The African signatories of Food Security and Climate Change: A Call for Commitment and Preparation

18 November 2009, Global Crop Diversity Trust. Alarmed by a substantial oversight in the global climate talks leading up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next month, more than 60 of the world's most prominent agricultural scientists and leaders underscored how the almost total absence of agriculture in the agreement could lead to widespread famine and food shortages in the years ahead.

Signatories of a statement issued by leading thinkers in development include five World Food Prize laureates, former heads of development agencies, former Ministers of Agriculture, and heads of the world's leading alliance of agricultural research centers.

Gebisa Ejeta, Ethiopia
• World Food Prize Laureate, 2009
• Distinguished Professor of Agronomy, Purdue University

Adel El-Baltegy, Egypt
• Chair of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR)
• Former Director General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA)

Wangari Maathai, Kenya
• Nobel Peace Prize, 2004
• Former Assistant Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Kenya

Chebet Maikut, Uganda
• Vice-President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF)
• Former MP (Uganda)

Paul Munyenyembe, Malawi
• Head, Plant Genetic Resources Centre (SPGRC), South African Development Community
• Head of Department, Bunda Collge, University of Malawi

Zachary Kithinji Muthamia, Kenya
• Head, National Genebank of Kenya

Godfrey Mwila, Zambia
• Former Chair of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
• Former Head, National Genebank, Zambia

Papa Seck, Senegal
• Director General, Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)
• Former Chair of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)

Mohamed Zehni, Libya
• Former Director, Plant Production and Protection Division, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
• Former Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Libya to the UN

CGIAR change video

You may remember the short explanatory video of the CGIAR from last year where CGIAR used the Common Craft approach to lay out the different elements of the change process. This time and with the communications team of the CGIAR Secretariat the CGIAR decided to opt for a small piece where the CGIAR aimed at capturing the changes in mindsets that have been accompanying the process since its launch and as follows:

“We have success stories to share. However we need impact at scale. A revitalized CGIAR is part of the solution. And mindsets are changing; from skepticism to interest. Step by step we are embracing change. And now it’s your chance to get involved.”

The script is based on various CGIAR stakeholder quotes and the images and video excerpts are taken from center and challenge program Web sources. Both videos have been done with Caramba design, a Cali based multimedia company.

Reference:
20/11 ICT-KM knowledge sharing: scaling up and out, up and out, up and out…

Dr. Monty Jones has been elected as the Chairperson of GFAR

MESSAGE FROM DR. MONTY JONES

Dear colleagues,

This is to inform you that I have just been elected as the Chairperson of GFAR. This is an extremely prestigious position and I feel very proud as an African to lead the global forum for agricultural research (GFAR). The revitalized GFAR is at the centre stage of ARD at the global level. GFAR has direct partnerships with various development agencies and donor’s platforms and has direct access to Global Political Summits such as the Food Summit and G8 l’Aguila meeting.

I accepted this nomination and appointment bearing in mind that FARA will benefit greatly at the international level. I will take over from Dr. Adel El Beltagy next March, a big step to follow. Through his leadership (which ends at the GCARD meeting in March 2010), he managed to revigorate GFAR’s image as a functional global platform where investors can actually share ideas within neutral grounds.

Therefore, I hope that FARA the forum and the Secretariat will provide us with guiding support to ensure we achieve our objectives.

Monty Jones, PhD, DSc;
2004 World Food Prize Laureate

Aide à l'agriculture : des promesses aux réalités de terrain. L’état de la coordination des interventions dans 3 pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest

13 novembre 2009. Lancé à la veille du sommet mondial sur l’alimentation qui se tient à Rome du 16 au 18 novembre, le rapport "Aide à l'agriculture : des promesses aux réalités de terrain" revient sur la mise en œuvre des promesses faites par la communauté internationale au cours des douze derniers mois pour soutenir l’agriculture et assurer la sécurité alimentaire dans trois pays ouest africains : le Burkina Faso, le Niger et le Ghana.

Un rapport qui pointe du doigt le manque criant d’efficacité dans la coordination de l’aide sur le terrain.Très favorablement accueillie par les représentants d’organisations paysannes du Mali, du Burkina Faso, du Ghana, du Niger, du Sénégal et du Nigeria, partenaires de la campagne sur l’agriculture lancée par Oxfam International dans la région d’Afrique de l’Ouest, cette étude a été l’occasion de définir des pistes de travail communes pour l’année à venir sur la question de la coordination des bailleurs de fonds et sur la place des organisations paysannes dans les processus politiques en cours. Auteur du rapport, Jean-Denis Crola, chargé de plaidoyer à Oxfam France - Agir ici, en expose les objectifs initiaux et les résultats obtenus.

Reference:
Aide à l'agriculture : des promesses aux réalités de terrain. L’état de la coordination des interventions dans 3 pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest

Testimonials on national statistical information systems for food and agriculture

CountrySTAT is a national statistical information system for food and agriculture. The system harmonizes and integrates data on food and agriculture coming from different sources. Through a core database, policy makers and researchers can group data across thematic areas - such as production, trade and consumption - in order to study relationships and processes. FAO cooperates with national statistical offices and ministries of agriculture in order to help them to use the system, know methodologies, organize and disseminate data.

With CountrySTAT, a statistical information system dealing with food and agriculture and a strategic tool in development planning towards food security, FAO is committed to build national capacities. At country-level, experts are learning, experiencing and implementing CountrySTAT.

