A West African workshop on approaches to farmer-led research and a West Africa Farmer Innovation Fair (FIPAO in French: Foire de l’Innovation Paysanne en l’Afrique de l’Ouest) will be held on 12–16 May 2015 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Continuing in the spirit of the International Year of Family Farming (2014), the workshop and fair in 2015 will put the spotlight on farmers’ creativity and their roles in participatory research. It aims to intensify linkages and learning among all actors involved in agricultural research and development related to smallholder family farming. The FIPAO follows the example of the Eastern Africa Farmer Innovation Fair held in Nairobi, Kenya, in May 2013 and will provide a showcase for about 50 West African farmer innovators to exhibit their achievements.

The learning-and-sharing workshop on farmer-led research (12–14 May) will involve primarily staff from field-based organisations that are facilitating such approaches in francophone West Africa. From their various experiences, the workshop will distil key messages about research and development by smallholders and will share these messages with farmer innovators, development practitioners, formal scientists, policymakers and the general public visiting the fair (15–16 May). If you want to learn more about the workshop and fair, see the one-pager and go to the FIPAO website (both in French).

Visit the website of Prolinnova for more information in English.