Rural Resource Centres, set up by the World Agroforestry Centre in West Africa, are among the top 20 innovations benefiting smallholder farmers, according to an article in Spore, the magazine of The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA).

The centres have been developed to “stimulate farmer experimentation and adoption of agroforestry technologies,” says the article, and they are typically made up of a tree nursery, demonstration plots, a training hall and a small library, and may also have accommodation and agricultural processing facilities.

The focus of the centres is on providing access to knowledge, interactive learning and networking. They help farmers learn about new technologies, how to manage nurseries and provide links to markets. Farmers also benefit from access to seeds, seedlings and other inputs as well as the opportunity to exchange information.

“Farmers have reported improved incomes from nursery sales, improved soil fertility and crop yields, and a great number of multi-purpose trees used for providing fruit, timber, fuel, fodder and medicine,” says the article.

Read the full story: A community-based approach to extension

Find out more about the Rural Resource Centres