The Regional Agricultural
and Environment Initiatives Network-Africa

The Regional Agricultural and Environment Initiatives Network–Africa (RAEINAfrica) is a Southern African network that facilitates and promotes science, technology, policy and society interface for sustainable livelihoods using innovation systems approaches. Its main focus areas are sustainable management of the environment and agricultural production systems. The network mainly addresses the interface in emerging appropriate technologies, maximizing on opportunities available to the resource constrained communities (including indigenous Knowledge Systems), innovative systems to development and coping, adaptation and mitigation strategies to climate change and interfacing issues within them whilst addressing policies that govern access to, safe handling and use of these technologies. Conservation of natural resources and improvement of livelihoods are the main expected outcomes of the network’s activities.

The network provides evidence based voices to the voiceless in policy making processes. Overall the network facilitates information sharing, knowledge generation, technology generation and evidence based policy and governance lobbying and advocacy on issues to do with sustainable development in the focus areas.

The network has active contact institutions (nodes) in nine SADC countries (Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa (Limpopo Province), Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and links to the other fi ve SADC countries through science and technology authorities.