CountrySTAT is gradually being rolled out in many countries. Food and agriculture data from several countries can already be accessed on line. Click on the African country names hereafter: Burkina Faso ; Togo ; Mali ; UEMOA ; Niger

Watch the technical clip on CountrySTAT to understand its main features and the possibilities offered to its administrators and users! Here are a few testimonials as collected in Rome, during a hands-on Training Workshop (October 2009):

1. Abner K. Ingosi, Head, National Coordinator of CountrySTAT, Food Security and Early Warning Servicies - Ministry of Agriculture (Kenya). “CountrySTAT helps to collect and analyze data that are fundamental for decision-makers, even though there are some constraints such as the lack of personnel and money and the slowness of internet connection”. Duration: 2min.19sec. Format: mp3
   
2. Mr Francis Dzah, Agriculture Statistics, Ghana CountrySTAT Coordinator - Ghana Statistical Service (Ghana). “CountrySTAT allows both producers and users - government officials, members of Parliament, researchers and students - to think about agriculture statistics by using a unique integrate system”. Duration: 2min.35sec. Format: mp3
   
3. Mr Benjamin Bisa Banda, Statistician of National Statistical Office (Malawi). “CountrySTAT users have a better approach to statistic information because data coming from different institutions have been put together and they are easily accessible through the use of internet. It helps to understand market direction and trends”. Duration: 1min.26sec. Format: mp3

Announcement: Sudan: the role of scientific research in agricultural development

23-24 December 2009 . The National Centre for Research of Sudan will organize its 9th Scientific Conference on: THE ROLE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Overall objective of the Conference: To maximize the utilization of research results, scientific studies and practical efforts to serve the agricultural renaissance in the Sudan for the development of society.

Conference Themes: Policy and Framework ; Agricultural Production (rainfed and irrigated) ; Best Local and International Practices and Indigenous Knowledge ; Agro Processing ; Natural Resources Management ; Food security

Reference: 9th Scientific Conference conference website

Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development

12 November. Launch of the book Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agriculture.

Millions Fed' is a project aimed to identify and examine successes in agricultural development and provide insights into the lessons they offer. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) called upon the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to assess the evidence on what works in agriculture -- what sorts of policies, programs, and investments in agricultural development have actually reduced hunger and poverty.

Trailer and full video for "Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development"

Related:
IAALD 13/11/2009 Communicating a new research output: IFPRI strategies
What does it take to create a buzz around a new research output? Luz Marina Alvare and Chris Addison share some insights into the communication and knowledge-sharing approaches followed by IFPRI in launching this new book.

World Summit on Food Security

16 November 2009. The third World Summit on Food Security opened at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy. Following the inaugural ceremony, Heads of Delegations adopted the World Summit on Food Security Declaration.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned that if more land is not used for food production now, 370 million people could be facing famine by 2050.

FAO head Jacques Diouf told the summit that developing countries had made some progress in reversing the decline in investment in agriculture since prices hit record highs at the end of 2007. But he said much of the money had not yet materialised and that amounts promised were not at the level needed.

Mr Diouf said the $44bn (£26.4bn) required for developing countries was far less that the $365bn (£219bn) that developed countries spend each year on subsidising their farmers.
He recommended that developing countries dedicate 10% of their expenditure to agriculture.

References:

BBC 16/10 UN chief urges unity over hunger

FAO resources: Meeting website ; Provisional programme ; Documents ; Pre-Summit events ; Connected events ; Round tables

IISD RS will be providing daily reports from this meeting.

Related:

Elisabeth Atangana, President of the Sub-Regional Platform of Peasant Organizations of Central Africa (PROPAC), discusses the urgent need for good collaboration and effective involvement of farmer organizations in the process of poverty reduction. PROPAC, is an organization representing small-holders, rural entrepreneurs and the vulnerable rural population (women and youth). See video

Related

Barcelona climate change talks 2-6 November, 2009
FAO supported the last round of Climate Change Talks before the final meeting of the Convention of the Parties (COP15), in Copenhagen, Denmark. This took place in Barcelona to guarantee that food security adaptation and mitigation are taken into account in view of a new climate change deal. Report: Food Security and Agricultural Mitigation in Developing Countries: Options for Capturing Synergies

Stakeholders' workshop on the preparation of the agriculture sector strategy for the AfDB

13 November 2009. Tunis. The African Development Bank held a Stakeholders' workshop on the preparation of the agriculture sector strategy for the AfDB.

In response to the global food crisis, the Bank Group established the African Food Crisis Response (AFCR) Task Force in July 2008 to address the food insecurity in its RMCs. The task force has provided a framework for accelerated support to RMCs affected by escalating food prices. Its interventions are designed to reduce the risk of increased poverty on the continent in the short term and to ensure sustainable food security in the medium to long term.

The Bank’s proposed short term responses cover a one-year period. Four specific short term responses were proposed:

• Realignment of the existing agriculture portfolio with the aim of boosting food production. This measure comprises agriculture and non agricultural projects;
• Use of budget support instrument for quick disbursement of resources to RMCs;
• Increased dissemination of NERICA rice seeds; and
• Allocation from the Bank’s Surplus Account (UA 20 million).
• These short term measures have resulted in the Bank’s global approval of UA 416.54 million, UA 255.16 million of which is already disbursed.

