Agriculture and Rural Transformation: Highlights of an innovation systems approach to a complex problem

Monty P. Jones FARA Executive Secretary Expert Group Meeting on Agriculture and Rural Transformation 23-25 April, 2007 ECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

CAADP: the African response

Four Pillars
Pillar 1 land & water mgt
Pillar 2 Rural infrastructure & trade-related capacities for market access Pillar 3 Increasing food supply & reducing hunger

Fostering Agricultural Transformation for Food Security, Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Africa

Pillar 4 Agricultural research, technology dissemination & adoption Integrated natural resource management Adoptive management of appropriate germplasm Development of sustainable market chains Policies for sustainable agriculture

The framework for African agricultural productivity (FAAP)

Endorsed by the 7th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Governments calling on African member states and RECs to realign agricultural productivity programs to FAAP Prioritize activities with highest potential to impact productivity: - Capacity weakness - Insufficient end-user involvement - Ineffective farmer support systems - Systematic fragmentation among innovation systems elements - Fragmented external support - Inadequate investment in ARD
4

P DAAC t wo g % r 6

FAAP: promoting African agricultural innovation

1. Evolution & reform of agricultural institutions & services
fin an ci al su pp or t
Extension, research, training & education
De ve 3. fi n lopm Al an e ig ci n t ne ng ag d i n en & s ti ci co tu es or ti o , in di ns tl na t
r pr s ,, p as es es ca rc tr trii frii Af un un fA of co co eo an an alle ca t rc riic sc nt Af Af e s en he th tme g t stm ng es siin nve as iinv ea re cr nc IIn 2 2..

farmer

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r or cto ct se se te te va iiva

FAAP interventions
National (e.g. Poverty Reduction Strategies)
- Response to market conditions and economic fluctuations - Knowledge sharing, synergies & feedback mechanisms - Stakeholder participation in decision making

Subregional (e.g. WAAPP of West Africa & MAPP of Southern Africa)

-use of pluralistic model - use principles of subsidiarity - cost sharing to achieve economies of scale - coordinated advocacy

African Union Ministerial meeting

Regional (e.g. FARA regional initiatives)

-Advocacy for investments -Partnership building -Exchange of info & learning

The sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme

maryluck36@)yahoo.com

The key to increasing impact of African agriculture

lies in institutional innovations and new agricultural R/D approaches that address shortcomings of current approaches
Thus, the SSA-CP aims to improve livelihoods of Africans by promoting effective partnerships to generate, adopt and scale up/out appropriate innovations through a new paradigm Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D)

Why FARA is concerned about approach to ARD

Traditional R&D approaches are linear:

Research

Extension

Farmer/end user
FARA has responded to calls for R4D approaches that overcome shortcomings of current approaches IAR4D based on innovation systems: systems approach, iterative/ learning, participatory, entire value chains

Are largely prescriptivedo

not provide for adequate participation of all actors to ensure relevance & foster learning Reductionistnot integrated, yet context is holistic/ systems Not adequately linked with markets and policy Have had some impact but it has not matched potential (islands of success)

Innovation platforms

Stakeholder priority commodities / sector African Union The Food Security Summit in 2006 requested the African Union Commission (AUC) to take oversight for the promotion and protection of; rice, legumes, maize, cotton, oil palm, beef, dairy, poultry and fisheries products as strategic commodities at the continental level, while cassava, sorghum and millet were classified as sub-regional commodities. Focused attention will also be given to products of particular national importance

DONATA portfolio: A NEPAD flagship technology

Includes:
NERICA rice www.warda.org Tissue culture banana www.ahbfi.org & www.kari.org Improved cassava www.iita.org IR-Maize for striga infested areas www.cimmyt.org & www.aftechfound.org High-beta carotene sweet potato www.cip.org TC Sweet Potato Pigeon Pea INRM Tools Dry land pitting (African farmerinnovations

