Background to FORMAT IV

The national Forum for Organic Resource Management and Agricultural Technologies (FORMAT) has promoted innovation in organic resource management, assessed opportunities for scaling-up technologies and explored new avenues of information sharing and collaboration since 2000. These objectives were advanced through organizing FORMAT events containing oral presentations, exhibitions, technology and product demonstrations and contests. Outstanding innovators are recognized through prizes awarded during these events. The forum has stimulated improvement in product quality, packaging, labelling and marketing, as witnessed by the steady improvement of exhibits with time (Omare et al., 2003). Organizations are adopting technologies, as demonstrated with the increase in number of briquette-making exhibitors from one in 2000 to five in the 2002 event. The forum’s collaborators publish articles in local agricultural and environment magazines and newspapers, and were featured on television to promote their technologies (Omare and Woomer, 2002). FORMAT also assists grassroots organizations to secure funding to conduct their activities while new partnerships and networks have been built by organizations and persons participating in the forum.

There remains the challenge of improving the capacities of grassroots organizations to respond effectively to emerging opportunities. The national event held in Nairobi has limited impact in rural areas where most of the FORMAT clientele are based (Box 1). In addition, national events can only accommodate less than 20% of the applicants and this exclusion restricts impacts that can be realized from centralized events. As a national forum and a catalyst for change, the forum’s impacts need to reflect the interests of innovators and other stakeholders. Grassroots organizations and farmers that have participated in previous activities feel that the forum has given them opportunities for exposure, new partnerships, knowledge and technologies, and were better recognized as stakeholders in national development. FORMAT organizers and collaborators need to work more closely with the most promising and inspired innovators to assist them to refine and market their products and technologies. Organization of grassroots events has been widely proposed by participants in the previous events in order to benefit local innovators, farming, business and development communities (Omare et al., 2003).

FORMAT organizers recognize that the time available at our periodic meetings is relatively short and we try to make the best use of it and the limited resources supporting the events. Talks are provided within the event, but they are short (10 minutes) and all speakers must stay within their allotted times. Exhibits take 40% of the total event time, distributed evenly throughout the duration of the event. Exhibits are open to the public in the afternoon of the last day of the event allowing them only 13% of the total event time. There is opportunity to reach a larger national audience with interest in organic resource management and allow them learn about several innovations and acquire information materials. This will be accomplished by organizing grassroots events that are open to the public in several locations throughout Kenya. Local FORMAT activities will be co-hosted and co-sponsored by past FORMAT participants with support from the project staff.

Past FORMAT events provided opportunity for recognition to outstanding innovators and practitioners in organic resource management in Kenya. In the proposed activities, FORMAT will provide opportunity to popularize technologies and strengthen the capacity of grassroots innovators. Planned events will provide opportunity for introducing new techniques for managing underutilized organic resources throughout Kenya.