The Bank’s medium to long term measures meanwhile will from 3 - 6 years The AFCR proposes seven approaches aiming at improving food security while taking advantage of the high food prices:

• Improved rural infrastructure;
• Operationalizing the African Fertilizer Financing Mechanism;
• Increasing NERICA rice production;
• Capacity building, policy dialogue and trade promotion;
• Scaling up private sector operations for food security;
• Promoting agricultural research, and
• Establishing a Crisis Response Facility. Gender mainstreaming and addressing climate change are core guiding principles identified under the AFCR.

Reference:

• Donor platform: Stakeholders' workshop on the preparation of the agriculture sector strategy
• AFDB 13/07/2009 Interview with AfDB Agriculture & Agro-industry Director, Aly Abou-Sabaa, on the outcomes of the last Ordinary Session of the African Union on Bank operations

Related: 11/11/2009 “Africa has to change ways of doing things in agriculture and to recognize the global winds of change for the sector,” Bank Group Operations Evaluation Officer, Detlev Puetz, said on Tuesday 11 November 2009 in Addis-Ababa, during a presentation on the theme: Facing the financial crisis: The imperative of regional action for agriculture in Africa. In the presence of more than 150 conference participants, Mr. Puetz developed key theories on new paths for agricultural finance development. Experts Reflect on Imperative of Regional Action for Agriculture in Africa

FIFTH CAADP Partnership Platform Meeting

09-10 November 2009. Abuja, Nigeria. The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the NEPAD Secretariat and ECOWAS Secretariat, organized the 5th Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP-PP).

Ahead of the CADDP-PP meeting experts met for a two-days planning meeting, 5-6 November 2009. It was followed by an International Conference on Financing Regional Agricultural Policy in West Africa aims to adopt the Draft Regional Partnership Compact for the implementation of ECOWAP/CAADP: 11-12 November.

The pact confirms the adherence of the parties concerned - ECOWAS, regional cooperation organizations, professional organizations, financial institutions and technical and financial partners - to the focuses, objectives, principles and institutional and financial mechanisms of ECOWAP/CAADP and recognizing ECOWAP/CAADP as the sole basis for the programming and coordination of regional operations in the agricultural sector.

The 5th CAADP-PP meeting, was hosted by ECOWAS Secretariat, and provided an inclusive platform for peer interaction, review and experience sharing among the core institutions and partners involved in CAADP implementation.

The 5th CAADP-PP came at the marking point that a number of countries have shown their commitment of CAADP program implementation by putting the compact agreement. In this regard it to deliberated a key elements and strategies on the joint engagement and coordination so as to ensure the desired, coordinated and timely support appropriate to the country-specific circumstances.

The meeting also discussed various components towards CAADP implementation including, amongst others:

• CAADP Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) Governance arrangement;
• CAADP Monitoring and Evaluation Framework;
• Roadmap for the follow-up and implementation of the July 2009 Heads of State and Government Summit decisions;
• Framework for Regional CAADP implementation and regional compacts, as well as the issue of food security and climate change, which are affecting agricultural performance.

Reference:

African Press Organisation, 13/11 AUC, RECS and civil society agree with development partners to boost African agriculture through CAADP programme / Closing of the fifth CAADP PP meeting

AfricaAdapt ‘Meet and Greet’ networking event

5th November 2009. FARA Secretariat, Accra. About 30 participants attended the AfricaAdapt ‘Meet and Greet’ networking event. Participants were from research, national media, community radio, NGOs, academia.

AfricaAdapt held in Nairobi and Dakar similar small scale (30-40 people) networking events where people from policy, research, NGOs, media and network members can share experiences and explore opportunities.

Background: What is AfricaAdapt?

• AfricaAdapt is an independent bilingual network (French/English) focused on Africa.
• The Network aims to facilitate the flow of climate change adaptation knowledge for sustainable livelihoods between researchers, policy makers, civil society organisations and local communities across the continent.
• AfricaAdapt is collaboratively hosted by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA, Ghana); Environment and Development in the Third World (ENDA-TM, Senegal); IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC, Kenya); and Institute of Development Studies (IDS, UK).

CAAST-Net Stakeholders' Conference on Africa-Europe Science and Technology Cooperation

10 and 11 November 2009. Mombasa, Kenya. The Kenyan Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MoHEST) in collaboration with the International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (IB of BMBF) held the CAAST-Net Stakeholders' Conference on Africa-Europe Science and Technology Cooperation: Status and Way Forward,

The event was organised with reference to the Joint EU-Africa Strategy and its 8th Partnership for Science, Information Society and Space, and addressed common European-African interest in an enhanced science and technology cooperation as well as the respective policy framework.

The conference comprised a range of different sessions and workshops in order to elaborate on good practice and chances for synergies and coherences in science and technology policies and frameworks. It also provided common ground for joint policy recommendations and thus support the strategic S&T policy dialogue between Africa and Europe on all levels.

The main objectives of the conference were:

• To support the dialogue between European and African S&T stakeholders from different spheres (the policy and science community);
• To explore the opportunities and limitations of present S&T cooperation mechanisms (for example, within the framework of FP7, bilateral scientific cooperation as well as development cooperation);
• To pave the way towards an enabling policy framework for S&T cooperation.

FARA presented during this conference the PAEPARD project: Platform on African European Partnerships in Agricultural Research for Development.

Presentations on the existing landscape, as well as case studies of successful cooperation examples, set the scene for specific workshops focused on three key aspects of bi-regional cooperation: the role of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7), the role of bi-lateral cooperation and in particular the value of bi-lateral S&T agreements, as well as the question of how to achieve closer synergy between S&T and development agendas.

