Case Studies / International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Navigating communication challenges in an invasive species eradication programme across East Africa.
Taskscape was contracted by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture to resolve communication challenges within its Striga eradication programme in East Africa, where barriers in communication among scientists, technicians and farming communities were limiting the project’s impact.
Brief
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a leading research-for-development institution headquartered in Ibadan, Nigeria. IITA was running a major programme to tackle Striga, a parasitic weed that attacks crop roots and is extremely difficult to eradicate once established in the soil. The project covered East Africa and showed potential, but communication issues among scientists, technicians, farmers, and farmer representatives were limiting its impact, costing both IITA and farming communities time and money. Taskscape was contracted by IITA’s leadership to help navigate these challenges.
Activity
- Worked to improve knowledge exchange, stakeholder understanding and messaging by mapping and analysing stakeholder groups
- Conducted participatory workshops in Africa connecting scientists, technicians, farmers and farmer representatives and their perspectives
- Engaged private-sector agricultural chemical company reps alongside public-sector and community participants to create further nodes of knowledge transfer.
Outcomes
- Strategic stakeholder engagement was clarified
- Project leaders and participants implemented new organisational structures, protocols and communication channels
- Improvements helped the programme communicate more effectively about Striga eradication with farming communities across Kenya and wider East Africa
