Workshops on linking farmers to markets

Accra workshop participants

9 July 2012. Johannesburg. 11 July 2012 Nairobi. 13 July 2012, Accra. A4I, ODI and FANRPAN hosted three regional African workshops as part of their 'Leaping and Learning: Taking Agricultural Successes to Scale' project.

In partnership with the Food Agriculture Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network [FANRPAN], the one-day workshops compared experiences of linking farmers to markets. Provisional results of a comparative analysis of cases of linking small farmers to markets were presented, drawing on the wealth of practical experience seen in the field.

Nairobi workshop participants

The aim was to compare these to the insights of participants, most of whom worked actively in the region on linking small farmers to markets.

How best can small-scale family farms in Africa be linked to markets, get access to inputs, finance and know-how to stimulate agricultural growth and reduce poverty? How can this be done both effectively and equitably? How can successes be scaled up and replicated?

Johannesburg workshop participants

form the focus of ‘Leaping and Learning: Strategies for Taking Agricultural Successes to Scale’ being carried out by the Agriculture for Impact team based at Imperial College London working together with the Overseas Development Institute. 


Check out the blog at www.ag4impact.wordpress.com/ for further details on all three workshops.

Measuring aid to agriculture and food security

Measuring aid to agriculture and food security ODI Briefing Papers 72, 29th February 2012.

This Briefing Paper discusses flaws in the system for identifying and classifying aid to agriculture and calls for a purposeful (policy-relevant) measure that addresses global commitments on transparency, accountability and results-based aid.

There is a prevailing view that aid to agriculture has suffered a steep decline since the 1980s and is only now beginning to recover its share of total aid, following concerns over food price rises and volatility. While this is broadly true, the extent of the decline has been exaggerated by the limitations of the method used to classify aid to agriculture, and the recent recovery has been exaggerated by the merging of this type of aid with broader efforts to address food insecurity. There are two main causes of such statistical inaccuracies. First, the difficulty of capturing policy changes in the way in which donors support agriculture. Second, the difficulty of isolating the agricultural component in aid programmes.

This Briefing Paper explores the flow of aid to agriculture and reviews how it is measured and counted in terms of overall Overseas Development Assistance. Based on this analysis, the researchers argue:

• Recent aid pledges to agriculture reveal flaws in the system for identifying and classifying such aid;
• A purposeful measure of aid to agriculture is required to improve transparency and accountability;
• The different policy objectives behind aid to agriculture need to be separated to help establish results-based aid.

Enhancing relief, recovery and rehabilitation through agricultural research

ICRISAT-Nairobi hosted a 2-day workshop May 22 & 23 in on ‘Defining a strategic agricultural research agenda on post-crisis/post-shock recovery in highly stressed systems’


The objective of the workshop was to identify opportunities for collective action with respect to research that leads to more effective recovery after crises and shocks, especially in countries suffering higher levels of political, social, ecological or economic stress. There were over 30 participants, representing seven CG centers, NARS from five countries, FAO, Red Cross / Red Crescent, NGOs involved in emergency response, and donors.


The workshop was structured around a discussion paper commissioned by the Regional Plan and written by Kate Longley of the Overseas Development Institute on ‘CGIAR Research for Improving the Impact of Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation’. The paper reviews the ways in which CG centers have been working in disaster and conflict situation, highlighting the substantive research, strategic and organizational issues that emerge.


Note: Kate Longley is based in Nairobi, working under a partnership between ODI and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Specialises in rural livelihoods, agriculture and seed systems, with particular interest in food security and agricultural rehabilitation. Previously a Research Fellow in ODI's Rural Policy and Environment Group.

Upcoming: ‘Drivers of Change’ (Flagship 1) workshop - Nairobi (at ILRI) on June 12 & 13 about how to link up long term research sites in the region to a more synergistic whole, in terms of studying how to deal with said drivers of change.

Briefing paper on the causes of rising food prices

The latest briefing paper of ODI (Arpil 2008) examines the causes of rising food prices, expected trends, the likely impact, and possible policy responses.

Uncertainty and controversy surround technical agricultural advances. Most agricultural research is by companies that may not prioritise boosting outputs of food grains. Biotechnology promises much, but has delivered relatively little for staple food production. That may change with higher prices for grains and it seems that marker-assisted selection is leading to rising grain yields. Higher orices may make countries more inclined to introduce genetically modified organisms. Furthermore, how much can output be raised given limited land and water, and anxieties over conservation and pollution?

Reference:
ODI Briefing Paper April 2008 Rising food prices: A global crisis. Action needed now to avert poverty and hunger
Related:
SciDev 14/04 West Africa to boost food crops with biotechnology
The 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States have agreed to use biotechnology to increase food production in the region. Ministers of agriculture, environment, science and technology met to discuss the issues surrounding biotechnology in agriculture at a meeting held last week (28–30 March) in Accra, Ghana.

Agriculture and the Third High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra in September 2008

A paper produced by ODI (April 2008) sets out areas requiring focused attention in the run-up to Accra 2008.

The 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness will be reviewed at the Third High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra in September 2008. The Paris Declaration establishes operating principles for donors and recipient governments to improve the effectiveness of aid.