It is envisaged that the finalised recommendations of the conference will be disseminated within policy fora at the highest level-in particular, policy dialogues taking place around the implementation of the 8th Partnership for Science, Information Society and Space of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, as well as in the fora of the African Union and European Union commissions.

Background: The CAAST-Net Stakeholders' Conference on Africa Europe Science and Technology Cooperation: Status and Way Forward is an activity of CAAST-Net - the Network for the Coordination and Advancement of Sub-Saharan Africa-EU Science and Technology Cooperation. CAAST-Net is the Seventh Framework Programme INCO-NET for Sub-Saharan Africa. Greater enhancement of the policy dialogue among African and European stakeholders is one important strategic activity of CAAST-Net, and this conference is the first of a series to be organised.

References:

• Concept Document (doc 52KB)
• Final Programme (pdf 161KB) en or fr

Prize for Arid and Semi-Arid Zones

November 5 to 7, 2009. Budapest, Hungary. 4th edition of the World Science Forum under the theme "Knowledge and Future". The forum aimed at promoting the need for science and scientific advice in political and economic decision-making. It also aimed at fastering better scientific communication among world societies.

Scientists, policy-makers, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and research bodies, leaders of culture and industry, science and education ministers of the G77 countries were taking part in the event.

During this Forum the Great Man-Made River International Water Prize for Arid and Semi-Arid Zones, which is awarded every two years, has been given to Bellachheb Chahbani, who has spent more than 25 years at the Institute of Arid Regions in Medenine, Tunisia.

The laureate has helped improve water management and optimize irrigation systems by reducing evaporation and run-off. Scientists and local farmers helped elaborate the technique, which is already in use in central and southern Tunisia as well as in Algeria. In these areas, operating costs have been reduced and crops saved that would otherwise have been killed by drought.

The Tunisian researcher, has invented new techniques to promote the economy of surface water in arid areas. They consist of a float by gravity drainage, a pocket stone buried and drainage pumping in addition to the new method of injecting water retention in small dams.

Reference:

UN News Center 05/11 UNESCO unveils winners of three prizes for science

African Manager 29/10 La Tunisie se distingue en matière de gestion de l’eau

Newslab 24/01/08 Le génie Tunisien!

West and Central African Research Education Network (WACREN)

2nd to 3rd November 2009. Accra Ghana. The University of Ghana, Legon in collaboration with The Royal Swedish Institute of Technology (KTH) and Ghana Academic and Research Network (GARNET) hosted the 7th International Conference on Open Access.

Delegates from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Senegal, Ethiopia, Uganda, Togo, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Canada, Rwanda, Mali, Benin, Sudan, Tanzania, Malawi, Sweden, France and the US are attending the conference, which was preceded by a preliminary meeting, which focussed on Regional Research Education Networks (RRENs).

By bringing together key players in West and Central African Universities and other participants who may share their experience in forming RRENs it is expected that the meeting would also lead to the formation of the West and Central African Research Education Network.

The Open Access Conference series began in Sweden, in 2003 with the focus on regional prerequisites, communication needs, choice of technology and business model among other things. In Africa the conference was organised in Mozambique since 2005, Tanzania in 2007 and in Malawi in 2008.

References:

• Reports on NREN Establishment Processes in West and Central Africa: Benin ; Burkina Faso ; Cameroon ; Côte d'Ivoire ; Ghana ; Mali ; Niger ; Nigeria ngNREN, Ibadan ; Senegal ; Togo
• Establishing a Regional REN: Opportunities and Challenges - Experiences from the UbuntuNet Alliance ; Francis Tusubira (slides)
• FEAST, the Feasibility Study for AfricaConnect ; Bjorn Pehrson (paper, slides)

Learning about and respecting how communities manage common resources in the battle against environmental degradation

The 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded on 12th October to Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson for their research on economic governance. Ostrom’s award is particularly exciting, for it cites her study of the commons.

Ostrom’s pioneering work mostly concerns the governance of common-pool resources — resources that are rivalrous (i.e., scarce, can be used up, unlike digital goods) yet need to be or should be governed as a commons — classically, things like water systems and the atmosphere. This work is cited by many scholars of non-rivalrous commons (e.g., knowledge commons) as laying the groundwork for their field.

Elinor Ostrom has challenged the conventional wisdom that common property is poorly managed and should be either regulated by central authorities or privatized. Based on numerous studies of user-managed fish stocks, pastures, woods, lakes, and groundwater basins, Ostrom concludes that the outcomes are, more often than not, better than predicted by standard theories. She observes that resource users frequently develop sophisticated mechanisms for decision-making and rule enforcement to handle conflicts of interest, and she characterizes the rules that promote successful outcomes.

Hereunder is a short presentation by Elinor Ostrom, joint winner of this year's Peace Prize for Economics. She talks about the crucial role of learning about and respecting how communities manage common resources in the battle against environmental degradation.


References
Press Release Noble Prize 12/10 Economic governance: the organization of cooperation

Community Content 19/10 The importance of Local Knowledge in managing complexity

Cataloguing the radiation signature—and thus agricultural potential—of about 100,000 samples of African soils

In Africa, where many soils have become badly depleted of nutrients, better fertiliser management would go a long way.

As a consequence, the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi has begun cataloguing the radiation signature—and thus agricultural potential—of about 100,000 samples of African soils. It is giving this detailed information to the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, based in Colombia, so that it can build a database called the Digital Soil Map.

