CGIAR launches regional scaling hub in Kenya to advance agricultural solutions

KENYA – The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has launched a new Regional East and Southern African Scaling Hub in Nairobi, Kenya, marking a significant milestone in the drive to enhance agricultural innovation and collaboration across the continent. 

The hub will serve as a centre for scaling science-based solutions to transform food, land, and water systems, ensuring that innovations reach farmers and other key stakeholders effectively.

Establishing the hub underscores CGIAR’s commitment to bridging the gap between agricultural research and practical implementation. 

According to Inga Jacobs-Mata, one of the visionaries behind the initiative, the hub provides a dedicated space for CGIAR and its scaling partners to co-locate and develop Africa’s most effective scientific solutions. 

“We want to push the science frontier in advancing ‘science for the last mile’—ensuring that innovations are taken up and scaled in cheaper, better, faster, more inclusive, and sustainable ways,” she said. 

The hub aims to foster an environment of creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving among experts and stakeholders.

The new facility will act as a hub for multi-stakeholder partnerships, facilitating knowledge exchange and driving the widespread adoption of agricultural innovations. 

It will connect a diverse range of actors, including farmers, cooperatives, government agencies, financial institutions, National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES), universities, civil society organisations, youth agricultural influencers, and the private sector. 

By leveraging these partnerships, CGIAR aims to expand the reach of its research and ensure that small-scale farmers benefit from the latest scientific advancements.

As part of CGIAR’s new 2025-2030 portfolio, the Scaling Hub aligns with the broader Scaling for Impact Program, which seeks to empower over 62 million people by 2030. 

This initiative provides marginalised and underrepresented groups, including women and youth, access to agricultural innovations that improve their livelihoods and health. 

Additionally, the program is expected to create or enhance 250,000 jobs and enable 480,000 people—half of them women—to access healthier diets.

The significance of the Scaling Hub was emphasised by Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), who highlighted the importance of ensuring that CGIAR’s solutions for small-scale farmers are not only scientifically sound but also practical for large-scale implementation.

“This new scaling hub will allow these innovations to be deployed at scale by bringing partners into a dynamic co-design process,” Djikeng stated.

International animal agriculture conference on the horizon 

In other developments, CGIAR is also preparing to host the 9th International Greenhouse Gas and Animal Agriculture (GGAA) Conference in Nairobi from October 5 to 9, 2025. 

The event, organised in collaboration with ILRI and the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), will bring together leading scientists to discuss cutting-edge research on greenhouse gas mitigation in animal agriculture. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the latest advancements in measurement techniques, modelling, and on-farm practices and engage in discussions on policies addressing agricultural emissions.

The GGAA Conference will also feature field visits to key agricultural and environmental sites, including ILRI’s Kapiti Research Station and Wildlife Conservancy. 

These excursions will provide attendees firsthand insights into sustainable agricultural practices and conservation efforts.

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