Green Innovation Centres – agricultural know-how secures jobs, harvests and incomes

12 years, 16 countries and 21 agricultural value chains: Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC) supported sustainable agriculture in Africa and Asia. The programme has now come to an end. A newly published compendium pools the key approaches, lessons learned, innovations and results for the professional public.

A person holds handfuls of soil and seeds in their open palms over a field. — © Jörg Böthling

With a volume of EUR 580 million, the Green Innovation Centres were one of the largest programmes that GIZ has ever implemented. For 12 years, they pursued a central objective: to make food systems in the partner countries future-proof. Through the Green Innovation Centres and on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ supported, advised and empowered millions of small-scale farmers.

How this was achieved is now outlined in the programme's compendium. The teams from the Green Innovation Centres have compiled their knowledge and findings in the compendium. The publication is now available to download. It offers many interesting ideas for those working in the areas of agriculture and international cooperation.

Seven women stand in a barn by troughs where brown-and-white cows are feeding. — In Kakamega County, Kenya, women have set up a dairy cooperative.
© Angelika Jakob

Practical solutions, theoretical training

The Green Innovation Centres focused their work on tried-and-tested methods. The GIC guidelines on good agricultural practices were developed as part of this, for example. More than a million people are benefiting from this knowledge. They are applying it, for instance, by using more productive seed, by better preparing their fields and by implementing more sustainable pest control. Another successful innovation is the integrated approach for training and coaching small and medium-sized businesses in the agri-food sector. Cocoa producers in Cameroon and milk cooperatives in Zambia are benefiting from this, for example. A total of 3,660 of them are now formally registered as companies. They thus have better market access and can demonstrably farm more successfully.

A group of men install a water tank for drip irrigation in a field. — In the village of Zingiziwa in northern Malawi, smallholder farmers are installing a drip irrigation system for their fields to make the most of every drop.
© Jörg Böthling

Partnerships for success

For more than a decade, the programme disseminated around 250 innovations in rural areas in the partner countries. Small-scale farmers as well as small and medium-sized enterprises acquired agricultural expertise and business knowledge that they previously did not have. More than two million smallholder farms gleaned expertise through training. As a result, they have now increased production by a third and have increased their incomes by half. More than a million small-scale farmers put the climate-resilient innovations they learned about straight into practice. For example, they are now using heat-resistant varieties, shade trees and solar-powered irrigation systems.

A broad partner network of various different actors contributed to the success of the Green Innovation Centres. Farming associations, research institutions, government agencies and private companies brought together theoretical knowledge, practical solutions and new market opportunities. The compendium aims to provide impetus for future programmes relating to rural development and food security – drawing on 12 years of experience in 16 countries.