Our Research strategy and program of EARRNET
 
 Mission statement
 
 "Transform cassava from a "poor man's crop" into a broad based commercial commodity to sustain food security, alleviate poverty, generate income and contribute to socio-economic growth and development through development, transfer and promotion of market-oriented technologies in collaboration with major sub-sector stakeholders of the ECA region"
 
 Goal
 Contribute to food security and socio-economic growth and development by promoting sustainable cassava production, utilization and commercialization.
 
 Purpose
 Develop and transfer relevant market-oriented technologies which will contribute to economic growth and development of the ECA region
 
Provide a forum for exchange of technologies such as post-harvest processing and marketing, improved varieties, integrated control of diseases and pests and natural resource management practices derived from participating NARS
 
Foster a collaborative approach to setting regional priorities for research and training
 
Minimize duplication of efforts and share complementary scientific research responsibilities among member NARS based on their respective comparative advantages
 
Provide technical and financial support that will enable NARS with lead roles to effectively discharge their research responsibilities
 
Strengthen NARS and their linkages with stakeholders

EARRNET is contributing to the ASARECA strategic objective through its four results which are:

R1. Demand driven cassava technologies and innovations generated made available for uptake

R2. Enabling regional and national policy options for transformation of commodity cassava systems facilitated

R3. Regional and national capacities for (cassava) IR4D strengthened

R4. Enhanced availability (of cassava system) information for research and development (IRD)

  Research and development plans
 
 Objectives
 
Conduct surveys on the cassava sub-sector in order to establish production, utilization and marketing constraints, monitor adoption rate and impact of disseminated technologies
 
Develop post-harvest technologies with the aim to increase labor use efficiency, minimize food losses and improve the quality of food products for sustained food security through: identification, development and adaptation of post-harvest technologies at the household, village and industrial levels; establishment of food processing and demonstration centres; training of stakeholders; expansion of product range and sensitization of entrepreneurs
 
Introduce improved cassava populations with high frequency of desirable genes for adaptation to lowland and mid-altitude cassava growing ecologies of ECA sub-region and suitable to the required processing and market development characteristics
 
Establish effective plant health activities and encourage an ecologically sustainable approach to managing disease and pest problems
 
Study crop and natural resource management systems that will improve and sustain productivity in major cassava ecologies
 
 Establish multiplication, distribution, and monitoring systems in all collaborating countries in order to hasten the distribution and adoption of improved technologies by stakeholders
 
 Develop effective mechanisms for linking research, extension, producers, consumers and markets.