| Summary: | The Nyando Basin in South West Kenya has been an area where the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) has been actively promoting CSA interventions (see the Output Networks section). Upscaling of successful interventions is the next natural step to take. However, whereas small-scale interventions may be successful for individual farmers, upscaling may change the environment in which these interventions take place (system changes). Typical issues that need to be addressed under upscaling include economic impacts, agro-ecological impacts, and institutional impacts. For economic impacts, the central issue is whether output markets are able to absorb increasing amounts of CSA products (in the Nyando Basin among others goat, sheep and chicken products), whether input markets are able to supply larger quantities of required fertilizer, (improved) seed, and feed, and whether credit is available to invest at scale in improved seeds, planting of trees and soil and water management. To ensure sustainable upscaling, it may be necessary to reach out to new consumers, or new sources for inputs. Agro-ecological impacts refer to changing input requirements, predominantly of fodder, while institutional impacts relate to barriers that may exist in current laws and regulations.
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