By Milliam Murigi
Many solutions in the agrifood sector have yet to be scaled up, meaning their full potential to improve food security, boost farmer incomes, and enhance climate resilience remains untapped.
This was the key message as the curtains fell on the inaugural CGIAR Science Week. Speaking during the closing press briefing, Dr. Eliud Kireger, Director General of KALRO, noted that one of the major barriers to widespread adoption is the gap between researchers and farmers.
“We have brilliant research happening across the continent, but if farmers can’t access or understand these innovations, then we miss the opportunity to transform agriculture. We need stronger linkages, better extension services, and platforms that translate science into practical, usable tools for farmers on the ground,” said Kireger.
According to him, despite the availability of innovative solutions, weak dissemination channels and limited engagement between scientists and end-users continue to hinder the adoption of these technologies. As a result, valuable research often fails to translate into real-world impact, slowing progress in addressing food security and climate resilience challenges.
Scaling these innovations requires not only investment and supportive policies but also inclusive partnerships that bring together researchers, governments, private sector players, and local communities. Without coordinated action, many proven technologies risk remaining confined to pilot projects, unable to make the transformative impact needed across regions.
“Researchers are frustrated because much of their work ends up shelved, never reaching the farmers who need it most. We need to ensure that all technologies and solutions get to the farmers because they are the target audience. We need to bridge this gap,” he added.
Speaking at the same event, Ismahane Elouafi, CGIAR Managing Director, said that it is because of this gap that they have scaling the impact platform, an initiative designed to bring different partners on board to ensure that innovations move beyond research papers and into farmers’ hands. The platform facilitates collaboration between scientists, development partners, private sector players, and government agencies to accelerate the deployment and adoption of proven technologies, ultimately driving measurable change in food systems across regions.
“We have been doing science for the last 50 years but haven’t gone far beyond our work as scientists. This is what we want to change. Our goal now is to ensure that innovations and technologies don’t just stay in research institutions they must reach the farmers, where real impact happens,” she said.
KALRO has digitized all its technologies to ensure they are accessible to small-scale farmers. Through digital platforms, farmers can now access timely information, agricultural innovations, and best practices directly from their mobile phones or local extension agents, making it easier to implement research-driven solutions on their farms.
To ensure that farmers continue to benefit from these solutions, Elouafi says that there is need for strategic investment in agricultural research, noting that every dollar invested yields a tenfold return. Beyond the impressive economic value, the sector is also grappling with slow productivity growth and rising risks from climate change and soil degradation to pests and market instability.
But what can be done to bridge this researchers-famers gap? Kireger said that one effective way research centers can ensure farmers access these solutions is by partnering with the private sector. For instance, when KALRO develops a new product, it collaborates with private companies that pay a small licensing fee to support ongoing research. These companies then take on the role of multiplying and distributing the product, helping scale it up and reach farmers more efficiently.
This public-private partnership model not only accelerates the dissemination of agricultural innovations but also ensures sustainability in research funding. By involving the private sector in the commercialization process, research institutions like KALRO can focus on developing more cutting-edge solutions while trusted private players handle large-scale production and distribution.
“This approach creates a win-win scenario. Farmers get timely access to improved technologies, and research centers are empowered to keep innovating,” said Kireger.
Besides, Eliud Rugut, a young farmer, noted that there is an urgent need to increase financing for research and development. Adequate funding is critical not only for creating new technologies but also for scaling existing ones to reach millions of smallholder farmers. Without sufficient investment, many promising solutions risk remaining at the pilot stage, unable to make a meaningful impact on food systems or rural livelihoods.
“As long as we underfund agricultural research, we will continue to struggle with food insecurity,” said Rugut. “We need strong and sustained investments to scale up innovations that can transform agriculture and improve lives.”
