SGCI News

Here is a recap of stories published in the latest Footprint Newsletter. Across the continent, researchers are working hand in hand with farmers to develop practical solutions that respond to…

Here is a recap of stories published in the latest Footprint Newsletter.

Across the continent, researchers are working hand in hand with farmers to develop practical solutions that respond to the challenges of food insecurity and climate change.

This month’s edition brings you three such stories. From Uganda’s coffee fields to vegetable farms in Kenya and all the way to Namibia’s indigenous crops. Each story highlights how research and innovation are driving sustainable agricultural practices and helping communities build resilience in the face of a changing climate.

Here are some excerpts from the stories

Ugandan researchers have developed a method to transform the waste generated by leather production into a nutrient-rich agricultural solution for coffee farming.

The innovation addresses critical challenges in Uganda’s agricultural sector by targeting waste management and soil fertility through a scientifically advanced approach to organic fertiliser production.

Sammy Ndungu, a smallholder farmer in Kiambu, central Kenya, struggled with low yields due to reliance on rain-fed agriculture, but this changed when researchers visited his community to train smallholders in the preparation of nurseries, application of organic fertiliser, and crop management.

A lack of protein is a major contributor to malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries, where many people’s diets are heavily dependent on staple crops.

To tackle this problem in Namibia, researchers started a food and nutrition project to train farmers in the use of a biofertiliser to produce protein-enriched legumes.

Please check out the stories and let us know what you think. We would love to hear from you!

Let’s continue the conversation on our social media

Follow us on LinkedIn





Categories



Related News

African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Week in Addis Ababa, 2026

Voices of SGCI: Council leaders on the direction and ambition of SGCI 3

At the African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Week in Addis Ababa, earlier this month, leaders of science granting councils reflected on what SGCI Phase 3 represents for Africa’s science and innovation systems. From ownership and alignment to stewardship and sustainability, here are their voices…

| |
Cephas Adjei Mensah, SGCI Alliance chairman at African Union Science Technology Innovation week

Building Africa’s science future: inside the SGCI alliance

As Phase 3 of the Science Granting Councils Initiative launches on the margins of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa last week, the SGCI Alliance Chair explains why this moment marks a decisive turning point for African science. Cephas Adjei Mensah describes what is…

SGCI phase 3 launch at the African Union Science Technology Innovation week Ethiopia

Open call: Support for science granting councils in Sub-Saharan Africa

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC), through the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), has launched a call for proposals to support science granting councils in Sub-Saharan Africa in the establishment and operationalisation of the Capacity Strengthening Hub under Phase III of the SGCI-3. The Hub…

SGCI funded projects

agriculture on a farm

Rwanda’s integrated approach to sustainable agriculture and nutrition

Project Titles & Institution Areas of Research Number of Projects being funded Project Duration Grant Amount In-Kind Distribution Council Collaboration with other councils