The DeSIRA CONNECT Days or Journées nationales des innovations agricoles in French, which took place from 14 to 16 June in Ouagadougou, aimed to bolster synergies among the 14 DeSIRA projects in Burkina Faso. The DeSIRA projects showcased the transformative changes and innovations spurred by the DeSIRA Initiative, funded by the European Commission. Project partners shared ideas about how research—its roles, approaches, and models—could enhance agricultural innovation trajectories and strengthen the national agricultural innovation system.
Decision-makers and a wide array of stakeholders, including FPOs, NGOs, and the private sector, discussed in roundtables how policies could support sustainability and uptake of DeSIRA innovations beyond the project’s lifespan. All 14 projects showcased their achievements and the innovations they are developing in a poster exhibition.
The Journées were made possible with the support of the EU delegation in Burkina Faso and DeSIRA implementers like the National Center for Scientific and Technological Research – Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CNRST), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and DeSIRA-LIFT.
Video of the DeSIRA CONNECT Days