DONATA commodity based technologies to be scaled-up and out beginning 2007

ASARECA Crops: maize and orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) Countries: Maize = Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, DRC (Phase 1); Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan (Phase 2) OFSP = Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi (Phase 1); Ethiopia (Phase 2) CORAF/WECARD Crops: cassava and maize Countries: Coastal region - Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote dIvoire and Guinea. Central African region - Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Central Africa Republic Sahel region - Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso SADC-FANR (preliminary recommendations)

DONATA Proposed Strategy

Field level
Innovation Platforms for Technology AdoptionIPTAs researchers, extension or advisory services, policy makers, civil society organizations (CSOs) in agriculture ie farmer organizations, private sector or agric-business, NGOs (active involvement of relevant stakeholders)

Technology Dissemination Pathways Farmer collective action (FCA) Farmer-to-farmer learning Market led Technology adoption (MTA) Participatory Market Chain approach

Participatory approaches and Learning tools

Participatory Development Approach (PDA) Participatory Varietal Selection/Participatory Gender User Analysis (PVS/PRIGA) Participatory Learning and Action Research (PLAR) Farmer Field Schools Demonstration plots (limited participatory opportunities)

Capacity: NARS ASSESSMENT REPORT The assessment recommended a combination of strategic options for: 1. improving the impact of African agricultural research, including adoption of holistic and inclusive innovation systems concepts 2. supporting African NARS to make institutional changes and strengthen their systems skills
3. creating new directions and mechanisms to

strengthen capacities of NARS in agricultural science and research management.

Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa (SCARDA) Program Components
6 month Inception Phase
Needs analysis; development of programme activities; M&E and communication strategies.

Three year Implementation Phase

Component 1:
Strengthening competencies and capacity in agricultural research management.

Component 2:
Strengthening capacity for professional development in agricultural research and development.

Output 1:
Detailed capacity strengthening programme.

Output 2:
Improved agricultural research management systems and competencies.

Output 3:
Improved capacities of NARS institutions, scientists and extension agents.

Output 4:
Adoption of the innovation systems approach to underpin ARD.

BASIC strengthening capacity to build capacity

A ic n fr a U iv r itie n es s
L an gmt o s e r in eh d Cs ae Su ie td s

(S tpioit s e r r ie a da e d s n g n a) Improved

T a h g mt r ls e c in aeia Cs ae Su ie td s

teaching, learning & institutions

Nn oA ic n fr a Prn r at e
Cs ae Su ie td s

A r u ua gic lt r l R s ac C n r e e r h e tes

Regional Agricultural Information and Learning System (RAILS)

In response to one of the FARA functions aimed at Accelerating sharing and exchange of agricultural knowledge and technologies, and strengthening of stakeholders ICT/M capacities
AARINENA: North African countries

ASARECA CORAF/WECARD

SADC-FANR

RAILS regional perspective

National focal point

ASARECA: RAIN
National focal National focal point point

National focal point

Northern Africa

CORAF CORAF

SRO AIS

FARARAILS
SADC/ FANR

National focal point

Global knowledge through information and learning

African Biotechnology and Biosafety Initiative: Stakeholder Consultation Results contd Stakeholders view: FARA should play a catalytic role at the regional level, adding value to on-going national and sub-regional level initiatives and minimize duplication FARA should facilitate:
African agricultural biotechnology and biosafety strategy Harmonising biosafety frameworks Information Communication Participation of African delegates in international biotechnology and biosafety negotiations and treaties

ABBI Partnerships and linkages

Linkage with the AU-NEPAD Panel of Experts and DREA & HRST biotechnology and biosafety Steering Committees Linkage with SROs/RECs biotechnology and biosafety initiatives Partnership with Africa Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) project for nutritional enhancement Partnership with Public Research and Regulatory Initiative (PRRI) Coordinator of the SIST plant biotechnology thematic group

Gender and Agricultural Development

Many African economies are in the hands of women Yet, women receive less than 10% of agricultural extension/advisory service delivery Estimates in Kenya suggests that providing the same level of access to farm inputs and education to women farmers as men, will result in 20% yield increase The focus therefore should be reforms that promotes excellence and growth in African agriculture

Conclusion
Gender, excellence and growth underpinned by innovation systems approach are key missing potentials in agriculture and rural development.