These include government leadership of the development process, a focus on policy results, greater alignment by donors with national policies and management systems, harmonisation between donors with division of labour, and mutual accountability for development results.

These principles are broadly sound for guiding development cooperation with national governments. However, they do not help in addressing the challenges arising in certain areas of assistance.

In agriculture, the overwhelmingly private nature of agricultural activities, the roles of non-governmental service providers, the significance of context and the cross-sectoral dimension of policy challenges are some of the reasons why development cooperation in that sector struggles to comply with the Paris principles.

Aligning the CAADP and the ‘triple A’

Speaking at the second Brussels Briefing on ‘Advancing African agriculture‘, Martin Bwalya of NEPAD stressed the role of agriculture in terms of the wider sustainable development agenda, poverty alleviation and reaching the MDGs.

In his view, what it is new at this stage in Africa is the political will and commitment to enhance the role of agriculture, with a real shift of mindset in terms of ownership of agricultural policies.

These new elements are clearly characterized by the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which is far more than just a tool for resource mobilisation: CAADP is about partnership, collaboration, institutional reform, and internalization and local ownership at all level.

For additonal video interviews see CTA Brussels briefings

Angel Elias Daka of COMESA on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)

IFAD’s Ides de Willebois told participants that increasing the productivity of small holders remains the main challenge.

ODI’s Steve Wiggins argues that the statistics do not necessarily show African agriculture to be in crisis

Representing the European Food security group of Concord, Gerhard Schmalbruch brought the perspectives of European civil society organisations.

Topical issues: Agriculture

The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in London-UK has posted a set of new resources to complement the release of the World Bank's World Development 2008, Agriculture for Development.

Much of ODI's current work on agriculture takes place in association with partners in the Future Agricultures Consortium. Research focuses on the political economy of policy reform, social protection and agriculture, and pathways of commercialisation for small farmers. Hereafter some references linked to agricultural issues in Africa.
Opinion papers
Funding agriculture: not 'how much?' but 'what for?' (PDF, 146kb)
'Before calling for an increase in the volume of funding to agriculture, we need a better understanding of how resources are being used'
ODI Opinions 86 - October 2007

The first Millennium Development Goal, agriculture and climate change (PDF, 70kb)
'Over 60% of people in sub-Saharan Africa are reliant on agriculture for their income. However, the potential impacts of climate change pose two key questions for current agriculture-led strategies to reduce poverty.'
ODI ODI Opinion 85 - 19 October 2007

Making contract farming work with co-operatives (PDF, 74kb)
A greater focus on strengthening market-orientated producer organisations and dispute-resolution mechanisms between farmers and firms may increase the chances of win-win outcomes from this form of institutional innovation'
ODI Opinion 87 - October 2007

Farm Subsidies: a problem for Africa too (PDF, 66kb)
'The level of farm subsidies in rich countries is now a well-recognised barrier to Africa's development. But are Africa's own farm subsidies also a barrier to development?'
ODI Opinions 47 - September 2005

Growth in African Agriculture (PDF, 56kb)
'Interest in African agriculture is being rekindled after two decades of relative neglect by both governments and donors - and corresponding slow growth of the sector. For most countries, agriculture has to grow if the economy is to develop, if rural poverty is be alleviated. It is now clear that getting the ‘Washington Consensus' conditions right for business may be necessary, but is certainly not sufficient to get agriculture moving. So what more needs to be done?' ODI Opinions 45 - July 2005

ODI Briefing Papers

Climate change, agricultural policy and poverty reduction – how much do we know? (PDF, 166kb) Projections suggest that, by the end of the 21st century, climate change could have had substantial impact on agricultural production and thence on the scope for reducing poverty.
Climate change, agricultural policy and poverty reduction – how much do we know?

The Millennium Villages Project – a new approach to ending rural poverty in Africa? (PDF, 149kb)
Proponents of the Millennium Villages Project argue that the complex problems facing rural development in Africa require a ‘big push’ if substantive progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to be made – and propose the simultaneous introduction of improvements in agriculture, health, transport, energy, technology, telecommunications and internet connectivity, costing US$110 per person per year over 5 years, and funded mainly from aid flows. This paper examines the challenges this initiative faces, and the questions it raises, in its search for ‘quick wins’ to reach the MDGs.
Natural Resource Perspective 101 - August 2006

Narratives of Agricultural Policy in Africa: What Role for Ministries of Agriculture? (PDF, 55kb) Which of the different models for Ministries of Agriculture make sense today.
Future Agricultures Briefing Paper - 2006

The enabling environment for agricultural technology in Sub-Saharan Africa and the potential role of donors (PDF, 34kb)
To improve agricultural technology development in Africa requires strengthening of the enabling environment, including policies, public institutions and regulations. Various types of market failure imply that markets, by themselves, will not elicit the optimum amount of technology for Africa’s farmers. Priorities include more responsive regulations for input supply, support for emerging enterprises, strengthening input marketing, establishing adequate intellectual property protection, and addressing the challenges of biotechnology. Donors can play an important role, but short-term project interventions must give way to longer-term strategies for support to institutions including formal policies and regulations and informal rules and procedures that encourage indigenous organisational innovation.
Natural Resource Perspective 84 - April 2003

You can find more on the ODI agriculture thematic page