DIGITAL FORUM

Transforming food systems from the bottom up: Social innovations for soil restoration

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Online

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15 July 2022, 9:00–11:00 GMT

SOCIAL

#EnablingSustainability

Transforming food systems from the bottom up: Social innovations for soil restoration

In this webinar, speakers from Benin, Kenya, and Burkina Faso will present how social innovations for soil restoration were developed at the community level and the changes they have brought about. This will be followed by an expert panel that will reflect on the opportunities and challenges of bringing such innovations to scale.

The transition to inclusive, climate-resilient and crisis-proof agri-food systems is an enormous task that requires innovation.

The One World, No Hunger (EWOH) initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has opened a space for transformation and innovation through collective efforts, vast investments and mutual learning across a broad partner network.

Given the central role of soils in the transformation of agri-food systems, one of the initiative’s core programs is Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security (ProSoil). Soils are more than a means of production. They are the largest carbon sink on land, host a quarter of the world’s biodiversity and play a key role in water purification, nutrient cycling, and many other functions.

Social innovations for soil restoration

Implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, ProSoil seeks to restore and protect over 2 million hectares in six African countries and India by 2025. However, a major challenge facing such programs is the long-term adoption of sustainable land management (SLM) practices. When program support ends, farmers often stop applying the promoted technologies.

Against this backdrop, the EWOH places accompanying research at the heart of its approach to development cooperation, led by TMG Research, a think tank based in Berlin. The research project served as a platform and breeding ground for innovation through social ‘experimentation’ around alternative ways to implement solutions. TMG, GIZ and local partners developed and piloted social innovations in Kenya, Benin, and Burkina Faso to address socio-cultural and governance barriers to SLM technology adoption. Developed in multi-stakeholder settings, the innovations address issues of land tenure security and farmer-to-farmer knowledge transfer. As locally adapted and socially legitimate solutions, they create a strong enabling environment for farmers to implement SLM measures on a broad, long-term scale.

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Agenda

9:00–9:10

Opening welcome

Moderator:

Alexander Müller

Founder & Managing Director
TMG

9:10–9:20

GIZ Global Soil Programme

This session will present the GIZ global programme on “Soil Protection and Restoration for Food Security”, an initiative that has already protected or rehabilitated over 483,000 hectares of land and that benefits over 1.3 million people. The session will also highlight the role of soils in the transformation of our agri-food systems.

Speaker:

Anneke Trux

Head of Programme
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

9:20–9:30

Introduction to social innovations for soil restoration

This session will introduce the topic of social innovations, and how these can become alternative approaches to address local governance gaps that prevent smallholders from investing in soil restoration.

Speakers:

Kader Baba

Research Associate & Country Program Manager
TMG Research
Larissa Stiem-Bhatia

Project Coordinator
TMG Research

9:30–9:40

Q&A

9:40–10:10

Presentations Benin, Burkina Faso, Kenya

Speakers from Benin, Burkina Faso and Kenya will share their experiences in developing locally developed social innovations to improve soil restoration. The innovations cover topics of land tenure security and farmer-to-farmer knowledge transfer.

Speakers:

Saydou Koudougou

Executive Secretary
Groupe de Recherche et D'Action sur le Foncier (GRAF), Burkina Faso
Violet Shivutse

CEO
Shibuye Community Health Workers
Ismail Moumouni

Director at LRIDA
University of Parakou, Benin

10:10–10:25

Q&A

10:25–10:50

Panel discussion: reflection on presentations and Q&A from audience

Experts representing the government, donor and UN organizations will reflect on the previous presentations and discuss how locally developed solutions to soil restoration can be upscaled.

Speakers:

Sasha Alexander

Policy Officer
UNCCD Secretariat
Maurille Elégbédé

Ministry of Living Environment and Sustainable Development
Benin
Flora Ajwera

Agricultural Advisor
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH