Asia-Pacific Workshop on Agricultural Research for Development (ARD).

16 – 18 April 2008, Bangkok, Thailand. FARA is participating at the Asia-Pacific Workshop on Agricultural Research for Development (ARD).
Objectives:

• To build bridges of partnership amongst Asia Pacific NGOs and APAARI and its member ARD institutions
• Determine NGO priority research interests based on the APAARI identified research for development interest
• Discuss principles and various options on modalities of engagement between NGOs and APAARI both at regional sub regional and national levels
• To share Sub-Saharan Africa NGO Consortium (SSA NGOC) engagement in the FARA-SRO-NARS ARD model

Organizers: Organized jointly by APAARI-ANGOC-GFAR

Dr. R.S. Paroda is Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). He was also the chairman of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and Executive Secretary of the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI).

Related:

APARIS Steering Committee Meeting, 2008
APAARI Executive Committee Meeting

AGRA-sponsored PhD scientists

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)’s sponsored second group of agricultural PhD candidates from a number of African countries have just graduated (15/04) from their advanced studies program at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The graduates, expected to employ the knowledge gained in their studies to improve African food security across eastern and southern Africa are accredited for initiating a number of programmes.

For example, Dr. Joseph Kamau, a prior graduate student of University’s Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI) from Kenya, initiated the first cassava breeding program in his country, and in only three years, developed virus resistant, fast growing, high-yielding varieties that farmers liked for their cooking qualities. Dr. Francisco Miti from Zambia bred maize for small-scale farmers’ conditions, in other words, for drought and low fertility, acid soils. In only three years, he has developed maize that shows a dramatic improvement in its yield potential under these harsh conditions, which is what the majority of Zambia’s farmers need.

On 12 March WACCI and AGRA welcome the inaugural class of Agricultural PhD Students. The first eight doctoral candidates sponsored by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa are entering their advanced studies at the University of Ghana, Legon, hoping to discover new ways to improve crops across West Africa.

Reference:
Second group of AGRA-sponsored PhD scientists graduate in South Africa
Eight West African Students to Begin Elite Studies at West Africa Crop Improvement Centre to Discover New Ways to Improve African Crops

Time for changes in agricultural production

The way the world produces food will have to change radically to better serve the poor and hungry if the world is to cope with a growing population and climate change while avoiding social breakdown and environmental collapse.

This is the message from the report of the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) launched on the 15 April 2008.

The report addresses the following questions:

• What challenges does agriculture face today?
• What are the pros and cons of bioenergy?
• Can biotechnology help meet the growing demand for food?
• How is climate change threatening agriculture?
• How is food production affecting health?
• How can agriculture make better use of natural resources?
• Why haven’t small farmers benefited more from global trade?
• Is there a role for traditional farming in the future of agriculture?
• Why are women key to successful agricultural policy?
• What are the options for action?

It then considers the options for action in relation to fighting poverty and improving rural livelihoods, enhancing food security, using natural resources in a sustainable way, improving human health and helping achieve greater equity in agriculture.

The assessment, the result of a 3-year effort by about 400 experts from around the world, was sponsored by the United Nations, the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), an independent financial organization that provides grants to developing countries. Five U.N. agencies were involved: the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), the U.N. Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Additional individuals, organizations and governments participated in a peer review process.

References:
Summary of the report or view the summary and the full IAASTD Synthesis Report online.
IAASTD Press Release
BBC News item - Global food system 'must change' (15/04)
AllAfrica: Africa: Reinventing Agriculture
The East African: UN scientists say industrial agriculture has failed (14/04)

Aligning Global Agricultural Research Investments with National Development Activities: the CGIAR experience.

The CGIAR released an interesting report on Aligning Global Agricultural Research Investments with National Development Activities: the CGIAR experience.

The 84 pages study identifies factors that affect how effectively the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) aligns its research to support country programs of the World Bank and other Members of the Group. Its point of departure is a set of 12 factors widely agreed to be major strengths of CGIAR, which were first articulated in 1986 by Warren C. Baum, a former CGIAR chair. Using case studies in several countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the study presents a number of lessons tied to Baum’s dozen factors and grouped by alignment domain.

The first such domain is aligned support from CGIAR Members and other donors to the 15 international research Centers supported by the Group. This reflects Baum factors 1, high-priority objective; 2, clearly defined mandate; 8, stability in mobilization of funds; 9, viable system of research and development; 10, professional scientific management; and 11, minimized
bureaucracy.

Aligned support to policymakers and national agricultural research systems (NARS) reflect Baum factors 5, transparent policymaking; 6, evident accountability; and 7, internationally orchestrated legitimacy.

Aligning the technical and institutional innovations developed by CGIAR Centers and NARS facilitates their adoption by farmers, communities, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations, thereby fulfilling the CGIAR mission of improving food security and reducing poverty in environmentally sustainable ways. This particularly reflects Baum factor 12, proven or promising technological foundations.

Aligning policy analysis with recommendations brings together policymakers with CGIAR Centers and NARS. This helps to promote policy that supports the adoption of technical and institutional innovations and, so, the CGIAR mission. This process reflects Baum factors 3, mission-oriented strategy, and 4, clear setting of priorities.

Reference: Publications: Aligning Global Agricultural Research Investments with National Development Activities: the CGIAR experience.

Networking in support of development

The e-agriculture.org Community is invited by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) to participate in a free 4-day online e-learning course, which will take place for applicants in Africa on 6-9 May 2008. The deadline for applications is 23 April 2008.

The Networking in Support of Development Online Course will cover how different information and communication technologies (ICT) in a country - local, national and international - fit together to provide a workable means of communication, and the issues that affect each level. The course will include e-learning materials, online discussions, and individual assignments. It is one of many modules offered in The Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK), a partnership-based e-learning initiative to train individuals and support institutions and networks world-wide in the effective management of agricultural information.

The course is aimed at anyone who is currently, or would like to be, involved in the development and use of information and communication technology to support existing communication traditions and networks, especially in rural areas.

The content of the course is as follows:Day 1 - Information and Communication Technology as media Day 2 - ICT's influence on the shape of the futureDay 3 - Costs and effectiveness of the links in the ICT chainDay 4 - Impact of regulatory frameworks on ICT choices and costs
For more details of the course and the link to the registration form, click here.

A course for applicants in Asia will be held in late 2008.

Related:

Just released: Emerging Issues in e-Agriculture - Policy Brief March 2008
Community members have identified the emerging issues and priority areas for strengthening information and knowledge systems for e-Agriculture.

International Conference on Renewable Energy in Africa

16-18 April 2008 Dakar, Senegal. Making Renewable Energy markets for Africa. Policies, Industries and Finance for Scaling-Up.

The obejctives of the conference are: Making use of lessons learnt and experience gained with renewable energy projects in Africa and elsewhere, the conference will examine how bottlenecks to renewable energy market related to policies, technologies, financing and capacity can be addressed so as to increase access to energy in Africa.

The conference will bring together high-level decision makers to provide visible leadership and commitment to a common strategy for market-based scaling up of renewable energies that is informed by lessons learnt from concrete case studies and the energy situation that obtains in Africa.

Reference: UNIDO

Conclusions: IISD RS summary of the International Conference on Renewable Energy in Africa - 16-18 April 2008 - Dakar, Senegal

6th Annual Digital Africa Summit

April 15th-17th, 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference takes an in depth look at technology convergence from an African perspective.

The conference aims at assisting African operators by providing information that will help them developing a focussed, practical strategy moving forward. This will be achieved by orchestrating a debate between:

• Leading regulatory authorities from Africa and the World (ICASA, ETSI and more)
• Solution providers such as Alcatel, Nortel, Ericsson and Motorola
• System integrators such as IBM and Dimension Data

Participating executives are expected to leave this debate with greater clarity and understanding about the challenges they will face in developing their networks.

The former (5th Annual) Digital Africa Summit attracted participants from over 22 African countries ranging from Government Ministers, Chief Accounting Officers (Permanent Secretaries, Director Generals, Principal Secretaries etc) and public sector professionals to Chief Executives and Managing Directors of leading information and communication technology companies in Africa. For further information, please visit the conference web site.

SciFest Africa

FARA is participating at the SciFest Africa, the biggest science festival in sub-Saharan Africa, Grahamstown, South Africa, 16 - 22 April.

It is NOT a gathering just for scientists – it is for anyone with an inquiring mind and wanting to know more about the fascinating world of science …. including scientists!

This year there are over 600 events which will take place at the festival including lectures, exhibitions, workshops, educational theatre, field trips, a soap box derby, laser show, high school quizzes, Science Olympics, science shows, tours and a FilmFest.

Dr. Monty Jones gave on Wednesday, 16 April a lecture on Beating hunger and poverty with ancient rice and modern science. See page 15 of the SciFest programme.

It took several cycles of backcrossing with the sativa parent to produce young plants with robust fertility. Another culture was used to double the gene complement of male sex cells and produce true-breeding plants. Ultimately NERICAs (New Rice for Africa) were produced that are as well adapted as their glaberrima parent but have the high yield potential of their sativa parent. This is having huge impact in improving the livelihoods of rural and urban Africans and their national economies.

Download the Official Programme (PDF, 7MB) (a beautifully edited programme over 84 pages!)

Related:

AllAfrica 21/04: South Africa: Sci-Fest Africa Encourages Youth to Take Science Careers

Briefing on Fair Trade

The bimonthly Development Briefing organised by CTA, the European Commission/DG Development, the ACP Secretariat, Euforic, Concord and IPS-Europe - in collaboration with the Fair Trade Advocacy Office in Brussels - was held on 16th April on Fair Trade.

It will aimed at (i) raising awareness on existing and emerging key challenges on Fair Trade; (ii) promoting exchange of information and expertise sharing among the development groups based in Brussels, by providing an updated source of information and a platform of discussion; (iii) feeding in the debate on Fair Trade by bringing various perspectives around the table which could support future EC support to Fair Trade in ACP countries.

This half day meeting discussed some key issues involved in the fair trade initiatives: the benefits of Fair Trade for development and poverty reduction with special reference to the ACP countries; challenges for market access for ACP producers; the role of the supermarkets on standards and labelling; the awareness and information campaigns linked with the consumers education.

View the programme, presentations and video material, speaker information, video interviews, and further readings.

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

Agricultural education and information systems in Asia and Africa

Last year Cornell University and partners put together a 'WorldAginfo' Design Team to test the premise that:

"new collaborative information technologies offer an exciting opportunity to transform agricultural education and information systems in Asia and Africa."

The Team was charged by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to explore the landscape of agricultural education and information systems in Asia and Africa, and to come up with

"a set of recommendations for areas of investment that have the potential to
improve the lives of smallholders through better access to agricultural
education, training and information."

The 300+ page report - entitled Building Pathways out of Rural Poverty through Investments in Agricultural Information Systems - is now available online. It provides a summary of the activities undertaken and recommendations for areas of investment. See also the list of participants of the Design Team.

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.

FARA delegation visited research institutions and Government officials in Tunis

01/04 - 04/04 A FARA delegation visited research institutions and Government officials in Tunis, Tunisia to sensitize and discuss the possibility of Tunisian Government support to the FARA Secretariat with a view to engender African ownership of FARA and increased development partner (DP) support.

Key agricultural research and development institutions visited include:

• INRAT – responsible for agric research in Tunisia
• INAT – principally, a training institution for ARD in Tunisia
• IRESA – a coordinating institution for ARD including science and technology and higher education in Tunisia
• UTAP – Tunisian Farmers Union Secretary of State for Agriculture
  

Farmers Union President (Tunisia) – Mabrouk Bahri

Dr. Monty JONES and FARA vice chair Yo TIEMOKO with the State Secretary – Abderrazak DAALOUL

10th International Barley Genetics Symposium

April 5-10. Egypt hosted the first international symposium for Barley in Africa.

The 10th International Barley Genetics Symposium was held at Bibliotheca Alexandrina and was jointly organized by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and Bibliotheca Alexandrina with the support of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and OPEC Fund for International Development. The Symposium was the most important forum for barley scientists and the industry worldwide, where results and current trends of barley research and production were presented and discussed, and future strategies were decided.

Barley is cultivated in over 56 million hectares of land the world over and it is the fourth most planted cereal crop. Over the last few years there has been a steady increase in barley and scientists believe that with the increasing global temperatures and the challenges posed by climate change, barley cultivation would expand even more, as this crop grows in warm areas.

Reference: Africa Science News Service 04/04 - International Barley Genetics Symposium (IBGS)

Nigerian agricultural development expert honoured

A distinguished Nigerian agricultural economist, with over 20 years of experience in African agriculture was recently honored in Norway and the USA for his leadership in leading a major global initiative to reduce poverty and achieve an African Green Revolution. Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, Vice President of Policy and Partnerships of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), was recently honored by Purdue University, USA, on March 21 for over 20 years of service in efforts to improve agricultural productivity in Africa.

The Purdue honor follows Adesina’s 2007 award of the prestigious Yara Prize for an African Green Revolution awarded in Oslo. The Yara Foundation award commends outstanding efforts to increase food production and availability in Africa and recognized Adesina’s pioneering work to increase poor farmers’ access to farm inputs and to build rural markets. Adesina is a distinguished agricultural economist, with over 20 years of experience in African agriculture.

Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina holds a BSc in Agricultural Economics (First Class Honors) from the University of Ife, Nigeria (now Obafemi Awolowo University). He received his Purdue master's degree in 1985 and doctorate in 1988 in Agricultural Economics, where he won the Outstanding PhD Thesis award for his innovative research. A prolific writer, Adesina has published extensively in international journals and books. He is currently President, African Association of Agricultural Economists.

Reference: Africa Science News Service 10 April 2008.

Regional meeting on crop protection and fertilizers

April 8. A two-day international annual West and Central Africa Hub and Regulatory meeting was held in Accra, Ghana.

The meeting was organised by CropLife Africa Middle East with participants from Ghana, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin and Nigeria.

With support from International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC) the workshop will also formulate recommendations for the rapid setting up and implementation of the ECOWAS harmonization regulatory framework.

Reference:

GhanaWeb - MOFA calls for cooperation to fight crop protection piracy

Fellowship Positions Announcement: African Biosafety Network of Expertise

The Africa Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE) is a project of NEPAD Biosciences Initiative, which comprises a cluster of life sciences flagship programmes of the Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action, an African-led plan endorsed by the African Union Heads of State and Government. The objective of ABNE is to provide science-based information and technical support to the regulatory agencies of various countries in Africa. This support will help regulators access the most up-to-date training, data, and resources needed to properly regulate biotechnologies, ensuring countries are able to take full advantage of advances while safeguarding consumers and the environment.

The grant is to support the first phase of a possible long-term project on biosafety. After completion of their training, the fellows may potentially serve as core network members.

Fellowship Positions: For this collaborative network we are seeking scientists or regulatory personnel with interest in developing a professional career in the areas of biosafety. Four fellowship positions are available in the following areas:
· Food Safety (1)
· Environmental Biosafety (1)
· Socioeconomic considerations (1)
· Legal aspects of biosafety (1)

Contact Details: Interested candidates should send a statement of interest (1-2 pages), Curriculum Vitae (CV) and contact details of three referees to the following addresses:
Network Director, West Africa Biosciences Network (WABNet), c/o CORAF/WECARD, BP 48-CP 18523 Dakar, Senegal; preferably via e-mail to: wabnet@nepadst.org

Closing date for submission of applications: 9th May 2008.

Related:
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and Michigan State University announced 25/02 a $1.5 million grant to MSU from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to bolster Africa’s biosafety expertise.

Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa

Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa) is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa.

SDI-Africa has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about available data and tools, and includes notices about upcoming training, employment and funding opportunities, and events. The aim is to strengthen national SDI initiatives and support synchronization of regional geospatial activities.

Past and current SDI-Africa newsletters are accessible at the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association website at http://www.gsdi.org/newsletters.asp

e-learning course on Collaboration and Advocacy Techniques

The EC-FAO Food Security Programme has just published an e-learning course on Collaboration and Advocacy Techniques. The course was produced in collaboration with Overseas Development Institute's (ODI) Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) Programme and Women Thrive Worldwide.

The course consists of 3 lessons, of approximately 45 to 90 minutes duration each, for a total of about 3 hours of self-paced instruction.

The lesson presents the following tools and techniques:
- Stakeholder Analysis
- Social Network Analysis
- Group development
- Communities of practice
- Action Learning sets
- Six Thinking Hats
- Mind Maps
- Challenge sessions
- Storytelling
- Online strategies
- e-mail guidelines
- Peer Assists
- After Action Reviews
- Retrospects

The course is available on CD and the WWW. To access this and other courses free of charge visit the EC-FAO Food Security Information for Action Programme website at: www.foodsecinfoaction.org. Look under the Distance Learning section for more information.

Agriculture Research Institutes in Sub-Saharan Africa

AfDevInfo (African Development Information) is an online database focusing on key and emerging themes in African politics and development. African Development Information is a fast growing online resource providing accessible, objective, structured information in support of transparent and democratic government in Africa.

Over 136,000 inter-linked records highlight relationships between people and organisations in Africa - updated weekly and brought together in a series of thematic reports.

Agriculture Research Institutes in Sub-Saharan Africa is the second in the series on research facilities of African Development Information (April 2008 issue).

SIMPLY A GREAT RESOURCE.

The AfDevInfo home page allows you to download the Mindjet software which will give you following clickable map:

ALive 11th Executive Committee meeting

FARA is participating at the 11th ALive Executive Committee meeting, FAO, Rome 7-10/04/2008. ALive is a global platform aiming to improve the contribution of the African livestock sector to poverty reduction and to promote equitable, safe and sustainable economic growth. As a partnership ALive targets animal health systems to improve veterinary public health and market access for farmers. Specific goals in the livestock sector are:

• Enhancing livestock stakeholders’ participation, donors and partners collaboration, institutional strength and natural resources protection
• Improving the knowledge about the livestock sector, strategies and livestock program formulation
• Promoting regional collaboration/integration, knowledge sharing and dissemination, sub-regional training and capacity building
• Integrating those results into on-going and forthcoming operational programs of ALive partners.

Reference: Draft Agenda of the Eleventh ALive Executive Commitee meeting + ALive-Online

International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development

7 April 2008 - 12 April 2008. The intergovernmental plenary meeting of the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development, rescheduled from Jan. 2008, is now held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"Agriculture is not just about putting things in the ground and then harvesting them…it is increasingly about the social and environmental variables that will in large part determine the future capacity of agriculture to provide for eight or nine billion people in a manner that is sustainable" Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEPOpening address April 7, 2008

Reference:

Intergovernmental plenary meeting - IAASTD

IAASTD SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA REPORT

SSA CHAPTER 1 SETTING THE SCENE: THE SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA CONTEXT
Coordinating Lead Authors: Amadou Diop (Senegal) and Evelyne A. Lazaro (Tanzania)
Lead Authors: Wellington Otieno (Kenya), Joseph Taabazuing (Ghana)
Contributing author: Nienke Beintema (the Netherlands)
Review Editor: Davo Simplice Vodouhe (Benin)
Sub Saharan Africa (SSA)ENGLISH
Chapter 1 Text References Figures

SSA CHAPTER 2 TYPOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION SYSTEMS
Coordinating Lead Authors: Julienne Kuiseu (Cameroon) and Lindela Ndlovu (Zimbabwe)
Lead Authors: Michael Dike (Nigeria), Lutgard Kagaruki (Tanzania), Imelda Kashaija (Uganda), Dieudonne Musibono (Democratic Republic of Congo), Victor Ndirika (Nigeria), Xavier Rakotonjanahary (Madagascar)
Contributing Authors: Wisdom Akpalu (Ghana), Washington Akparu (Nigeria), Patrick Avato (Italy/Germany), Sachin Das (Tanzania), Peter Neuenschwhwander (Benin), Stella Williams (Nigeria), Charlotte Wonani (Zambia)
Chapter 2 Text References Figures

CHAPTER 3 AKST: GENERATION, ACCESS, ADAPTATION, ADOPTION AND EFFECTIVENESS
Coordinating Lead Authors: Yalemtsehay Mekonnen (Ethiopia), Idah Sithole-Niang (Zimbabwe), Felix Fiadjoe (Ghana)
Lead Authors: Roshan Abdallah (Tanzania), Agnes Abera-Kalibata (Rwanda), Francis Gichuki (Kenya), Marnus Gouse (South Africa), Harry Palmier (France), Wahida Shah (Kenya), Stacey Young (USA)
Contributing Authors: Apophia Atukunda (Uganda), Mohamed Bakarr (Kenya), David Knopp (USA)
Chapter 3 Text References Figures

CHAPTER 4 FOOD SYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TOWARDS 2050
Coordinating Lead Authors: Daniel N. Dalohoun (Benin), Carol M. Markwei (Ghana)
Lead Author: Washington O. Ochola (Kenya)
Contributing Author: Patrick Avato (Germany/Italy)
Chapter 4 Text References Figures

CHAPTER 5 OPTIONS FOR ACTION: GENERATION, ACCESS AND APPLICATION OF AKST
Coordinating Lead Authors: Joan Kagwanja (Kenya) and Elizabeth Robinson (United Kingdom)
Lead Authors: Evelyn Apili (Uganda), Gezahegne Ayele (Ethiopia), John Bakang (Ghana), Chiedza L. Muchopa (Zimbabwe)
Contributing authors: Wisdom Akpalu (Ghana), Susan Kaaria (Kenya), Razack Lokina (Tanzania)
Chapter 5 Text References Figures

Advancing Agriculture in Developing Countries through Knowledge and Innovation

FARA participated at the International Conference on Knowledge and Innovation in Agriculture organised by IFPRI April 7-9, 2008, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

This conference aimed:

• to provide a forum for the exchange of these ideas and experiences on knowledge and innovation systems among different innovation agents (including the public, private, and civil sectors);
• to showcase methods and applications of successful experiences in knowledge and innovations;
• and to identify areas for further research, advocacy, and cooperation.

The conference speakers, panels, and participants (close to 200 policymakers, researchers, and representatives from the private sector, farmers' organizations, and other civil society groups) explored the components that contribute to growth, whether through scientific research, innovative policies, or organizational partnerships.

• One of the keynote speakers was Dr. Monty Jones who brought on 07/04 a Keynote speech on Using knowledge and innovation in pro-poor agricultural research.
• Dr. ADEWALE ADEKUNLE was the CHAIR of Session Three on "Using Technical Knowledge and Innovation for Growth & Development – Future Issues"
• FARA Board member Lucy Muchoki (African Natural Products) contributed to Session 4 with a speech on Knowledge and innovation for agricultural development—private sector contribution

Reference: Press Release IFPRI April 7, 2008 : International Conference to Discuss New Technologies, Innovations, and Knowledge to Improve Agriculture and Livelihoods

Statements: IFPRI has posted on 26/06 on YouTube 11 video’s of which the intervention of Dr. Jones (22 minutes).