When ready, this will provide farmers with free forecasts, developed with regularly updated satellite imagery, across farmland in 42 African countries. For a hunger-ravaged continent, that is good news indeed.

Reference:

From The Economist print edition Nov 5th 2009 Agriculture and satellites. Harvest moon
Artificial satellites are helping farmers boost crop yields

Related:

FARA blog post of 29 January 2009 African Soil Information Service (AfSIS) The first detailed digital soil map of sub-Saharan Africa

Did food production in Sub-Saharan Africa grew in 2008 beause of increased research?

12–13 October. Rome. Food production in Sub-Saharan Africa grew in 2008 for the first time in decades, according to a new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The 3.5 per cent increase — higher than the two per cent rise in population — was driven in part by increased use of technology, says the report, which was written for a forum of senior experts on food production meeting in ) ahead of November's World Summit on Food Security. Other factors behind the increase include positive changes in national policies for agriculture and higher food prices which have the effect of stimulating growth, the report says.

"Increased research in agriculture has led to improved crop varieties more suited to specific African regions, and this has had a direct impact on yields," says Hilary Clarke, spokesperson for the FAO.

Reference: SciDev 12/10 African food production on the rise

Strengthening Agricultural Innovation Capacity: Are Innovation Brokers the Answer?

A UNU-MERIT working paper "concludes that innovation brokerage roles are likely to become relevant in emerging economies and that public or donor investment in innovation brokerage may be needed to overcome inherent tensions regarding the neutrality and funding of such players in the innovation system.

In agricultural innovation systems, networks of different players are transient and emerge around specific challenges and tasks at particular points in time. Public agricultural research is one of these players, but its value is as a responsive element of a network or system, rather than in its own right.

Other players such as the private sector or civil society organisations have a prominent
role — not just as passive knowledge users or transmitters, but as pro-active agents who are
interdependent in working towards effective socio-technical innovations in agriculture. Much of the literature on such networks or ‘coalitions’ deals with more formalised public-private partnerships (PPPs), but it is not only ‘high profile’ PPPs that matter for pro-poor agricultural development. “Rather mundane and less high-profile cases are going to be of the type that planners and policymakers are going to have to deal with on a day-to-day basis”. A number of questions remain unanswered when it comes to how everyday innovation capacity may be improved.

• How can a production base made up of many farmers organise its demand for
  knowledge, technology and organisational change?
• What mechanism will facilitate the search for information?
• Who will coordinate the networks of interaction needed for innovation?

As public policy comes to grips with these new ideas it is becoming increasingly apparent that intermediary organisations, which sit between and connect different agents involved in innovation trajectories in developing countries are important as they fulfil boundary work and play a role in ‘bridging’, ‘bonding’ and ‘linking’ social capital. Third-party catalysing agents are necessary to bring partners together, motivate them, provide information, and organise space for negotiations.” The type of intermediary that is becoming increasingly important is not the ‘traditional’ third party in a one-to-one relationship, such as conventional agricultural extension, but a ‘systemic’ intermediary as an in-between in a many-to-many relationship.

The Dutch experience suggests that innovation brokers need to be contextually embedded, and are unlikely to become effective through a centrally-imposed design."

Reference: UNU-MERIT Working Papers 2009

West African Seed Alliance to improve incomes of smallholder farmers

The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) entered into partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish the West African Seed Alliance (WASA).

The Alliance aimed at raising yields and incomes of smallholder farmers in the sub-region by increasing their access to improved, locally adapted varieties of major food crops identified.

It includes the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA), to promote a sustainable commercial seed industry focused on ensuring that smallholder farmers in the sub-region had affordable, timely and reliable access to good quality seeds and planting materials.

Reference:
October 05, 2009 West African Seed Alliance to improve incomes of smallholder farmers

Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity Enhancement of Sorghum and Millets in Sub-Saharan Africa

October 15, 2009. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has launched a new project that aims to increase food security for smallholder farmers in dryland areas of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The project, Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity Enhancement (HOPE) of Sorghum and Millets in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, will be undertaken by 50 partners led by ICRISAT in ten countries of sub-Saharan Africa and four states in India. HOPE is supported by an $18 million, four-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.Through the development and delivery of improved crop varieties and training in crop management practices, HOPE will increase small-scale farmer yields by 35 to 40% during the first four years of the project.

These improved varieties of sorghum and millet will be disseminated to 110,000 households in sub-Saharan Africa and 90,000 in South Asia. Within ten years, the project should benefit more than 2 million households in these continents.

Reference:

CheckBiotech 15/10/09 HOPE to boost Sorghum and Millet production in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

Announcement: Dialogue between Europe and its Southern partners

17th December 2009, Brussels . ERA-ARD, SCAR and EIARD, with a special support of CIRAD, the French agricultural research centre for international development, the ERA-ARD Coordinator, co-organise an international conference entitled: « Dialogue between Europe and its Southern partners on agricultural research and climate change »

This conference aims at facilitating the identification and initiating coordination of European agricultural research programmes for mitigation and adaptation actions to climate change for mutual benefit of Europe and its Southern partners. Conference objectives:

The conference will focus on three major themes:

• What are the challenges and why a dialogue between Europe and its Southern partners is necessary?
• Initial mapping of on-going and planned agricultural research programmes related to climate change in Europe and the Southern regions.
• Priorities for the future: What are the research priorities and coordination mechanisms to be put in place for reducing the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector?
• What could be the agenda of a European joint programme initiative in this field?

