Strengthening the Ecological Basis of Food Security through Sustainable Food Systems

This report – Avoiding Future Famines: Strengthening the Ecological Basis of Food Security through Sustainable Food Systems - has been a unique collaboration of 12 leading scientists and experts involved in world food systems including marine and inland fisheries.

The institutions involved include the UN Environment Programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, the World Bank, the World Food Programme and the World Resources Institute. 

The report provides detailed analysis of the many factors threatening the world’s food supplies and its ability to continue to generate calories and proteins in the 21st century including from fisheries. Yet it also provides a series of forward-looking recommendations and remedies to the many grim scenarios that often accompany the food security debate.

The debate on food security so far has largely revolved around availability,access, utilization and stability as the four pillars of food security, barely touching on the resource base and ecosystem servicesthat prop up the whole food system. 

The report aims to increase the focus on these crucial environmental aspects, which are being undermined by overfishing, unsustainable water use and other human activities. It also frames the debate in the contextof the Green Economy, calling for food production and consumption practices that ensure productivity without underminingecosystem services.

Final Version to be Available by 28 September 2012

Cultivating the Future: Exploring the Potential and Impact of a Green Revolution in Africa

24 August 2012. Publication: Cultivating the Future: Exploring the Potential and Impact of a Green Revolution in Africa by Jonathan D Moyer and Eric Firnhaber

Despite possessing large tracts of rich, uncultivated land, Africa is a net importer of food and suffers from high levels of undernutrition. Some scholars have argued that a ‘Green Revolution’, defined by increasing crop yields and land under cultivation, could bring about a more sustainable future for the continent. However, simply increasing yields and land under cultivation could lead to a world where buying steak in Europe is cheap while millions of Africans continue to go hungry or even starve.

In this policy brief the authors explore the scope and impacts of policy choices that would increase yields and land under cultivation in Africa, and facilitate the regional consumption of food by those in need. Using the International Futures (IFs) software to model alternative scenarios, they find that a massive increase in agricultural production is possible across the continent. With aggressive but reasonable policy interventions, Africa could become a net exporter of food in the next 10 years.

However, a revolution in agricultural production, without developmental policy interventions, would lead to large quantities of food leaving the continent, resulting in increased consumption in rich countries while millions of Africans cannot access the calories they need. Promoting human development, therefore, requires coupling a green revolution with programmes to increase low-income consumption and access to food. In addition, production increases cannot be fully absorbed without improvements in water and sanitation as diarrheal diseases significantly diminish health improvements stemming from increases in caloric consumption. Many other uncertainties that cannot be dealt with here also remain, such as the impact of a green revolution on small-scale farmers.

  

Uploaded on You Tube on 3 September 2012

African female leaders awarded the Yara Prize

September 05, 2012. Oslo, Norway. The Yara Prize 2012 is being awarded to Dr. Agnes Kalibata, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Rwanda, and to Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin, outgoing CEO of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) in Ethiopia.

The Yara Prize Committee has selected two prominent African female leaders for their work on groundbreaking areas for the African Green Revolution: effective public policies in support of agricultural growth and profound innovation in agricultural markets.

Both leaders have demonstrated how transformative change can be achieved in a complex and challenging environment. They have applied innovative approaches, collaborating with partners in new ways. Their achievements are fit to inspire other countries to transform the productivity and sustainability of their agricultural sectors.

“Yara creates impact by addressing global challenges. By awarding the Yara Prize, we salute the champions of sustainable agricultural development. I wish to extend my personal congratulations to the laureates,” Jørgen Ole Haslestad, President and CEO of Yara and Chairman of the Yara Prize Committee, said.

The two laureates will be celebrated at the State Banquet / Gala night on September 27 during the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2012 in Arusha, Tanzania.

Dr. Agnes Kalibata is being awarded the prize for her great leadership in the transformation of food security and agricultural development in Rwanda in a relatively short period of time. She currently serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources for the Republic of Rwanda. For six years, Minister Kalibata has been the architect of the remarkable transformation of Rwandan agriculture. Rwanda has moved from having a food deficit to being a country that is largely food self-sufficient. Over 1 million Rwandans have moved out of poverty between 2005 and 2011.

Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin is the founder and outgoing CEO of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX). She is being awarded the prize for showing visionary and remarkable leadership in managing the transformation process toward an efficiently functioning market, especially for smallholder coffee producers in Ethiopia.

The ECX has had a far-reaching impact in Ethiopia in several areas of agriculture and in the lives of small farmers since its inauguration in 2008. Under her leadership, ECX’s growth has seen a strong increase in volumes every year, from trading 138,000 tons in the starting year 2008/2009 to 601,000 tons in 2011/2012. The value of ECX trades reached USD 1.2 billion in 2011/2012, representing up to USD 20 million per day.

FANRPAN - WARM STORY - Women Accessing Realigned Markets (WARM)

1 Sept 2012. The WARM project seeks to strengthen women farmers’ ability to advocate for appropriate
agricultural policies and programmes.

The project uses an innovative tool, Theatre for Policy Advocacy, to engage leaders, service providers and policymakers, encourage community participation, and research the needs of women farmers.

Objectives

• To provide a platform for communities to dialogue on issues that affect women farmers' access to input markets.
• To empower women farmers to playa more active role in driving the development agenda.
• To align development research agenda to women farmers' issues.
• Align input supply institutions and programmes to women farmer needs.
• To bring women farmer concerns into national and regional policy debates

Empowering Women Farmers through Theatre

The WARM project seeks to inform, empower and mobilize women farmers to express their needs through a culturally appropriate medium: Theatre for Policy Advocacy (TPA), a form of participatory theatre that allows women to engage their communities in developing solutions to their problems. View Project Brochure

Sithembile Ndema is a program manager for Food and Natural Resource Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) in Southern Africa. Sithembile manages FANRPAN’s WARM (Women Accessing Realigned Markets) project, which uses theater to empower women farmers in southern Malawi and Mozambique. The production facilitates community discussions about the issues addressed in each performance. Sithembile was also a contributing author to State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet.

[15 minutes video] Posted 1 Sept 2012 by AgriConnectVideos

Related:
17th September. UK parliament. London. The Montpellier Panel released their new briefing paper ‘Women in African Agriculture: farmers, mothers, innovators and educators’, at a meeting hosted and chaired by Heidi Alexander MP.

In the briefing paper, the Montpellier Panel call for an urgent and transformative focus on the needs and perspectives of women in smallholder agricultural policy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Women play crucial roles as farmers and businesswomen in smallholder agricultural production, as mothers managing household nutrition, and as innovators and educators. Indeed these roles span across the entire value chain.

This briefing highlights the findings of a programme ‘Women Accessing Re-aligned Markets’, led by the Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) from 2009-2012, and other practical approaches to inclusive agricultural development.

Related: 

What Works for Women. Proven approaches for empowering women smallholders and achieving food security

Action Aid March 2012

Nine international development agencies have produced this briefing to share the lessons learned based on their experience of promoting gender equality and working with women smallholders and rural women over many decades. This paper concludes with a number of recommendations for policy makers on measures to help close the gender gap in agriculture.

FANRPAN Annual High Level Regional Food Security Dialogue 2012

03 – 07 September 2012 . Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. FANRPAN in collaboration with the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), the FANRPAN Tanzania Node Hosting Institution convened the FANRPAN Annual High Level Regional Food Security Policy Dialogue in   2012 at the White Sands Resort and Conference Centre. The theme for the policy dialogue is "From Policy to Practice: Advocating for the Active Engagement of Youth in Agriculture Value Chains."

The policy dialogue, with an attendance of over 200 participants provided an opportunity for FANR stakeholders such as, governments; policy research institutions; universities; farmers organisations; private sector and civil society to review the current status of youth engagement in agriculture value chains; share lessons and experiences; identify challenges and opportunities and come up with tangible resolutions. The policy dialogue also showcase dbest practices from Africa and beyond in line with FANRPAN’s five thematic thrusts:

• Food Systems
• Agriculture Productivity and Markets
• Natural Resources and Environment
• Social Protection and Livelihoods
• Institutional Strengthening

On Day 2 and there were 4 learning events which were held in parallel:

• SADC Seed Policy Harmonization
• Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)
• Research for Impact for Climate Smart Agriculture
• PAEPARD one-on-one meetings

Day 2 Slide-Show:

Posted by Nawsheen Hosenally (PAEPARD-Mauritius/Breadfruit consortium)

MultiStakeholder Initiatives in the palm oil sector

In response to the urgent and pressing global call for sustainably produced palm oil, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was formed in 2004 with the objective promoting the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders.

