Why gender equality and social inclusion matter for aid-i-glr in scaling agricultural innovations

At the heart of the Feed the Future/USAID Great Lakes Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative Rapid Delivery Hub (AID-I GLR), efforts continue to amplify the impact of agricultural innovations and technologies. However, it is not just about scaling but about inclusive scaling, with a specific focus on gender equality and social inclusion (GESI).

In the vast landscape of agricultural development, the term ‘scaling’ is now commonplace. As this article explains, scaling extends innovations and technologies beyond the original design team by bringing them to users. This marks a crucial crossing point for real impact at the community or regional level.

The USAID Global Food Security Strategy sets the stage for the AID-I GLR initiative, aiming to tackle global challenges such as poverty, hunger, malnutrition, climate change, and inequality through the Feed the Future Global Hunger and Food-Security Initiative. With a strong emphasis on equality and inclusion, the strategy seeks to empower women, girls, youth, and marginalized communities through agricultural-led economic growth. The key to achieving these goals lies in the inclusive scaling of agricultural innovations to reach, benefit, and empower diverse communities.

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