Dr. Monty Jones brought on 07/04 a Keynote speech on Using knowledge and innovation in pro-poor agricultural research.

Using knowledge and innovation in pro-poor agricultural researchMonty Jones, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa. 21:51 minutes




Other interviews:

Opening Remarks Joachim von Braun, International Food Policy Research Institute. Advancing Agriculture in Developing Countries through Knowledge and Innovation.
17:59 minutes

An MOU signed between FARA and its development partners

30 March. The FARA Chairman, Dr. Kyetere, signed on behalf of FARA, a memorandum of agreement with development partners who are committed in supporting the core activities of the FARA Secretariat starting in 2008.

FARA Secretariat Annual program planning

25-30 March. Seven days were allocated by the FARA Executive Board, its technical advisory group, FARA development partners and the Secretariat to reflect on 2007 operation and lessons learnt to guide the planning of activities for 2008. The programmatic approach of FARA activities will be fully implemented in 2008. The week was divided into several sessions i.e. FARA subcommittee meetings, SRO-FARA retreat and the Executive Board meeting.

1st EuroAfrica-ICT Summit

For the first time, African and European scientists and policy-makers in the field of Information and Communication Technologies will be brought together 27 & 28 November 2008 in Lyon, France.

Being held in conjunction with the European Union’s "ICT Event", 25-27 November. Funded under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), the first ICT Summit between Europe and Africa aims to expand the dialogue between the European and African ICT research communities and the authorities of both regions.

To achieve this, the two-day summit will include:

• high-level presentations from relevant European and African political authorities;
• research and development awareness-raising sessions;
• round-table discussions opportunities for networking and identifying new partners.
• a specific session will be devoted to ICT research in the agriculture field in Africa.

In particular, opportunities for collaborative research in ICT under Call 4 within FP7, which will be announced in November 2008, will be highlighted.

Some 200 delegates are expected to attend, including ICT experts from Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, policy- and decision-makers, heads of stakeholder institutions and international organizations, and high-level representatives from the DG InfSo and other European Commission Directorates General. A Second EU-AfriCa ICT Summit will take place in sub-Saharan Africa in November 2009.

References:
Organizer : EuroAfriCa-ICT project, funded by the EC’s DG Information Society and Media under FP7.
For further information, please : EuroAfriCa-ICT project website + Centre for International ICT Policies Central and West Africa (CIPACO)

Related:
CEMAFORAD 4 : Colloque Euro Méditéranéen et Africain d’approfondissement sur la formation à distance : Entre diversité et normalisation du 9 au 11 avril 2008 à Strasbourg (France). Le colloque CEMAFORAD a pour objectif majeur de contribuer au développement de la formation à distance en Europe, dans les pays du pourtour méditerranéen ainsi qu’en Afrique.

6th Annual Digital Africa Summit
April 15th-17th, 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference in 2008 will take an in depth look at technology convergence from an African perspective.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa & genetically modified (GM) crops

The production of genetically modified (GM) crops has increased 67-fold between 1996 and 2007. Around 55 million farmers in 23 countries now grow GM crops, such as maize, cotton, canola, soybean, squash, poplar, petunia, sweet pepper, carnation, alfalfa, tomato, Irish potatoes, papaya and grape on 690 million hectares (1.7 billion acres) (ISAAA 2007). However, Africa, the only continent where per capita food production is declining, has yet to significantly benefit from this technology as only South Africa is commercially growing GM crops in the continent.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) commissioned a study between 2004 and 2006 to assess the potential benefits and risks of adopting GMOs in Africa. The study looked at case studies of six countries - Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia - for the two crops of maize and cotton to assess the positives and negatives of adopting GM crops.

