Challenges and innovative processes for Capacity Strengthening in Agriculture for Development

FARA-EFARD-AGRINATURA

SIDE EVENT

@ the Gchera - 7 7th Conference of the Global Consortium of  Higher Education and Research for Agriculture

Using the opportunity of the 7th Conference of the Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research for Agriculture (GCHERA - 7), which is held between June 27 to 29, 2011 in Beauvais, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), AGRINATURA and the European Forum for Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD) organised a pre-conference workshop on 26th and 27th June 2011 to review the progress to-date and the challenges still pending.

One of the most important initiatives that will be presented is the Tertiary Education for Agriculture Mechanism (TEAM-Africa), but other specific contributions, either thematically oriented (like UNIBRAIN) or focused on specific areas or sub-regions, such as the Engagement of West and Central African Tertiary Agricultural Africa Agriculture Development Programme in the CAADP Processes will also be reviewed.

By bringing together all those who are actively involved in agricultural development to share their views, the CIPCAD2 aims to inspire development and rebuilding of the capacity pyramid (see below) in agriculture, especially in the African context, driven by tangible results for poor farmers.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

1.      From CIPCAD 1 to CIPCAD 2: An Update – Prof. Didier Pillot, AGRINATURA

2.      Overview of PCAADP Processes & Capacity Needs – Dr. Martin Bwalya, AUC-NEPAD / Dr. Komla Bissi

3.      Rebuilding the African Human Capacity Pyramid and Estimating Capacity Demands – Mr. Ralph Von Kaufmann, FARA

4.      Restructuring Agricultural Education and Training in Sub-Saharan Africa – Prof. A. Stroebel/Prof. F. Swanepoel, University of The Free State

5.      Plenary Response to Background Presentations - Facilitator

1.      The Pan African University

2.      Technical and Vocational Training Barefoot Universities Farmer Field Schools, FAR network in francophone Africa

3.      Rural Learning Platforms

4.      Linking Universities, Business & Research

5.      Collaborative Research Support Programs (CRSPs)

6.      PAEPARD Multi-stakeholder Partnerships: training to broker

1.      Status of Agricultural Education and Training in the CAADP Investment Plans – Dr. Irene Annor-Frempong /Dr. Nelson Ojijo, FARA

2.      TEAM-Africa Presentation (ANAFE/RUFORUM): ·         How to determine the demand in scope, quality and quantity for trainees and graduates, and how to prioritise actions, ·         The factors that must be taken into account in planning to respond to the diverse demand, ·         The successes, best practices and novel approaches that can be used in reconstructing and expanding the capacity pyramid ·         The costs and benefits and where the financial resources will come from. ·         Who is demanding what from the TEAM Africa, ·         How the mechanism will respond to that demand, and what outcomes are sought and how its success will be defined

3.      Overall Discussion - Chair

1.      The LMD Reforms in French Speaking African Universities: Challenges, Perspectives and Opportunities – Prof. Félicien Avlessi

2.      Engagement of the CRUFAOCI Network in University Reforms in French Speaking African Universities – Prof. Jacques Nanema

3.      Preparing the Conference of Rectors of French Speaking African Universities in November 2011 – Dr. Aissetou Yaye

4.      Summary Discussions - Chair

1.      New Enterprise Skills, Food Value Addition & Access to Markets

2.      New Value & Reward Systems in Universities (going beyond publications)

3.      Integrating Research, Education & Extension

4.      Improving teaching and conditions of service

5.      Investment in Changing Curricular and Introducing Advanced Training Approaches, Aids and Contextualized Courses

6.      Introducing Teaching in Experiential Learning, Soft and Personal Mastery Skills

7.      Overall Discussion - Facilitator

Announcement: FP7 Africa Call Information days

18 September. Brussels, Accra. Simultaneous information Days on the EC DG Research Africa call.

The publication of the Africa call from the 7th Research Framework Programme which was released on 31st of July represents a great opportunity for strengthening Africa’s base in research areas addressing the complex issues of Water and Food Security and Better Health for Africa. The DG Research Biotechnologies, Agriculture and Food will hold in Brussels on September 18, 2009 the Africa Call Information Day. FARA will simultaneously organize a Africa Call Information Day in Accra for agricultural research scientists.

Venue: European Commission (Opposite Aquinas Secondary School‐ Cantonments)
Date: 18th September 2009
Hour: 09 ‐ 12 h
Number of participants: 20 (on a first registered basis)
Programme:
• Opening by Dr. Monty Jones
• Simultaneous video conferencing of pre‐recorded video interview of the opening speech of
Janez Potočnik, EU Commissioner for Science and Research
• Power Point on FP7

Related:
BIO CIRCLE NET
The BIO CIRCLE NET is a two year project that aims to reinforce the network of National Contact Points (NCP) for the Seventh Framework programme (FP 7) under Theme 2 “Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology” (FAFB) and extend the network to include National Information Points (NIP) for major Third Country partners in two years.
BIO CIRCLE NET is to increase African participation in FP 7 call for proposals. FP7 is the short name for the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. This is the EU's main instrument for funding research in Europe, which runs from 2007 to 2013. The 4th Call of the FP7 Theme - Food Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology was launched in July 2009 and the deadline for submission of proposals will be January 2010.

