Community Member Highlight - Jean Apedoh

ECHOcommunity member Jean Apedoh is a trained agronomist from Togo who has become a recognized authority in West Africa on a technique used to increase rice yields called SRI. Jean first came across the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) at the 2010 ECHO West Africa Forum through a presentation given by Erika Styger of Cornell University.  [ Download This Presentation (PDF) ]

SRI is a system for planting and maintaining rice crops that has proven, under certain conditions, to increase yield while reducing plant density and water application.

Back home, I put this technology into practice, I set up demonstration plots in five villages, I followed them and [recorded the] results. I reported to Mrs. Styger who put me in touch with the USAID FFE program and together we organized a ULC Togo training for forty NGO executives and state agricultural technical services in May 2012.
- Jean Apedoh

Jean’s excitement and passion for this technique has spread, and to date he has trained over 1,500 rice farmers, helped to install 100 demonstration gardens throughout Togo, and duplicated himself through over 40 SRI trainers. His careful documentation and valuable database has been put into use by regional organizations across West Africa and around the world. His expertise has contributed to the creation of an SRI promotion consortium in Togo and the development of a project funded by the World Bank in partnership with Cornell University.

For more information on SRI:

• A full description is available in ECHO Development Notes #70
• Download the presentation Jean Apedoh gave at the ECHO West Africa Francophone conference in January
• Discuss the technique in the ECHOcommunity SRI Agricultural Technique Group