Environmental degradation and loss of land productivity are at the centre of the observed loss of livelihoods, poverty and food insecurity among the rural populace in Africa. These problems are exacerbated by the contemporary biophysical and socio-economic change dynamics occasioned by the biggest development challenge of the 21st century, the changing climate. Most of the current development interventions are geared towards restoring environmental integrity and enhancing agricultural productivity and food security in a bid to build resilience of the vulnerable ecosystems and livelihoods.Such responses require empirical evidence base to ensure development decisions are not only demand –led but also relevant and appropriate to the intended situations.
It is against this background that iDEA was established to provide consultancies services to generate evidence to guide policies and investments; and build capacity of farmers, students, government and development agencies for posterity. iDEA offers an array of consultancy services, among others, baseline surveys; monitoring and evaluations; environmental impact assessment and audit; training of database management; organization and facilitation of training seminars and workshops; training in development of data collection tools and research protocol.