CIRAD (coordinator)

CIRAD makes recurrent use of participatory and action-research principles and approaches in its work. It has strong experience, on-site presence and wide-ranging networking throughout francophone and Anglophone Africa, via maintaining a network of expatriate scientists seconded to selected African and international institutions, and via continuous backstopping of projects and partners by its France-based staff. CIRAD has a long tradition in participating in and coordinating European initiatives related to agricultural/rural innovation, such as the ALISA (Alimentation Savoir-Faire et Innovations Agroalimentaires en Afrique de l’Ouest ) project. Through its Joint research unit “Innovation and Development ” and related research units from its Environment and Societies Department, CIRAD is actively engaged in interdisciplinary research and action dealing with both innovation systems and with local/traditional knowledge. It focuses on the following aspects: understanding the dynamics of farming systems; developing advisory services; innovation in localised agri-food systems; action research, multistakeholder partnerships, participatory research and accompaniment of innovation processes, strengthening farmers’ and rural producers’ organisations and capacity to innovate; strengthening collective decision-making processes with respect to NRM, and accompanying modelling.

Main tasks in JOLISAA

CIRAD coordinates the overall project, is leader of WP2 and WP6 and co-leader of WP5, while providing support to WP1, WP3 and WP4.

Key staff involved

Bernard Triomphe  (system agronomist) has worked on documenting and supporting farmer experimentation and innovation since the mid-1980s. He has coordinated a large-scale multistakeholder innovation project in Mexico, dealing with sustainable production, use of natural resources and capacity-strengthening. Recently, he has been actively involved in participatory innovation development and action research in partnership, contributing to strengthening the capacity of researchers and others in designing, implementing and assessing these approaches. He has been involved in the design and coordination of several international projects over the past decade.  Bernard is JOLISAA's overall coordinator.

Bernard Bridier  (agricultural economist) specialises in socio-economical analysis of innovation development, dedicated to farm-level and small-scale food processing enterprises. He worked for ten years in sub-Saharan Africa on a number of research and development projects. Back in France, he was appointed as small enterprises economist, and coordinates research and development projects in Africa, Latin America and France, with a focus on “localised agri-food systems”.

Henri Hocdé  (agronomist) has worked many years in Central America supporting farmer experimentation processes and increasing their capacities to innovate, in dialogue with scientists. His major field of investigation concerns action research in partnership in Africa and Latin America, with a focus on participatory plant breeding, livestock-agriculture integration, biodiversity, and links to market.

Rose Fagbemissi  (sociologist) was hired in April 2010 as JOLISAA assistant coordinator.  She completed her Ph.D in Communication and Innovation studies under Cees leuwis and Lisa Price in 2010. She has a broad exposure with agronomic research in Benin, with specific expertise in IPM issues and local knowledge.

Team Coordinator

Bernard Triomphe
CIRAD UMR Innovation
Montpellier, France