The seat of the association is in Zurich, Switzerland, while the secretariat is currently based in Kuala Lumpur with a satellite office in Jakarta. RSPO is a not-for-profit association that unites stakeholders from seven sectors of the palm oil industry - oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation NGOs and social or developmental NGOs - to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil.

Such multi-stakeholder representation is mirrored in the governance structure of RSPO such that seats in the Executive Board and project level Working Groups are fairly allocated to each sector. In this way, RSPO lives out the philosophy of the "roundtable" by giving equal rights to each stakeholder group to bring group-specific agendas to the roundtable, facilitating traditionally adversarial stakeholders and business competitors to work together towards a common objective and making decisions by consensus.

Smallholder participation within the RSPO system remains limited end of 2011. Several challenges need to be overcome in order to create a smallholder inclusive system. Part of the challenges is linked to the RSPO system itself, such as the standards, guidance documents, supply chain systems and incentive mechanisms. Other challenges are more related to the institutional environment in which smallholders operate, such as access to finance, access to farmer organizations and technical assistance.

Hereunder is a presentation by Dr Ruth Nussbaum on Multi Stakeholder Initiatives

   

How can palm oil be more sustainable? The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and WWF's role in it by WWF

We hear a lot about the impacts of palm oil on forests and endangered species such as the orangutan. But did you know that solutions exist to produce palm oil that does not harm people or nature? Take 5 minutes to find out how the RSPO works and why WWF supports it as one strategy to help reduce deforestation and biodiversity loss in the tropics.

 
RSPO speaks at TEDxWWF Business Unusual for a Global Commodity June 2012, Singapore

Related:
RSPO Africa Roadshow

The participants of the RSPO Africa Roadshow workshop
in Gabon, June 2012.

The Proforest Initiative, working together with an alliance of partners, has received funding to carry out a capacity building programme in Africa to raise awareness about the RSPO guidelines and the HCV concept among key stakeholders in West and Central Africa. The programme commenced with a series of events in Liberia, Ghana and Gabon from May 2012.

Large scale oil palm expansion in Africa is at an early stage, with many companies negotiating concessions agreements and planning investment in recently allocated land holdings. While oil palm development has the potential to deliver many socio-economic benefits, there are also significant environmental and social risks. Many negative impacts associated with long-established plantations are the consequence of poor planning during the establishment phase, which results in long term liabilities such as biodiversity loss and deforestation or creates conditions for social conflict.

The Principles and Criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) provide standards for sustainable palm oil production including guidelines on responsible expansion. However, in Africa there is currently limited understanding about the RSPO guidelines and the related High Conservation Value (HCV) concept. The Africa Roadshow aims to contribute to an environment for increased adoption of the RSPO Principles and Criteria as well as the effective use of the HCV framework in the countries where most palm oil expansion is planned.

The programme aims to significantly increase the level of understanding of the RSPO requirements in general, and for expansion in particular, among key stakeholders, including government institutions, civil society and the local private sector. The capacity building and awareness raising events are designed to facilitate the uptake and integration of RSPO best practices in both large-scale and smallholder plantations in the region.

Each workshop included group exercises, such as here 
during the Cameroon Roadshow workshop.

The first events in this series took place in Monrovia, Liberia and Accra, Ghana in May 2012, with a third event took place in Libreville, Gabon in June. Training in a number of other countries is expected to take place later in the year and early in 2013.

The RSPO roadshow is being coordinated by The Proforest Initiative, working together with an alliance of partners including the RSPO, Conservation International, Solidaridad, WWF, the HCV Resource Network, ZSL, and GIZ. Funding has been provided by the Biodiversity and Agricultural Commodities Programme, with additional support from Sime Darby, Olam International and Unilever.