Reference: International Conference ERA-ARD

conference on Ghana's Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP),

27 - 28/1o/2009. The two-day conference Roundtable on Ghana’s Medium Term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan organised under the auspices of the ECOWAS Agriculture Policy Development Programme (CAADP) of the NEPAD, led to the signing by Ghana of the CAADP compact, which commits African governments to raising agricultural growth to at least six per cent a year.To achieve that target, African governments that have signed the compact have agreed to increase public investment in agriculture by a minimum of 10 per cent of their national budgets-substantially more than the four to five per cent average they committed previously.

The the signing of the Ghana CAADP highlights on the importance of the agriculture sector as a potential drive for economic growth, food and nutrition security across the continent. Ghana joins Rwanda, Togo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Benin and Liberia to be among the first member states of the African Union to have signed their national CAADP compacts.

The Agricultural Transformation Program is the keystone of the Ghana Compact, and will modernize and encourage business in agriculture and reduce poverty in rural communities. It is designed to trigger a private sector-led transformation of Ghana’s agriculture and rural life and attract investment to increase farmer incomes, generate employment, and markedly reduce rural poverty.

References:

Ghana Gov Portal 28/10 Agriculture Sector Investment Plan Confab Held

Peace FM Online 27/10 Ghana to Reduce Poverty by 50%

Peace FM Online 27/10 Gov't to commence work on Accra Plains Irrigation Project

OIC International Given Lead Training Role in Ghana Agricultural Transformation Plan

Related: LIBERIA CAADP COMPACT

Remarks made by Dr. Janet Edeme of the African Union’s Department for Rural Economy and Agriculture at Liberia’s CAADP Compact signing ceremony. 15-16 October 2009. Monrovia, Liberia.


ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture Salifou Ousseni.
This clip highlights some of the remarks made by key participants at the Liberia’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Roundtable and Compact signing ceremonies. Monrovia, Liberia, 15-16 October 2009.


This clip highlights remarks made by the Vice President of Liberia Joseph Boakai as he officially opens Liberia’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Roundtable and Compact signing ceremony. Monrovia, Liberia, 15-16 October 2009.

Related: BENIN CAADP COMPACT

Interview with the Minister Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishing–Gregoire Akofodji. Interview is in French.

Announcement: Global Competition on Climate Adaptation: November event

November 10th -13th. 100 finalists have been selected to showcase their ideas in the 2009 Global Development Marketplace Competition on Climate Adaptation (DM2009) to be held at World Bank Headquarters this November. 20-25 of these finalists will receive grants of up to $200,000 to implement their projects over two years. Nearly 200 subject matter experts from both inside and outside the World Bank Group volunteered their time to help conduct a rigorous assessment process.

Proposals were selected based on their innovation, objective and measurable results, project design and organizational capacity, sustainability of impact, and growth potential. The DM2009 finalist cohort consists of social entrepreneurs and development practitioners from 47 countries and represents the most innovative and high-potential project ideas in the areas of:

1. Resilience of Indigenous Peoples Communities to Climate Risks
2. Climate Risk Management with Multiple Benefits
3. Climate Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management

The top 10 implementation countries are - Peru, Philippines, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Kenya, Ecuador, India, Nepal, Cambodia and Colombia

References:

• List of the 100 Finalists of the 2009 Global Development Marketplace
• Selection criteria

African list of finalists

1. Burkina Faso, Affordable housing for rural families facing desertification in the Sahel
2. Ethiopia, Clay pot micro-irrigation for climate risk management and food security in a dry highland village
3. Ethiopia, Adaptation to climate change using innovative tools to match conserved seed to needs of women farmers
4. The Gambia, Pro-Millet: Green Shoots for Sub-Saharan Sustainability
5. Ghana, Small holder-led micro-insurance for Climate Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction
6. Kenya, Sustainable Rainwater Harvesting Interventions for Climate Change Adaptation in Maasai Mara Ecosystem
7. Kenya, Photovoltaic Chromatinet Shade Houses & Fog Collectors To Solve Food, Water & Energy Crisis In Arids
8. Kenya, Establishment of a community cereal bank to mitigate food shortage caused by climate change
9. Kenya, New partnerships for effective vigilance and response to climate induced risks in plant health
10. Kenya, Predictive water management tools to help pastoralists access contingency funds and adapt resource usage
11. Madagascar, Promoting Community Kits for Adapting to Climate Change and Monitoring Impacts
12. Mozambique, Zero Emission Fridge for Rural Africa (ZEFRA): Low cost post-harvest technologies for rural communities
13. Nigeria, Climate Change on Air
14. Rwanda, Adoption of temperate fruit trees to mitigate the effects of climate change in the highland areas
15. Tanzania, Fishers of the Future: Interactive Radio Drama for Climate Change Adaptation
16. Uganda, Dissemination of best practices to enhance community adaptation to and mitigate climate change in Uganda
17. Uganda, Climate neutral farming:Using carbon credits to improve income and sustainability of smallholder farming

The support of the FAO to CAADP

Rome, 15 October 2009 — The support and partnership of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to our work on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is crucial to our implementation of CAADP said the head of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki during a meeting between NEPAD and FAO.

Speaking at the start of the high-level NEPAD-FAO bilateral discussions, Dr. Mayaki the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NEPAD noted that FAO had a critical role to play in supporting regional and country level CAADP implementation, particularly with regard to the development of investment programmes of those countries that have signed up to the CAADP Compact. The discussions between the two development organizations were focused on defining real concrete avenues and action points for joint cooperation in supporting CAADP implementation.

