ICRISAT-ESA serves as a resource to and catalyst for various networks in the region. Networks attracted increased attention from ICRISAT as they are a means to link researchers, avoid duplication, and enhance interaction and exchange of knowledge and materials among members. ICRISAT provides technical backstopping to regional networks drawing upon the resources from Advanced Research Institutes (ARI) and relevant National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and taking advantage of ICRISAT's international stature, experience, expertise, and available knowledge. At present ICRISAT-ESA hosts two networks at its Nairobi office – the Soil and Water Management Research Network (SWMnet) and the Eastern and Central Africa Regional Sorghum and Millet network (ECARSAM) of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA).

Soil and Water Management Research Network (SWMNet)

Research and development experiences in Asia, especially through ICRISAT's work, have the potential to provide answers for most of the challenges currently being faced in East and Central Africa (ECA). ICRISAT, in partnership with Soil and Water Management Research Network (SWMnet) of ASARECA, is working towards exploiting this potential. The relationship between ASARECA and ICRISAT goes back to 1998 when ICRISAT at the request of ASARECA participated in the first planning meeting to initiate a network on soil and water management research and drafted a proposal for the establishment of SWMNet. At the same time ICRISAT committed to act as the implementing agency (scientific partner) for SWMNet. As per the guidelines developed at that time, the implementing agency has the responsibility to provide both administrative and technical backstopping for the network. The proposal was accepted by EU. The network finally started its activities in September 2003 with the joining of the regional coordinator. In less than two years of its operation the network proved its value by developing a regional agenda for natural resource management research, linking scientists and institutions in the region, leveraging funds to support the priority agenda, and, more importantly, facilitate knowledge sharing and effective use of knowledge and technologies relevant to ECA.

The regional research agenda developed by this partnership is based on the recognition that to achieve ASARECA’s strategic goal of “increasing economic growth and improving social welfare in the ECA sub-region while enhancing the quality of the environment” there are three major challenges with respect to soil and water resources for agriculture that need to be addressed:

• Climatic variability that leads to unreliability in the soil moisture available for plant growth, even in high rainfall areas. It is because of this variability that the sub-region has failed to convert its relatively larger gross water resources into meaningful economic assets.

• Inherently low soil fertility of most of the soils in the region, coupled with very low use of soil fertility enhancing inputs. Many agricultural lands are experiencing a high rate of nutrient depletion leading to rapidly decreasing productivity of land and water resources

• Subsistence nature of smallholder farming that limits investments in the development and sustainable management of land and water resources. SWMNet and ICRISAT have not only developed effective programs to address these constraints but also successfully raised substantial funding support to implement the same. For more information on SWMNet visit: http://www.asareca.org/swmnet/

Eastern and Central Africa Regional Sorghum and Millet Network (ECARSAM)

ECARSAM is one of the ASARECA Networks, Programs and Projects (NPPs). The network strives to remove some of the bottlenecks to increased production of sorghum and millet and its utilization in value-addition processing at farm and village levels. It will encourage the adoption of available sorghum and millet production technologies (improved cultivars, fertilizer use, crop protection) through on-farm trials and other extension interventions to enhance productivity and overall production. At the same time, it will stimulate use of sorghum and millet grain for small-scale processing and utilization at the farm and village level and larger scale industrial processing through demonstration of appropriate value-addition and labor-reduction technologies. Women's groups will be particularly targeted at farm and village levels. In addition, contacts and flow of information between producers and potential users of sorghum and millet grain will be enhanced through stakeholders' forums at national and regional level. In this way, it is hoped to enhance production and utilization hand-in-hand and foster an environment that will encourage farmers to invest in sorghum and millets production, resulting in increased incomes for both producers and small-scale processors, and enhanced food security. For more information on ECARSAM visit: http://www.asareca.org/ecarsam/about/about.htm