FoodAfrica is a research and development Programme enhancing food security in West and East Africa. The objective of the Programme is to provide new knowledge and tools for researchers, decision makers and local farmers to improve local food security. The FoodAfrica Programme is implemented in six countries: Benin, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda. The programme focuses on the following topics: Strengthening capacity for diagnosis and management of soil micronutrient deficiencies in Sub Saharan Africa for improved plant, animal and human nutrition (WP1, more than 20 African countries involved). Dairy cattle breeding in West Africa: identifying and promoting appropriate breeds and breed combinations or genotypes for smallholder farmers (WP2, Senegal). Economic analysis of technologies and targeted policies to reduce vulnerability and building resilience (WP3, Senegal). Enhancing food and nutrition security of vulnerable groups in communities through increased use of local agricultural biodiversity (WP4, Benin) Measuring and mitigating the risk of mycotoxins for poor milk and maize producers and consumers (WP5, Kenya). Improving market access and food security in Africa with information and communication technology (WP6, Ghana & Uganda) Innovative extension approaches for improving food security and livelihoods (WP7, Cameroon & Kenya).

Team

Hannu Korhonen, Martti Esala, Mila Sell, Jarkko Niemi, Susanna Rokka, Niina Pitkänen, Anna-Riitta Lund, Mikko Salmi, Keith Shepherd, Miika Tapio, Karen Marshall, Siwa Msangi, Marja Mutanen, Delia Grace, Erastus Kang´ethe, Nick Minot, Eija Laitinen, Steven Franzel, Celine Termote, Vivian Hoffmann, Johanna Lindahl, Vesa Joutsjoki

Spurred by the quest for improved performance, industrial firms have often embraced the international market, consequent to which they are continually embroiled in cross-border competitive rivalries in multiple markets. Against this backdrop, this study explores the cross-border investment location choices and competitive interactions of mobile network operators (MNOs) in Sub-Saharan Africa, with particular focus on the 16 such firms that had proven significant presence across multiple countries in the region as of 2014.

Team

Given the growing importance of mobile telecoms in the economy of the fast-emerging Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), this research aims at exploring the multimarket competition strategies of the mobile network operators (MNOs) with cross-border activities in the region. It is, therefore, expected that the findings emanating from the study would deepen our present understanding of internationalization and multimarket competition, drawing from mobile telecoms in the emerging region context.

Team

The main innovation of this research project is to approach and analyse REDD+ not only as a climate change mitigation measure, but as a new environmental governance mechanism that can lead to major changes in the forest governance and through it, distribution of benefits, costs, risks and opportunities of land use and forest management between the actors and groups involved. The main interest in this research is on how the notion of responsive forest governance is addressed in the processes. In this case,the responsive forest governance is concerned with issues of negotiation power, participation in planning and implementation of REDD+ and allocation of costs and benefits among the stakeholders and groups involved. The research results are expected to assist in designing socially equitable and environmentally appropriate options for REDD+ and further developing selected approaches to sustainable forestry that can help to achieve the goals of REDD+. Internationally, this proposed research could contribute significantly to policy-relevant research and empirical knowledge as well as theoretical debates on the nexus of social, economic and environmental sustainability and responsive and deliberative forest governance in developing world.

Team

Irmeli Mustalahti, PI Salla Rantala ja Melis Ece (2012-2013), Post doc researchers Sabaheta Ramcilovic-Suominen (2015-2018), Post doc researcher Daniel Hinojosa Flores, PhD student (on-going) Bishnu Devkota, PhD student (on-going) Maija Hyle, PhD student (on-going) Dipjoy Chakma, PhD student (on-going, externally funded) Mathias Cramm, research assistant (periodical) Phetsamone Soulivong, research assistant (periodical)

My objective is to investigate the impact of information communication technologies on socio-economic development of out of school youth in Kenya. One of my interests is to find out the effects of digital divide in a rural setting where telecommunications infrastructures are not well developed.

Team

The goal of Biodev/Work Package 3 is to develop the capacity and policy environment to facilitate wider scaling up of high value biocarbon development approaches.

Team

Fobissie Kalame

The research project focuses on contemporary societal changes in contexts where the rapidly growing majority of population is young, and where questions of political participation, citizenship, livelihoods and frustrations require urgent attention. It draws on empirical research in Egypt, Somalia, Tunisia, Zambia, Kenya and South Africa and reveals different aspects of what ‘politics’ may mean in unstable contexts. They differ in terms of state formation and democratic structures, post-conflict developments, NGO involvement, donor funding and global connections. The ethnographic case studies focus on forms, contents and experiences of political engagement in the everyday lives of young people – including potential de-politication, professationalization, consumerism and struggles for mundane livelihoods – in different contexts of contemporary Africa.

Team

Elina Oinas, Leena Suurpää, Sofia Laine, Eija Ranta, Henri Onodera, Petri Hautaniemi, Tiina-Maria Levamo, and Ella Alin

Scientific assessments and politics addressing environmental changes rarely involve local residents and their knowledge. Usually reasons of demographic growth and environmental mismanagement are used to justify local degradation; however, our aim is to understand the local perspective about causes and reasons of the degradation that causes insecurity, livelihood changes, migration trends and other decisions that bring into further environmental degradation. An ethnographic research has been conducted in two catchments of Taita Hills, South-East Kenya. Participatory mapping, observation, transect walks, historical timelines, semi-structured interviews with experts and civil society representatives, as well as focus groups were employed as main methods of data gathering.

Team

Paola Minoia, Johanna Hohenthal, Belinda Kivivuori, Marinka Leppänen, Emmah Owidi.

research on user-designer interaction has of yet poorly elucidated how meta-communication (communication about communication) is an important means in projects of “massive change”. Meta-communication or multi-actor ‘talk about how to talk’ is key in negotiating shared meanings so that the process for change initiated at a political or organizational high level can proceed also at the micro level despite experiences of tension and perceptions of contradictions and different time frames across this and other levels. This empirical focus is on a comparative analysis of projects in the Republic of South Africa, all of which had to do with on bringing about massive changes for the better in comparison to status quo. On the basis of an analysis of participant observation and analysis and interpretation of the written materials and notes made and collected, the goal is to describe and interpret how meta-communication helps to deal and to handle in constructive and generative ways tensions, contradictions and critical voices both outside and inside a project, which tensions otherwise might be destructive or degenerative. The goal includes to generalize beyond the particular materials how meta-communicative talk is a discursive resource for participants, as goes for facilitator participants in consulting or researcher roles, in particular.

Team

Antti Ainamo, Aalto University Ilari Lindy, University of Turku Associated: Marie-Laure Djelic, ESSEC, Paris, France

Prof. Lyytinen´s research team has developed a science-based, digital learning game to help children to learn to read. The game is based on our 20 years of scientific work in Jyväskylä longitudinal research on dyslexia. The Grapho Learning International Development project aims to co-create a sustainable model to deliver GraphoGame service to new countries. In Africa the research group has long term cooperation with many Higher Education Institutions. Current activities are focused in Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia. In Latin America the aim is to deliver new GraphoGame versions in Chile, Peru, Brazil and Mexico.

Team

Prof. Heikki Lyytinen, Prof. Ulla Richardson, Head of Project Management Mikko Pitkänen, Project Planning Officer Isa Niukkala