Dr. Mayaki, led the NEPAD delegation which included Mr. Martin Bwalya, Lead Specialist – Sustainable Land and Water Management / Team Leader – CAADP Implementation Support and Ms. Bibi Giyose, Senior Adviser (Nutrition). The NEPAD delegation held meetings with FAO Director General, Dr. Jacques Diouf and several senior staff led by Mr. J. M. Sumpsi, ADG/TC.

During the meeting, the FAO Director General informed the NEPAD delegation that FAO had secured USD 2.8 Million from the Italian Government to fund its support to CAADP implementation. Under this programme, FAO will support:

• strengthening of African Union Commission and NEPAD in providing policy guidance to CAADP implementation and
• selected African countries who have signed the CAADP Compact in formulation of quality investment programmes and alignment of their policies for effective CAADP implementation.

Reference: CAADP Press release 18/10 ‘FAO support is crucial to CAADP implementation’, says Mayaki

African-led Initiative to Bolster Biosafety Regulatory Systems

15 October 2009. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and Michigan State University (MSU) announced a $10.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen Africa’s biosafety expertise. This five-year grant follows on a year of collaboration between NEPAD and MSU that established the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), a continent-wide, science-based biosafety resource for African regulators.

ABNE will provide regulators access to the most up-to-date training and science-based information to regulate biotechnology, ensuring countries can make informed decisions on how to use these advances while protecting farmers, consumers and the environment. The first ABNE center will be based in Burkina Faso and managed by an African staff that specializes in the environmental, health, legal, and socioeconomic impacts of biotechnology.

ABNE was established by the NEPAD Office of Science and Technology, and has been officially endorsed by the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST) to promote advancement of science and technology for agricultural development in Africa.

Reference
ABNE Press release 15/10/09

Improving the assistance for scientists in countries with poor scientific resources

20–23 October 2009. Durban, South Africa. TWAS — the developing world's academy of sciences — is looking to double its endowment fund to support more scientists and researchers in the developing world. The academy, which held its 11th general meeting, said it wants to improve its assistance for scientists in countries with poor scientific resources.

The event was hosted by the Academy of Science and Technology of South Africa and supported by South Africa's Department of Science and Technology. The three-day meeting was highlighted by a series of symposia, ranging from an in-depth look at the state of science and technology in South Africa to an examination of the impact that the global financial crisis is having on investments in science in the developing world.

Jacob Palis, president of TWAS, told some 400 delegates, mostly from the developing world, that the academy hopes to hit a target of US$25 million in the next four years. In his opening address, Palis also said that the academy must continue to participate in discussions about the relationship between science and society — partly through debates on the state of science and technology in Africa.

Palis said the academy would exploit rapidly increasing scientific and technological capacity in Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa by fostering South–South cooperation. He said that although there have been impressive increases in the number of developing world scientists (see Poor countries spending more on science) most success has been in China.

Presentations related to African agriculture:

• Increasing threats to forest health in South Africa: B. Slippers
• Exploring the nutritional and functional value of Nile perch processing waste J.H. Muyonga
• Water challenges in sub-Saharan Africa: towards sustainable solutions: Akiça Bahri
• The antibacterial bioactivity of some medicinal plans used in reproductive health care from Western Uganda: Kamatenesi-Mugisha
• Development of nanofiltration membrane from rice husk ash and clay composite for water treatmentE.O. Dare
• Biotechnology for the production of value-added products from agricultural produceJei-Fu Shaw, Agriculture

References:

Detailed conference programme

TWAS aims to boost its science fund" was first published by SciDev.Net on 21 October 2009. It is republished under a Creative Commons licence.

Click here to read Linda Nordling's blog (SciDev) from the TWAS 11th General Conference

Science and change in South Africa On the eve of TWAS's 11th General Conference in Durban, Daniel Schaffer, the Academy's public information officer, explored the current state of science in South Africa.

CAADP at the UN General Assembly

20 October 2009. The UN General Assembly held a joint debate on development in Africa, including the progress of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the 2001-2010 Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, particularly Africa.

Before the Assembly was the Secretary-General's seventh consolidated report on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD): implementation and international support (document A/64/204), which highlights policy measures taken by African countries and organizations to implement the Partnership, including in the areas of: infrastructure, agriculture and food security, health, education and training, environment, information and communications technology, science and technology, gender mainstreaming and the African Peer Review Mechanism.

The report recommends that development partners must align their efforts more specifically towards the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the country round table processes and the compact so that all pillars were funded and recognized as key entry points for genuine internal and external investment. The report states that donors should sustain investments in health and education. Further, aid disbursement had to increase significantly in 2009 and 2010 to maintain commitments to provide to Africa, by 2010, an additional $25 billion in official development assistance annually, at 2004 prices.

Also before the Assembly was the Secretary-General's report titled Africa 's development needs: state of implementation of various commitments, challenges and the way forward (document A/64/208). In it, he assesses how the three crises -- financial and economic, food, and climate change and energy -- now engulfing Africa are impacting the continent's development.

Reference
Relief Web 20/10/2009 Assembly President calls for creating environment conducive for United Nations General Assembly 20/10/09 Africa’s long-term socio-economic development, ‘with a sense of urgency backed by concrete actions’

Farmer Voice Radio to Improve Farming Practices in Africa

15 October 2009. The American Institutes for Research (AIR) has created Farmer Voice Radio, a network of radio broadcasters, agricultural experts, and farmers to provide millions of small farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa a broad variety of agriculture-related radio programming.

