Senegal launches two‑decade assessment of agricultural innovations

On 22 July, researchers, university staff and international partners gathered in Dakar for a national workshop organized by the CGIAR Standing Panel on Impact Assessment. The event, co‑hosted by the Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles, Université Gaston Berger, the University of McGill and One CGIAR, aims to evaluate agricultural innovations developed between 2005 and 2025.

The assessment will measure the real‑world adoption of technologies such as improved crop varieties, sustainable land‑ and water‑management practices, agroforestry, animal health improvements and climate‑adaptation strategies. Participants will identify institutional, economic and technical levers needed to scale these innovations across Senegal’s farms, with the goal of strengthening food sovereignty and rural development. Dr Idrissa Ouédraogo, the country coordinator for One CGIAR, emphasized that “an innovation only has true value when it meets a need, is adopted and delivers concrete, lasting impact.”