The study had to make certain assumptions in order to predict the scenarios in each country. For example, in order to project the net income gains for farmers if they switched to GM crops in the six countries, the study assumed that the areas currently planted to open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) for maize and improved varieties and hybrids for cotton would be the first to make the switch. Results showed that the net income for farmers would vary from US$ 2.5 to 7.5 million for maize and US$ 0.05 to 9.5 million for cotton per country. These are very conservative estimates.

In terms of assessing export risk arising from the European market banning GM or GM tainted crops, the study found that Egypt was the only country to face significant declines in export (4%). The other countries would likely face minor losses of no more than 1% (Table 2). Regional policy harmonization is critical as it is possible that the benefits of within region trade would offset any potential losses from export.

Reference:
ICRISAT Monthly Newsletter, March 2008
For more information contact: I.Minde@cgiar.org.

Drought-tolerant maize varieties for Africa

KAMPALA, Uganda -- The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) announced 19/03 a public-private partnership to develop drought-tolerant maize varieties for Africa. The partnership, known as Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA), was formed in response to a growing call by African farmers, leaders, and scientists to address the devastating effects of drought on small-scale farmers and their families. Frequent drought leads to crop failure, hunger, and poverty. Climate change will only worsen the problem.

The Director General of the National Agricultural Research Organisation of Uganda and FARA chair Dr. Dennis Kyetere presided over the official announcement of the initiative and said that the project will help address drought and contribute to food security in Africa.

‘Drought is a source of suffering and food insecurity for many people in Uganda and it is recognised as a challenge by the government. Drought causes up to 100 percent crop failure in Uganda in some instances’, said Dr. Kyetere.

To read the full press release, visit the African Agricultural Technology Foundation Web site.

Agri-business and the African Venture Capital Association

The AVCA conference, Gabarone, Botswana 16-18/03 was a unique event for networking, sharing the experience of African private equity professionals and meeting global investors targeting Africa.

The 7th Annual AVCA Conference is the most important annual meeting for those involved in venture capital and private equity in Africa and for anyone interested in Africa’s private equity potential. This year’s event is the seventh in a series of highly successful events sindce AVCA’s inception in 2000.

The theme for the conference Africa Rising: Opportunities and Perspectives for Private Equity addressed the fundamental issues necessary for developing and maintaining sustained growth levels for this all-important asset class in Africa. Specifically, the agenda focused on increasing the appetite for private equity opportunities in Africa and encouraging home grown fund management capacity.

Session 4 discussed Agri-business and the Value Chain: (a) The importance of this market sector ; (b) Potential for high returns ; (c) Effective marketing
Participants: Mr. Duncan Vink, CEO United Farmers Fund ; Mr. Tom Adlam, CEO, African Agricultural Capital ; Mr. Rob Caselotti, CEO Country Food Holdings

FARA and IAR4D

FARA was mentionned in a paper which was presented at the international conference "Knowledge on the Move: Research for development in a globalising world" in The Hague, from 26-29 February. The conference was organized by three international research and higher education organizations in The Netherlands: NWO-WOTRO Science for Global Development, Nuffic and the Institute of Social Studies.

Session 3 was more in particular on Science, technology and innovation, with attention for food security and sustainable agriculture. Jon Daane remarks that (the author, Jon Daane, is Director of the International Centre for development oriented Research in Agriculture (ICRA), a European centre specialised in building research capacity for rural innovation) :

FARA, the SROs and the constituent R&DIs, as well as African networks of HEIs, such as ANAFE and RUFORUM and their constituents are increasingly aware that building effective innovation systems calls for a paradigm shift and fundamental institutional change in R&DIs and in HEIs. FARA refers to this new paradigm as Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D).

References:
Papers
J. Daane (2008). New pathways to build capacity for development oriented agricultural research and innovation.
A. Hall (2008). Embedding research in society supporting agricultural innovation in a global knowledge economy.
L. Oruko (2008). International Research Partnerships Support to Regional Collective Action in eastern and central Africa.