Summary of Activities

Component 1: Support for pilot research commercialization activities The first component will include the following activities:

Technical support A technician from the FOSTERS brewery in Tien Giang (where there is already a protein bait facility operational) will travel to Bac Ninh province to assist the joint-venture in designing the processing machinery and factory, testing the machinery after installed, and addressing problems arising during production. The technician will required to travel to the North three times.

Stability of protein bait-pesticide premix formulation There is an urgent need to investigate (real-time and accelerated) stability and efficacy trials on bait-insecticide combinations to resolve the issue of whether the bait and pesticide can be premixed without loss of efficacy. It is suggested that this work is best done in Australia, coordinated by Griffith university. Formulation analysis could be subcontracted to any of the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories, Victorian State Chemistry laboratory (Werribee) or QLD HSS (Coopers Plains)

Demonstration models The demonstration models are essentially necessary in this case. As protein bait measure is a biological pest control, and absolutely new to poor farmers, the models enable researchers to undertake the control on fruit crops on the real fields at the localities, where farmers can attend the process from the beginning until end and see how the measure is applied, how effective the measure is and how much the measure improves their lives. The proposed demonstration model is the PTD method (Participatory Technology Development). Three crop demonstrations will be undertaken, each one lasting one cropping season. Each demonstration model is estimated to directly reach more than 1000 local farmers.

Training for distribution staff Distribution staff will be trained to provide detailed information about this biological pest control. They will be the grassroots connectors between the producer and farmers, where they can introduce about the product, its effectiveness and its usage instruction, as well as collect and return the feedbacks from farmers to the producers for improvement. More than 500 grassroots distribution staff will receive training in 10 different locations.

Broadcast on TV and radio Beside demonstration models and distribution staff at localities, the dissemination on mass media is also very important. It provides an official and accurate channel of information to all farmers. Information on the product will be broadcasted on the nation-wide and local TV and radio systems with the emphasis on the commune radio system which is always available in the rural and mountainous areas. This will include the production of television and radio programs based on the demonstration models and broadcasting around 25 times on television and more than 300 times on radio.

Component 2: Communication and Research Management The second component will include the following activities:

Communication/Knowledge Management – this activity is designed to collect information and lessons learned from the pilot research commercialization activity and disseminate that information in order to assist other potential commercialization partners for pro-poor research products. This would involve the inclusion of other potential research product commercialization partners in field visits, the convening of field days, conferences and workshops, as well as the creation and maintenance of a project website and publications.

Research Management – this activity is designed to provide overall management of the pilot research commercialization and communication/knowledge management.

Collection of baseline and monitoring data – information about baseline levels of pesticide type and amounts will be collected from at least 5 of the commodities being trialled in this project. Where possible, due to the short timeframe of this project, monitoring data demonstrating behaviour change within the client groups will also be collected and documented