In June and July 2022 participatory policy dialogue training workshops were held in three TAP-AIS countries: first in Lao PDR on 15 – 17 June, then in Eritrea on 11 – 12 July and finally in Malawi on 27 – 28 July.

The training workshop, which was also previously held in Cambodia and Rwanda, guides participants through a series of interactive sessions to develop their capacity to engage in political processes with the aim of promoting a more favorable enabling environment for agricultural innovation. Participants work with real policy issues in their countries, identifying root causes, relevant stakeholders, potential solutions and strategies to communicate with policy makers. For example, limited marketing channels and access to financing for beekeepers in Eritrea was identified and discussed as one key policy issue there. The training program concludes with participants planning a way forward by defining follow up actions, which are usually captured in a policy dialogue roadmap document.

The training workshops were held in a hybrid format, with both virtual and in person facilitation and participation. Colleagues from FAO Rome together with country project managers, consultants and collaborators from respective ministries of agriculture co-facilitated the trainings. In total, 59 participants were trained in the three trainings in June and July (25 in Lao PDR, 14 in Eritrea and 20 in Malawi), including 16 women, representing national ministries of agriculture and their departments, national agricultural research organizations, universities and NGOs.

In a post-training survey, 88% of surveyed participants indicated that they felt the “training workshop enhanced [their] capacity to engage in policy dialogue on agricultural innovation” to a high or very high extent (in Lao PDR: 81%, Eritrea: 92% and in Malawi: 92%).  Thus, overall, these trainings have been successful in developing participants’ skills and providing them with the tools to engage in political processes to address key issues hindering innovation in agri-food systems. 

Eritrea

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Malawi