This report covers the first four months of implementation, corresponding to the period February 22–June 30, of the USAID Feed the Future Mozambique Agricultural Innovations Activity.  During this period, key and non-key personnel were mobilized and procurement and office start-up activities were carried out.

USAID’s Bureau for Food Security (BFS) commissioned this literature review to identify evidence or evidence gaps on innovation diffusion and the related field of market strategy for scaling up new technologies, particularly in the context of agriculture markets in relevant developing countries. The review is expected to inform the design of future BFS programming related to the scaling of agricultural innovations. 

The overarching mission of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut Productivity & Mycotoxin Control (PMIL) is to apply leading innovative US science to improve peanut production and use, raise nutrition awareness and increase food safety in developing countries. PMIL aims to integrate two major themes – peanut production and mycotoxin research – under one roof as part of a value chain approach. 

The Bureau for Food Security (BFS) of USAID commissioned five country studies examining the scaling up of agricultural innovations through commercial pathways in developing countries, to understand how the Agency – including its country missions and implementing partners (IPs) – can use donor projects to achieve greater scale and long-term commercial sustainability. 

Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Activity (AIFA)  is a regional project working to facilitate the scaling of critical agricultural technologies through regional partnership and technology transfer. The project works with a range of agricultural technology stakeholders on a regional basis (private sector, research institutions, governments, networks, etc.) to increase food security, reduce poverty, and improve environmental sustainability by facilitating agricultural innovation and technology diffusion in the Asia region. 

Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Activity (AIFA) is a regional project working to facilitate the scaling of critical agricultural technologies through regional partnership and technology transfer. The project works with a range of agricultural technology stakeholders on a regional basis (private sector, research institutions, governments, networks, etc.) to increase food security, reduce poverty, and improve environmental sustainability by facilitating agricultural innovation and technology diffusion in the Asia region.  

The USAID-Inma Agribusiness Program focuses on developing Iraq’s private agribusinesses by facilitating the formation of fully-integrated value chains and improving agricultural quality and production. Inma, the Arabic word for ‘growth’, connects farmers to markets, increases the competitiveness of Iraqi agribusinesses, and facilitates domestic and foreign agricultural partnerships.

The USAID-Inma Agribusiness Program focuses on developing Iraq’s private agribusinesses by facilitating the formation of fully-integrated value chains and improving agricultural quality and production. Inma, the Arabic word for ‘growth’, connects farmers to markets, increases the competitiveness of Iraqi agribusinesses, and facilitates domestic and foreign agricultural partnerships.

The Africa Leadership Training and Capacity Building Program (Africa Lead), aims to support the capacity building program of the US Government’s Feed the Future Initiative, which aligns U.S. Government development assistance with Africa-owned agriculture development plans that are, in turn, aligned with the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program

USAID’s Agribusiness and Trade Expansion Program (USAID-ATEP) aims to improve productivity and sales for farmers, processors, traders, and exporters in Ethiopia by improving agronomic practices, introducing value-added and productivity-enhancing technologies, promoting investment, establishing grades and standards, improving access to inputs, and upgrading infrastructure. 

This quarterly report  covers January to March 2010 (second quarter of PY 2010). Major achievements this quarter include: