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This month, Farm Radio International is publishing a theme pack of resources—their 14th—about Fall armyworm, featuring a new backgrounder about this invasive pest.

Once a month, FRI publishes a pack of resources—radio scripts and short feature news stories from Barza Wire—on a common theme. They send the theme packs by email to their 700 broadcasting partners in 40 countries. These theme packs are also available at: http://scripts.farmradio.fm/radio-resource-packs/ 

FRI’s theme packs have gathered information on a wide variety of subjects, including:

  • Broadcaster how-to guides
  • Cassava mosaic disease
  • Climate change
  • Conservation agriculture
  • Fall armyworm
  • Gender
  • HIV and AIDS
  • Legumes
  • Livestock health
  • Maternal and child health
  • Post-harvest cereal practices
  • Soil health and soil fertility

A few months ago, FRI surveyed their broadcasting partners to ask them how they are using the theme packs and how they can improve them. Half of respondents said they had done an episode in their farmer program based on a topic in the theme pack.

These broadcasters also reported that they typically use the resources as inspiration when developing a radio program or used specific information in the resource on their program. More than one-third of respondents simply translated the script or Barza Wire story and read it on air.

To date, the most popular theme packs have been about pest management and conservation agriculture. FRI's pack of Broadcaster how-to guides was also very popular. 

Access the theme packs HERE and search them by category, date, type and language.

This news is part of our Partner Spotlight on Farm Radio International (FRI). Partners in GFAR like FRI are aware that rural communities often have little say in their own future and in directing support to create the innovations to get there. Yet farmers and social groups are experimenters, producers of knowledge and researchers in their own right, hence they need to be empowered to drive innovation processes. FRI has used radio for three decades as a tool for bringing information to people that other communication methods often cannot. Paired with other technologies, radio also allows an opportunity for two-way conversation, so that development practitioners can hear farmers’ knowledge, insights and concerns, and respond accordingly to them.

Multistakeholder actions that empower farmers to voice their own needs and know-how to drive innovation and improve their livelihoods, are part of GFAR’s Key Focus Area Empowering Farmers at the Center of Innovation.

GFAR Secretariat is turning the spotlight on the work and Collective Actions of Partners in GFAR who share in our mission to strengthen and transform agri-food research and innovation systems globally. Not a GFAR partner yet? Join now!