Related documents:
RSPO Africa Roadshow_BN 1_web (1.34MB, PDF)
RSPO Africa Roadshow_BN 2_web (1.30MB, PDF)
RSPO Africa Roadshow_BN 3_web (1.26MB, PDF)
RSPO Africa Roadshow_BN 4_web (1.40MB, PDF)
RSPO Africa Roadshow_BN 5_web (1.31MB, PDF)

Related event:
Rubber Plant & Palm Oil Africa conference from September 4-7 in Accra

Australia-WECARD/CORAF food security talks

Australia-Africa food security talks

30 Aug 2012 | By Danielle Frazzetto

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Australian and African scientists are discussing the next stage of a 15-million dollar partnership funded by Australia that aims to improve food security in Africa.

The partnership operates through the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development based in Senegal with the ultimate goal of ending hunger in the region.

Listen to the full radio interview

Nigeria-India ARD collaboration

30 August. LUDHIANA, Punjab, India. A 11-member high level delegation from Nigeria visited the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) to find collaborative areas and explore possibilities in post harvest sector.

The delegation was headed by Executive Secretary Agriculture Research Council of Nigeria, Professor Abubakar Baba Yusuf and National Coordinator of West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme, Professor Damian O Chikwendu.

Speaking on the occasion, Abubakar said that they wanted to know what were the new developments in Indian agriculture scenario. "Though we have institutes in agriculture research 50 years back, but recently government of Nigeria has connected all institutes under the umbrella of agriculture transformation programme," he said, adding that they are looking India as a lead partner.

Saying that he got impressed with the research initiatives carried out by CIPHET, he said that they were trying to find ways to control post harvest losses in fruits and vegetables, which were as high as 50 percent in Nigeria.

Dr Damain O Chikwendu said that they were having difficulty in transferring technology to end users. "We are interested in knowing as to how institutes like CIPHET are working in this area".

Giving brief overview of the institute activities, Director CIPHET Dr U.S. Shivhare  informed the delegates that institute was housing two mega All India coordinated Projects (AICRP) with coordinating centers across the country. "We are actively engaged in transferring technologies of this and other ICAR institutes," he added.

Project Coordinator (PHT) Dr SK Nanda, Project Coordinator (APA) Dr P Bhatnagar, Head Food Grains Oil Seed Division Dr RK Gupta, Head Transfer of Technology Division Dr Deepak Raj Rai and Head Atmosphere Structures & Environmental Control (AS&EC) Division informed delegates about research activities in their respective projects and divisions. A film on CIPHET was also screened on the occasion.

 

African cooperation 'dropped from EU research calls'

European researchers may
now have less incentive to
seek collaborators in Africa
Shutterstock

31 August 2012. Paula Park for SciDev.Net. From 2013, African scientists may be more likely to be left out of lucrative collaborations with European Union (EU) researchers, according to some policy experts.

A mandate for EU research groups to include African partners in projects was dropped from the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) 2013 calls for proposals for EU competitive research grant issued last month (9 July).

The calls cover 11 themes, including agriculture, water and energy, and are worth 8.1 billion Euros (US$10.2 billion).

In the FP7 grants for the period 2010–2012, researchers engaged in investigating a number of themes, including fisheries and biotechnology, were required to collaborate with at least one international group from Africa.

Some fear that in the absence of a specific mandate, EU researchers will be unwilling to collaborate with African peers. There are also concerns that the decision may affect calls for grants for Horizon 2020, the EU's 2014–2020 framework programme for research and innovation to replace the FP7, worth around US$100 billion.

François Stepman, European co-manager of the Platform for African-European Partnerships for Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD), told SciDev.Net that without requirements for African collaborations, many EU researchers will be reluctant to work with African scientists, believing it will not help their careers to do so.

"There's a decline [among EU researchers] in trying to include African researchers," Stepman said.

Young scientists keen on building careers are more likely to collaborate with US researchers, because this is more likely to lead to publications in international journals, he explained.

Stepman told SciDev.Net that EU scientists also worry African researchers can lack the administrative support available in developed countries, leading to challenges in "getting the reports in on time and in getting the finance".

"You have to do too much work to get them on board," he said.

The decline in partnerships will affect the ability of scientists to research subjects of mutual interest, including food security and price hikes, climate change, biofuels and genetically modified organisms, he added.

For African scientists, the fallout could be severe.

