some previous successes and failures around irrigated forages in Ghana – location, partners, brief description of activities? What are the key opportunities for improving livestock production through small scale irrigation? What are some the of the barriers?