The second steering committee meeting for the project “Linking agrobiodiversity value chains, climate adaptation and nutrition:  Empowering the poor to manage risk” was organized in Rome, Italy on 17-19 May 2017 at the Bioversity International Headquarters. The meeting included an update on project implementation from the project partners and a special training session and workshop on gender and nutrition sensitive value chains for underutilized species. Presentations were made by James Garrett on nutrition-sensitive value chains and Marlene Elias on gender sensitive value chains. The participants, which included experts and more junior actors working in the project, discussed how these concepts could better guide the value chain work on target crops.

Progress insofar was reviewed against project indicators and synergies within and outside the project were discussed along with constraints, needs and opportunities that emerged during the last year. Attention was also given to review scientific papers and other publications under development which facilitated sharing of knowledge and approaches across the three countries. Many fruitful exchanges took place over the three days! Synergy was found in the research on fonio in Mali and minor millets in India. Opportunities for exchange on scenario modelling for climate adaptation using tepary bean in Guatemala and minor millets in India were discussed and common approaches were defined for seasonal availability mapping of food groups across all three sites.

Presentations from the meeting are shared below.

Day 1

•  Padulosi, S. Opening Session Welcome, introductions and aims of the Meeting  [15] (568 KB)
•  Sidibe, S., Coulibaly, H., Koreissi, Y., Berthe, A., and Mbosso, C. Progress report for Mali activities (Institut d'Economie Rurale).  [16] (2.1 MB)
•  Mondal, A. Progress report for India (Action for Social Advancement).  [17] (1.6 MB)
•  Maselli, S., Progress report for Guatemala (Universidad del Valle de Guatemala).  [18] (4.7 MB)
•  Roy, P. Progress report for the Indigenous Partnership (TIP)  [19] (2.0 MB)
•  Meldrum, G., Progress report publications and communications  [20] (809 KB)
•  Rose, V. Literature reviews on target crops  [21] (291 KB)

Day 2: Workshop on gender and nutrition sensitive value chains

•  Raneri, J and Meldrum, G. Workshop on nutrition and gender sensitive value chains for neglected and underutilized species  [22] (495 KB)
•  King, O. Reflections on gender and nutrition aspects of kodo and kutki value chains in Mandla and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh  [23] (8.1 MB)
•  Mbosso, C. Reflections on gender and nutrition aspects of value chains of fonio, Bambara groundnut and Corchorus in Mali  [24] (569 KB)
•  Amaya, N. Value chain assessment and marketing consultation for chaya and tepary bean in Guatemala  [25] (1.0 MB)
•  Garrett, J. Nutrition-sensitive value chains: Considerations for project design  [26] (452 KB)
•  Elias, M. Gender in value chains - concepts and approaches  [27] (961 KB)

Day 3

•  Padulosi, S. Outputs and papers in progress  [28] (177 KB)
•  Lochetti, G. Links between diet diversity and production system diversity in Mali  [29] (812 KB)
•  Robitaille, R. Policy analysis for use enhancement of local agricultural biodiversity in Guatemala  [30] (2.5 MB)
•  Meldrum, G., Mijatovic, D., and Raneri, J Workshops on seasonal food availability and diversification for climate change resilience  [31] (1.7 MB)

Related links

Project webpage  [32]