CAAST-Net
CAAST-net is aimed to foster both the sharing and discussion of general information about FP7, opportunities under FP7, and the best conditions for successful participation by African entities in FP7.

PAEPARD
PAEPARD is one component of a series of global, European and African programmes focusing on:

• increased coordination of European and global financial and technical support to ARD in Africa, and
• the fourth pillar on Agricultural research and technology dissemination and adoption of the NEPAD Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), supported by the EU and other development partners.

PAEPARD II will nurture partnerships to increase the quantity and quality of joint proposals (leading to more funded initiatives). It will not only focus on FP7, but will include other EC (EDF, EC Budget through the FSTP) and bilateral funding instruments supporting ARD that might be mobilized for emerging ARD partnerships. The Forum for Agricultural Research for Africa (FARA) has been selected as the leader of the implementing consortium, which is composed of partners from Europe and Africa, representative of the key PAEPARD stakeholders.

Platform for African-European Partnerships for Agricultural Research for Development

A two days workshop was held in Accra 30th of September - 1st of October, preceeded by the PAEPARD Steering Committee meeting on 29th September to further develop the Platform for African-European Partnerships for Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD) proposal.

PAEPARD I was implemented in partnership between FARA (the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa) and EFARD (the European Forum for Agricultural Research for Development), through ECART (the European Consortium for Agricultural Research in the Tropics) and NATURA (the Network of European Agricultural - Tropically and sub-tropically oriented – Universities and scientific complexes). PAEPARD I made good progress in identifying constraints to increase African-European research collaboration through consultations, and in developing an “Information and communication strategy for promoting partnerships of ARD stakeholders from Europe and Africa”, which will feed into PAEPARD II.

The workshop produced a revised project document for PAEPARD II. Below is an overview of the the participants (excluding FARA staff members).

Catherine Guichard
Delegate General COLEACP
Rungis, France

Judith Francis
Senior program Coordinator, S&T Strategies CTA
Wageningen, the Netherlands

Francis Hale
Communications Consultant FANRPAN
Pretoria
South Africa

Ndao Babaccar
Appui Technique ROPPA
Reseau des Organisations Paysanes et des Producteurs Agricoles
Christian Hoste
Director ECART-EEIG
Paris, France
Jacky Ganry
Charge Cooperation Internationale Hort
CIRAD,
Montpellier, France

Stephen Muchiri
Chief Executive EAFF
Nairobi, Kenya
Achancho Valantine
Sub- Director MINADER
Yaounde, Cameroon

Marek Poznanski
Delegate General CONCORD
European Food Security Collective
Brussels, Belgium

Mohammed El Nahraway
Director General
Agricultural Research Center
Egypt
Marcel Nwalozie
Director of programs CORAF
Dakar Senegal

Prof. Anne Sorensen
Chief Coorinator, DDRN
University of Copenhagen
Denmark

Jon Daane
Director ICRA
International centre for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture
Wageningen / The Netherlands

Jean- Luc Bosio
International Direction Program Officer
SUPAGRO
Montpellier, France

Babara Adolph
Consultant
Triple Line Consulting Limited
London, UK

FARA & EFARD Consultation on Agricultural Research Programming

The European Commission (DG RTD and DG AIDCO, with DG DEV and DG RELEX) prepares the annual programming of FP7 and FSTP for 2009 and beyond, and is willing to coordinate these programmes.

As a starting point, the Commission began with the coordination of the Thematic Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology of FP7. To do so, the Commission convened 14 - 16 April a workshop in Brussels of European & African experts.

This workshop was organized by FARA and EFARD (European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development), making use of their existing Platform for African – European Partnership on Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD). The workshop was supported and facilitated by CTA (ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, based in Wageningen, the Netherlands).

The general objective of the consultation is to establish priority areas of cooperation to increase the impact of agricultural research and knowledge systems on rural productivity, poverty reduction, food security and sustainable management of natural resources. More specifically, it is to identify targeted research topics and activities, taking into account the 10 broad priority areas to be funded in 2009 and beyond by FP7-FAB and the FSTP global non-CGIAR components in order to assure coherence, complementarily and synergy among the two programmes.

The participants were 40 African and European experts from Africa and the EU.

Brussels, 18 April 2008. Paolo Sarfati, DG Development, explains the importance of agricultural research for the EC and the areas where it currently focusses.


Reference:
CTA: FARA & EFARD Consultation on Agricultural Research Programming for FP7-FAB and FSTP