"Many African experts don't have access to research funding from their [own] countries," Kevin Chika Urama, executive director of the Africa Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) in Nairobi, Kenya, told SciDev.Net. "The EU research funding has been a pivotal avenue to partnership with EU researchers."

"A lot of African issues, such as the needs of the poor in rural areas, are under-researched," Urama added. "Some of these issues are not of interest [to European researchers]," he said, adding that a solution may be for the EU to set up a specific grant programme aimed at African researchers.

The move to drop the mandatory collaboration with Africa from 2013 calls for proposals reflects European political leaders' disquiet about the use of funds outside the EU generally, said Andrew Cherry, coordinator for the Network for the Coordination and Advancement of Sub-Saharan Africa-EU Science & Technology Cooperation (CAAST-Net).

However, Daan du Toit, minister counsellor for science and technology at the South African Mission to the EU said the move does not mean fruitful cooperation is not possible.

"All topics of this year's FP7 calls for proposals are open for African participation. African researchers have to identify, which ones are relevant for them, and ones where they can add value to the work of the European or international consortia — then participation will follow. In many of the topics in this year's calls African researchers are well placed to play an important part."

Michael Jennings, a European Commission spokesperson for research, innovation and science, told SciDev.Net there was a need "to better articulate science and technology capacity-building initiatives" to be supported with "collaborative research activities that can be selected and funded through FP7 and the upcoming Horizon 2020 programme".

Cherry told SciDev.Net that it remains to be seen how African researchers can participate in Horizon 2020.

Related article:
3 September. Nature. International Weekly Journal of Science

Announcement:Africa's role in solving the global food crisis

“Africa is the missing piece in the global food security puzzle. If Africa is seen as a problem today, it may very well hold the key to global food security tomorrow."–Pascal Lamy, Director General, WTO, speaking at Feeding the World summit in Geneva.

Africa has the greatest amount of arable land left fallow but very low current levels of trade in food. In contrary in less than 30 years Brazil turned itself from a food importer into one of the world’s breadbaskets. During those same 30 years Africa went from being a net food-exporting continent to being a net food importer.

15-16/11/2012. Africa's role in solving the global food crisis. Bringing policy-makers together with agribusiness, donors, farmer organisations and civil society FEEDING THE WORLD, a conference of the Economist, will discuss what Africa needs in order to reproduce the Brazilian miracle.

Debate topics:

• What government policies will help Africa exploit its latent agricultural potential, enabling the development of vibrant markets in rice, maize, soy beans etc? 
• How can farmers be supported with the skills, financing and access to markets that they need? 
• How can new technologies boost yields and solve critical nutrition needs?

Le consortium Soja Bénin (CSB)

Le consortium Soja Bénin (CSB), une plate-forme multi-acteurs mis en place en avril 2011 par un groupe d’acteurs qui s’investissent dans la promotion de la filière soja grâce à l’appui technique et financier de l’IFDC.

Les membres de cette plate-forme ont rédigé et soumis au PAEPARD, une note conceptuelle du consortium soja au Bénin sur l’agro-business autour du soja. La note conceptuelle ont été appréciées a été accepté par les partenaires de PAEPARD pour soutenir l’initiative du consortium pour sa construction.

Tous conscients de la nécessité de s’impliquer d’avantage dans la promotion des chaînes des valeurs du soja dans lesquelles ils s’investissent. Le CSB regroupe aujourd’hui plusieurs catégories d’acteurs qui ont décidé d’unir leurs expériences, compétences pour une synergie d’action en vue du développement de la filière soja au Bénin.

MEMBRES

Le Consortium Soja du Bénin regroupe plusieurs catégories d’acteurs. On peut citer :

• Associations des producteurs (SOJAGNON, URPS B-Z, UNPS, UCP Z, …)
• Union National des Agriculteurs Professionnels (UNAP-BENIN)
• Organisations Non Gouvernementales (DEDRAS, CRADIB, CBDIBA, REPFED, Etc.)
• Unités agro-industrielles (Triturateurs, Transformateurs locaux et Provandiers )

Le CSB regroupe tous les maillons des chaînes de valeurs du soja. Ci dessous vous trouverez la plaquette élaboree par le consortium.

