Building Capacity for Transformative Agri-Food Systems for Resilience in Lake Victoria Basin of Kenya - Strengthening Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology Capacity in Natural Resource Management, Food Security and Health (IUC Phase I - 2022 2027)

The long-term desired goal of the University is to be a centre of excellence in training, research and community outreach, offering practical and desired training in five identified strategic thematic areas: 1) Natural resources management; 2) Food security; 3) Population health and health systems; 4) ICT; and 5) Climate change resilience. The project will strengthen and transform the University’s structures, systems and processes through creation of synergies in transformative knowledge, technologies and innovations in collaboration with stakeholders
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Several approaches are being used to address poverty, and in developing countries agricultural development is one. The role of agriculture in reducing poverty is relatively well studied; enhancing agriculture is often seen as a critical entry-point in designing effective poverty reduction strategies. The adoption of improved agricultural practices, technologies and policies, such as high-yielding rice and wheat varieties, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and enabling policies, has had strong and positive impacts relative to research investment. Despite the advances, food insecurity remains high in the Victoria Basin, farmers struggle to make a livelihood from their farm activities and adoption of improved agricultural technologies has often been less than expected. This subproject aims to strengthen pathways for sustainable development of agriculture to build resilience of farm livelihoods to climate change through transformative agri-food system from cell level to market environment. The subproject’s activities will focus on four domains, namely, research, education, people and outreach. A first research line is developed at the cell level and it uses field trials and DNA marker analysis to identify high quality and high yielding quinoa genotypes. Quinoa is a new crop for the area, and it has interesting qualities as a drought resistant crop. A second research line takes the soil as central element. Research activities will relate to evaluating selected transformative climate smart approaches to soil water dynamics, bio-physico-chemical properties and GHG fluxes. A third research will deal with the socio-economics of farming systems and value chain development of sorghum and quinoa. The project will contribute to strengthening the educational programmes by curriculum development and joint field courses. The subproject intents to contribute to capacity building by training three PhDs and contribute to Master education by including students in research activities. Finally, the subproject gives importance to outreach by organizing research on mother and farm fields and organizing field days