The practice of scaling landscape-based fertilizer advisory in Ethiopia: Drivers, pathways, and strategies for upstream-downstream integration for scaling

Smallholder farming in Ethiopia faces challenges with poor nutrient use efficiency and low yields. Addressing these issues requires site-specific nutrient management strategies. Since 2020, a landscape-based fertilizer advisory has been developed, co-validated, and piloted to improve fertilizer use...

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Autores principales: Desta, Gizaw, Melesse, Mequanint B., Sartas, Murat, Agegnehu, Getachew, Tigabie, Abiro, Legesse, Gizachew, Desalegn, Henok, Amede, Tilahun, Jat, Mangi Lal, Harawa, Rebbie
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178156
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author Desta, Gizaw
Melesse, Mequanint B.
Sartas, Murat
Agegnehu, Getachew
Tigabie, Abiro
Legesse, Gizachew
Desalegn, Henok
Amede, Tilahun
Jat, Mangi Lal
Harawa, Rebbie
author_browse Agegnehu, Getachew
Amede, Tilahun
Desalegn, Henok
Desta, Gizaw
Harawa, Rebbie
Jat, Mangi Lal
Legesse, Gizachew
Melesse, Mequanint B.
Sartas, Murat
Tigabie, Abiro
author_facet Desta, Gizaw
Melesse, Mequanint B.
Sartas, Murat
Agegnehu, Getachew
Tigabie, Abiro
Legesse, Gizachew
Desalegn, Henok
Amede, Tilahun
Jat, Mangi Lal
Harawa, Rebbie
author_sort Desta, Gizaw
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Smallholder farming in Ethiopia faces challenges with poor nutrient use efficiency and low yields. Addressing these issues requires site-specific nutrient management strategies. Since 2020, a landscape-based fertilizer advisory has been developed, co-validated, and piloted to improve fertilizer use efficiency, lower costs for smallholder farmers, and promote environmental sustainability. This effort has been catalyzed by the CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy Initiative and driven by demand partners from the local to the national level. This paper systematically analyzes the process and practice of scaling up this innovation, using an agricultural innovation system (AIS) analysis. Using a contextualized innovation scaling framework, we examine the dissemination process and mechanisms, key drivers of scalability, the institutional collaboration and governance of the scaling process and practices. We emphasize the importance of a demand-driven, participatory, and collaborative scaling process that guides the analysis of scaling drivers, diffusion pathways, barriers, and strategies for responsible scaling from both local (horizontal scaling) and national (vertical scaling) perspectives. This scaling process has led to a localized, farmer-relevant nutrient management approach that delivers optimized and cost-effective advisory services. Consequently, farmers have demonstrated significant improvements in understanding (86–94 %) and implementing the landscape-based advisory (75–91 %), with usability scores ranging from 4.2 to 5.2 out of 7. This paper provides insights and guidance to facilitate the transition from delivery to scaling agricultural innovations on a large scale, emphasizing the importance of a contextualized science of scaling and pathways, customized strategies, successful partnerships, responsible scaling, and ongoing efforts to overcome emerging barriers to effective scaling.
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spelling CGSpace1781562025-11-26T02:14:00Z The practice of scaling landscape-based fertilizer advisory in Ethiopia: Drivers, pathways, and strategies for upstream-downstream integration for scaling Desta, Gizaw Melesse, Mequanint B. Sartas, Murat Agegnehu, Getachew Tigabie, Abiro Legesse, Gizachew Desalegn, Henok Amede, Tilahun Jat, Mangi Lal Harawa, Rebbie fertilizers landscape frameworks soil management climate-smart agriculture advisory services Smallholder farming in Ethiopia faces challenges with poor nutrient use efficiency and low yields. Addressing these issues requires site-specific nutrient management strategies. Since 2020, a landscape-based fertilizer advisory has been developed, co-validated, and piloted to improve fertilizer use efficiency, lower costs for smallholder farmers, and promote environmental sustainability. This effort has been catalyzed by the CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy Initiative and driven by demand partners from the local to the national level. This paper systematically analyzes the process and practice of scaling up this innovation, using an agricultural innovation system (AIS) analysis. Using a contextualized innovation scaling framework, we examine the dissemination process and mechanisms, key drivers of scalability, the institutional collaboration and governance of the scaling process and practices. We emphasize the importance of a demand-driven, participatory, and collaborative scaling process that guides the analysis of scaling drivers, diffusion pathways, barriers, and strategies for responsible scaling from both local (horizontal scaling) and national (vertical scaling) perspectives. This scaling process has led to a localized, farmer-relevant nutrient management approach that delivers optimized and cost-effective advisory services. Consequently, farmers have demonstrated significant improvements in understanding (86–94 %) and implementing the landscape-based advisory (75–91 %), with usability scores ranging from 4.2 to 5.2 out of 7. This paper provides insights and guidance to facilitate the transition from delivery to scaling agricultural innovations on a large scale, emphasizing the importance of a contextualized science of scaling and pathways, customized strategies, successful partnerships, responsible scaling, and ongoing efforts to overcome emerging barriers to effective scaling. 2025-12-01 2025-11-25T07:27:09Z 2025-11-25T07:27:09Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178156 en Open Access application/pdf Elsevier Desta, G., Melesse, M. B., Sartas, M., Agegnehu, G., Tigabie, A., Legesse, G., Desalegn, H., Amede, T., Jat, M.L. and Harawa, R. 2025. The practice of scaling landscape-based fertilizer advisory in Ethiopia: Drivers, pathways, and strategies for upstream-downstream integration for scaling. Sustainable Futures 10:101167.
spellingShingle fertilizers
landscape
frameworks
soil management
climate-smart agriculture
advisory services
Desta, Gizaw
Melesse, Mequanint B.
Sartas, Murat
Agegnehu, Getachew
Tigabie, Abiro
Legesse, Gizachew
Desalegn, Henok
Amede, Tilahun
Jat, Mangi Lal
Harawa, Rebbie
The practice of scaling landscape-based fertilizer advisory in Ethiopia: Drivers, pathways, and strategies for upstream-downstream integration for scaling
title The practice of scaling landscape-based fertilizer advisory in Ethiopia: Drivers, pathways, and strategies for upstream-downstream integration for scaling
title_full The practice of scaling landscape-based fertilizer advisory in Ethiopia: Drivers, pathways, and strategies for upstream-downstream integration for scaling
title_fullStr The practice of scaling landscape-based fertilizer advisory in Ethiopia: Drivers, pathways, and strategies for upstream-downstream integration for scaling
title_full_unstemmed The practice of scaling landscape-based fertilizer advisory in Ethiopia: Drivers, pathways, and strategies for upstream-downstream integration for scaling
title_short The practice of scaling landscape-based fertilizer advisory in Ethiopia: Drivers, pathways, and strategies for upstream-downstream integration for scaling
title_sort practice of scaling landscape based fertilizer advisory in ethiopia drivers pathways and strategies for upstream downstream integration for scaling
topic fertilizers
landscape
frameworks
soil management
climate-smart agriculture
advisory services
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178156
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