Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

8th Annual ReNAPRI Stakeholder Conference

17 - 19 November 20218th Annual ReNAPRI Stakeholder ConferenceTransform: Toward sustainable and resilient food systems in Africa.

The Regional Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ReNAPRI) is an entirely African-owned and African-led network of agricultural policy research centers that generate high-quality evidence and provide policy guidance in support of agricultural development, food and nutrition security, and livelihoods resilience.

The 2021 conference sponsors are: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Policy Research Capacity and Influence; and the European Union’s Joint Research Center (JRC).  

The purpose of the conference was to promote strategic dialogue and evidence-based guidance to African governments as they grapple with how to build sustainable and resilient food systems. An evidence-based guidance can assist African governments, private firms and civil society groups to anticipate and respond proactively to tipping points in the ever-changing landscape of the Continent. The obejctives were:

  • Reflect on the outcomes of the UNFSS in the context of sustainable and resilient food systems in Africa 
  • Contextualize the conversation of a transformed African Agrifood system 
  • Identify public and private sector actions that will facilitate the transition from resource-dependent to productivity-led growth; and 
  • Promote practical ways by which African governments and Pan-African organizations can focus high-impact public investments that embed resilience and sustainability in downstream levels of the agrifood system. 

Extract of the programme

17/11 HIGH LEVEL PANEL ON SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMS IN AFRICA

The objective of this high-level panel discussion was to interrogate the perceptions of eminent persons/experts/leaders from Africa and beyond, concerning: 1. The role of governments and other key stakeholders in ensuring that we achieve strong food systems and resilient livelihoods in Africa. 2. The role of data-driven evidence-based policies in the quest to attain the aspirations of AU’s Agenda 2063 through African and global frameworks such as SDGs, CAADP, Malabo Declaration, AfCFTA, NDCs and NAPs 3. Their thoughts on actions required to develop fertilizer use, while managing soil health in Africa
  • Chance Kabaghe Executive Director, IAPRI and Board Member ReNAPRI 
  • Prof. Thom Jayne University Foundation Professor, Michigan State University and Board Member, ReNAPRI 
  • Prof. Pedro Sanchez Research Professor of Tropical Soils, University of Florida 
  • Dr. Ousmane Badiane Executive Chairman, AKADEMIYA2063 
  • Nana Ekua Edugyanmaa I Nyifahenmaa Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Council 
  • Dr. Charles Okyere Lecturer , Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Ghana
  • Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) 

18/11  OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUILDING RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN FARMING SYSTEMS

Drawing on the work from AGRA’s Africa Agricultural Status Report (AASR 2021) the objectives of this webinar were to: 1) provide a platform for discussions and exchange of ideas about practical actions for building the resilience of African farming systems, and 2) engage stakeholders for ideas towards the Africa Fertilizer Summit II preparation and development of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan.
  • Dr. Sampson Agyin-Birikorang Senior Scientist, International Fertilizer Development Center(IFDC) 
  • Prof. Richard Mkandawire Dr. Maria Wanzala Director of Policy, AFAP 
  • Eugene Rurangwa Land and Water Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Sub Regional Office for West Africa 
  • Dr. Shamie Zingore Director of Research and Development, African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) 
  • Dr. Fred Dzanku Open Floor Discussion Africa Director of the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), and Chairperson, Malawi Planning Commission Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER)

18/11 GOING BEYOND THE FARM: ACHIEVING RESILIENCE IN DOWNSTREAM AGRIFOOD SYSTEMS

There is growing concern about diminishing farmland holdings, widespread land degradation, and unhealthy soils due to rising population pressure. Added to these concerns is climate change, which exacerbates already fragile farming systems on the continent.  What will constitute a practical strategy for a resilient African farming systems? A discussion on ways to consolidate efforts across various stakeholders (governments, donors, and private sector) towards the Africa Fertilizer Summit II and preparation of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan.
  • Setting the Scene: Lulama Ndibongo Traub Research Director, BFAP, South Africa (ReNAPRI) 
  • Dr. Edward Mabaya Research Professor, Department of Global Development, Cornell University 
  • Wandile Sihlobo Chief Economist, Agribusiness Chamber of South Africa 
  • Louise de Klerk CEO, Timbali Technology Incubator 
  • Ify Umunna Co-CEO, Nourishing Africa 
  • Gerald Masila CEO, East African Grain Council (EAGC) 
  • Betty Kibaara Director, Food Initiative Africa, Rockefeller Foundation 
  • Dr. Daniel Adu Ankrah Lecturer, Department of Extension, University of Ghana

18/11 TOWARDS RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE AND TRANSFORMED AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEMS - 14h30 – 16h00

Through an exchange of ideas, panelists identifiedy practical ways through which African governments and Pan-African organizations can focus on high impact public investments that embed resilience and sustainability in downstream levels of the agrifood system.
  • Setting the Scene: Prof. Thom Jayne University Foundation Professor, Michigan State University 
  • Dr. Louise Fox Non-resident Senior Fellow, Africa Growth Initiative Brookings Institution 
  • Prof. Soji Adelaja John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics Michigan State University 
  • Boaz Keizire Head Policy and Advocacy Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) 
  • Dr. Nick Sitko Senior Economist Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 
  • Dr.Richard Ayisi Lecturer, Department of Economics, University of Ghana

18/11 SIDE EVENT 1: APRA – INCLUSIVE AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIALIZATION: LESSONS FROM GHANA AND NIGERIA

Moderator: Dr John Thompson is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK, Director of the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC), and CEO of the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) Programme, a network of over 100 researchers analysing pathways to more inclusive agricultural commercialisation in SubSaharan Africa.

19/11 SIDE EVENT 2: FANRPAN – BUILDING INTEGRATED AND INCLUSIVE CLIMATE-SMART, NUTRITION-SECURE PATHWAYS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

GCRF-Agricultural and Food systems Resilience: Increasing Capacity and Advising Policy (AFRICAP) is a major programme to make agriculture and food production in sub-Saharan Africa more productive, sustainable and resilient to climate change. A £9.2 million programme funded by the UK Research and Innovation through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), it involves UK and African research and policy organisations working together. GCRF-AFRICAP has developed an integrated assessment framework - the integrated Future Estimator for Emissions and Diets (iFEED). This is a new tool that brings together state-of-the-art crop and climate modelling with trade and nutrition analyses, expert knowledge, and stakeholder-driven research agendas in order to map pathways to desirable futures. iFEED crop modelling is used to project the impacts of climate change on a range of agricultural commodities and examine possible future land use patterns to explore implications for future nutrition security and climate smart agriculture. Focusing on four case study countries – Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia – iFEED has gone through three stages, linked through a series of workshops and intermediate outputs.

19/11 SIDE EVENT 3: FOOD TRADE COALITION FOR AFRICA (FTCA) – REGIONAL TRADE AS A DRIVER FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS TRANSFORMATION IN AFRICA

The Food Trade Coalition for Africa (FTCA) championed by AGRA aims to increase intra-African food trade by working with key stakeholders in the public sector, the private sector, the Regional Economic Communities, among others, to coordinate food trade interventions and investments across the continent.

19/11 SIDE EVENT 6: RESEARCH TO POLICY – PEER LEARNING PANEL ON EFFECTIVE POLICY OUTREACH STRATEGIES

The purpose of this side event was to share successes and lessons learned on policy outreach by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity, and Influence (PRCI). P

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