Wooh!! I am so excited that finally, I have submitted my research project paper!
Penning my research paper entitled, ‘ Entrepreneurship Pathways For Scaling Legume-Based Agroecological Intensification Of Maize And Cassava Cropping Systems In Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, And Ethiopia,’ has been an exciting journey, with ups and downs. Yes, Ups, as I have managed to meet some original research objectives and downs as some objectives were dropped along the way. Of course, this could be expected given the current COVID-19 circumstances that caused my research to be desk-based and online.
The research was conducted as part of the European Union (EU)-funded Legume for Development project being implemented in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Zambia under the leadership of the National University of Ireland, Ryan Institute, in partnership with the Wageningen University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), University of Hohenheim and CGIAR partners including International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), International Livestock Research Institute( ILRI/CCAFS) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).
Initially, the research was aimed to;
- Identify pathways or routes for scaling up legume-based entrepreneurship.
- Develop a framework or model for scaling up legume-based entrepreneurship.
- Evaluate potential high impact productive entrepreneurs for partnering on legume-based entrepreneurship programmes
- Evaluate potential accelerators and incubators for partnering on legume-based entrepreneurship.
Collecting primary data in the four countries for answering the third and fourth objectives, within a short space of time became cumbersome. Very low response rates were being recorded against the time which was running out. Eventually, my final paper dropped the last two and took up the first two, and added one; to identify barriers and opportunities for legumes-based entrepreneurship in the four focus countries.
With three objectives, my paper was set to partly address one of the broader EU-funded project’s key deliverables of increasing agribusiness and employment opportunities for women and rural youth through legume-derived enterprises. The overall aim of the broader project is to intensify legume-based agroecological maize and cassava cropping systems for water-food-energy nexus sustainability, nutritional security & livelihood resilience. My research paper provides the groundwork for the realisation of this aim. Again, I am glad that I have successfully completed this grand work, and I am sure it will make a difference!! Many thanks to my Research Supervisors; Prof Spillane, Dr McKeown, and Mr Allen. Your guidance and support are greatly appreciated!!