Supported by a $10 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Farmer Voice Radio will give small farmers access to current information, useful resources, and new farming techniques to help them improve their productivity, livelihoods and well-being over the long-term.

“We are honored to work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on this project, which will benefit so many in Africa by providing farmers with the help they need to improve the productivity of their farms so that those in their communities benefit,” said Sol H. Pelavin, president and CEO of AIR.

To accomplish this Farmer Voice Radio will implement multiple activities, including:

• Deploy public extension officers in ministries of agriculture to radio stations to help develop programming and content
• Appoint radio field representatives in communities to deliver onsite reporting and share feedback from farmers
• Produce local and syndicated content designed to effectively share agricultural knowledge
• Create a research desk at each station to serve as an information hub for farmer feedback, and station and programming development
• Engage university radio interns to support Farmer Voice Radio at the station and community levels as an accredited part of their studies
• Use its network of agricultural experts, including universities, research institutes, ministries of agriculture, and NGOs, to ensure relevant programming content

Through these activities, Farmer Voice Radio aims to build the capacity of radio stations across Africa to serve as an informational resource for small farmers. It also seeks to encourage the participation of farmers through the use of other technologies, such as mobile phones, SMS, and MP3 recorders, so they can obtain the information they need while sharing their concerns and experiences.

References:

AllAfrica 15/10/2009 Bill Gates to Call for United Action to Support World's Poorest Farmers

American Institutes for Research News Release 15/10/2009: American Institutes for Research Creates Farmer Voice Radio to Improve Farming Practices in Africa

2010 FARA Program Planning Week & 5th Executive Board Meeting

25 -31st October 2009. FARA Secretariat. Accra, Ghana. The purpose of 2010 FARA Secretariat Annual Program Planning meetings is to reflect on the outputs and outcomes of the FARA Secretariat’s work in 2009 and to discuss and approve its work programmes and budgets for the year 2010. This Annual Program Planning Meeting has the traditional 3 separate consecutive subcommittee meetings followed by the Board meeting.

1. The NSFs met in a retreat on 26th October to provide adequate time for in depth discussions on their progress, challenges and work programs of each NSF. There was a parallel session for each NSF in which the respective Resource Person critically reviewed the Functions’ progress, work programs and strategies. The outcome and recommendations from this retreat were presented to the Programme Sub-Committee.
2. The Programme, Audit and Finance and the Nominations subcommittees will hold their meetings concurrently on the 27th and 28th October.
3. The SRO-CSO-FARA retreat, scheduled for 29 October will review the Secretariat’s collaborations and working relationships with Sub-Regional Organizations (SROs) and civil society organizations (CSOs).
4. The Board meeting on 30-31 October will receive the Secretariat’s report on its 2009 achievements and expenditure against planned activities and budgets. It will review and approve the Secretariat’s 2010 work plan and budget based on the recommendations of the Programme Subcommittee.

Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development

To examine past successes in agricultural development and draw out the lessons they offer, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) documented evidence on what works in agriculture—what sorts of policies, programs, and investments in agricultural development have actually reduced hunger and poverty.

The findings and lessons from this report will be shared broadly. The final publications include complete technical background papers, a booklet with summary narratives, and a book with detailed narratives called Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development. All materials will be available from the IFPRI web site on November 12, 2009.

The case studies of success for the Millions Fed project were chosen through a rigorous process that included an open call for nominations, a wide-ranging literature review, an expert opinion poll, and key informant interviews. More than 250 case studies were nominated or identified. Using a comprehensive set of criteria that took into account such issues as scale, time and duration, impact, and sustainability, the project identified 19 proven successes that have had a demonstrated and significant impact on food security and poverty in developing countries.

These successes in developing-country agriculture are rich and diverse in nature. The pathways to success spanned six different areas:

1. intensifying staple food production;
2. integrating people and the environment;
3. expanding the role of markets;
4. diversifying out of major cereals;
5. reforming economy-wide policies;
6. and improving food quality and human nutrition.

Millions Fed: Pathways to Prosperity. This video showcases two successful projects—one in India, another in Africa—that are helping small farmers increase their productivity and incomes, and ultimately providing a path out of hunger and poverty.

Investments in agriculture provide a path for small farmers to prosper; improved seeds, new tools and training, and access to markets can lead to better, healthier lives. Learn about two successful projects—one in Uganda, one in India—that are having a significant impact on farmer productivity and are helping millions lift themselves out of hunger and poverty.

India: Leaving the Plow BehindOver-working of the land in India has led to soil depleted of nutrients. Learn how small farmers are adopting a new method, known as "zero tillage" to help retain nutrients and water, making their farms sustainable for the future.

The Green Revolution changed farmers' lives in India in the 1970s, increasing their crop yield by nearly 70% and allowing farmers to become self-sufficient. Due to over-tilling, however, the soil became depleted of nutrients. Learn how zero-tillage farming methods being used today are helping to retain nutrients and water by decreasing disturbance in the soil.

Uganda: Combating Cassava Mosaic DiseaseCassava has long been a staple crop in Africa, used for both food and income by most poor farmers. Learn how farmers and scientists have worked together to bring it back from the brink of destruction.

When a disease threatened to wipe out a staple crop, researchers and farmers worked together to develop a new variety of cassava that would be able to resist the disease.