At the Open Living Lab Days 2024 in Timișoara, Romania, a workshop was held on September 26th, titled “Deployment of Living Labs Approaches in Africa for Sustainable Agriculture.” This event, organized by Horizon-funded projects such as PrAEctiCE, CANALLS, CIRAWA, and NATAE projects focused on addressing the challenges and potential of Living Labs in Africa to promote sustainable agriculture.
The workshop was a follow-up to the earlier webinar, *Agroecology Living Labs in Africa*, where the participating projects shared their experiences in establishing Living Labs in Africa. The workshop sought to exchange knowledge, explore operational challenges, and encourage collaboration between European and African partners working within Living Labs, bridging the gap between science and local communities.
Participant Engagement and Discussions
Following introductions from the facilitators, participants from diverse backgrounds—including agricultural research, digital innovation, and extension services—presented their contexts. These participants were involved in Living labs or interested in this approach. The discussion then shifted to a roundtable format, where participants explored four key challenges associated with the implementation of Living Labs in Africa:
- Balancing Local and International Research Needs – Participants discussed aligning local community priorities with international research goals, emphasizing collaboration to set appropriate research agendas.
- Simplifying Data Collection – Methods to simplify data gathering in Living Labs were explored to accommodate local practitioners’ needs.
- Bridging Cultural and Communication Gaps – Addressing differences in working styles, languages, and cultural understandings was a key focus, with participants offering strategies to foster clearer communication and trust-building.
- Ensuring Long-term Ownership in Low-Funding Contexts – The discussion discussed ways to foster ownership of Living Labs in communities with limited financial resources, stressing the importance of local leadership and sustainable practices.
Key Insights and Solutions
The workshop outcomes were organized into a matrix, summarizing the roles of stakeholder engagement across the stages of a Living Lab lifecycle (planning, implementation, evaluation). Several key strategies were noted, including:
- Planning and Design: Establishing clear research objectives, raising awareness through educational materials, and building trust with stakeholders.
- Implementation: Demonstrating value through field visits, showcasing best practices, and fostering peer-to-peer exchanges between farmers.
- Evaluation: Measuring trust, assessing training impact, and promoting south-south collaboration among African countries.
Key conclusions from the workshop included the need for deep community engagement, trust-building, and localized solutions. Training local facilitators and ensuring long-term involvement of stakeholders are crucial. Additionally, cross-learning between African countries through peer-to-peer exchanges was highlighted as an important approach for sustainable agricultural development.
This workshop highlighted the importance of Living Labs as a tool for promoting innovation and collaboration in the African agricultural sector, emphasizing both the challenges and opportunities that arise in their deployment.