What can be done to reduce Africa's dependency on food imports

15 aug 2012. TV2Africa. VOA's Ndimyake Mwakalyelye talks with Faustine Wabwire, of The Bread for the World Institute, about what can be done to reduce Africa's dependency on food imports.

Mauritius Breadfruit Sector Consortium: 2nd Partnership Inception Workshop

8th & 9th August 2012. Food and Agricultural Research Council (FARC), Reduit, Mauritius. The Mauritius Breadfruit Sector Consortium organized a two-day Partnership Inception Workshop.

The overall objectives of the workshop were to:
(1) develop Concept Notes for each of the Research questions formulated from previous workshop and working sessions,
(2) discuss on possible funding opportunities,
(3) develop a partnership action plan.

During the two days of the workshop, the participants were exposed to presentations and group activities in line with the workshop objectives. The presentations served to increase awareness and understanding of the PAEPARD project in Mauritius and give an over-view of past activities of the consortium; to explain how to write project proposals and tap funding opportunities. Group activities were formulated to develop Concept Notes for the different Research Questions generated.

PAFO’s second General Assembly elects new president

23rd to 25th of August 2012. PAFO’s second General Assembly was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The elections The new President is Mr. Bagna Djibo of Niger was elected to the position of Vice President of the Pan-African Farmers’ Organization (PAFO). He represents the Network of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers’ Organisations of West Africa (ROPPA) and took over from Mrs Elizabeth Atangana of Cameroon representing Central African Regional Farmers’ Organization (PROPAC).

The following is the full PAFO executive board for the next two years:

1. President: Mr. Bagna Djibo (ROPPA)
2. Vice President: Mr. Felix E. Jumbe (President of SACAU)
3. Treasurer: Mr. Phillip Kiriro (EAFF)
4. Women Representative: Mrs. Elizabeth Atangana (PROPAC)
5. Youth Representative: Mr. Ahmed Jarallah (UMAGRI)

Among other items, the assembly discussed the PAFO Constitution and Strategic Plan.

Related:

More and Better at the PAFO congress

PAFO had invited the closest cooperating partners to attend the congress as guests. Because of the short notice – and vacation time in many European countries, only the More and Better Network was present. The good and important cooperation between PAFO and More and Better was also underlined in the report of PAFO’s work since the founding congress. Here is their story.

The congress was called on a very short notice, less than three weeks. The reason was that the PAFO board had not been aware of one condition on the main funding: the money had to be spent before the end of August – or be returned to the donor. The small staff of PROPAC and the national farmers organization in Cameroun, CNOP-Cameroun, had done an amazing job to organize the congress. They got the government to make exceptions for visa rules so visa could be issued on the border for all delegates, background paper were prepared, banners, bags, pens etc. for the congress had been made, translation and technical equipment functioned perfectly, and all delegates stayed in a nice hotel where the meeting also took place.

The last evening, after the congress had finished, became a wonderful and memorable evening at a training center where the outgoing president, Elisabeth Atangana, started for farmers more than 15 years ago. The center, located in the Mfou village in the outskirt of Yaounde, runs an agricultural school of two years for 70 student, runs other short time courses, organizes conferences. The center has also farming activities with plant nursery, raising chicken and pigs. When the delegates and guests arrived at the center, we were met by African music and dance , and the entrance and outdoor area had been turned into a beautifully decorated restaurant where we were served wonderful locally produced food.

The day after the congress a national seminar for leaders of cooperatives and initiatives for new cooperatives took place at the center – with Elisabeth Atangana as the facilitator! She had been working day and night the last three weeks to organize the congress, and the first morning and the full day she headed the work of about 40 farmers from Cameroun. “We had planned this meeting before we planned the congress,” told Elisabeth, “I could not turn these people down and cancel the meeting because I had worked hard for the congress.”

Debate on cassava flour in bread intensifies in Nigeria

06 August 2012. Press reports in Nigeria indicate that on the eve of the introduction of a 15% increase in duties on wheat imports, the annual cost of Nigerian wheat imports had risen to US$4.1 billion. This measure, which according to USDA increased the import levy from 5 to 20%, was introduced as part of the policy to promote a substitution of cassava flour for wheat flour in bread. The measure is to be accompanied by an additional 65% levy on wheat flour, to bring the applied duty to 100%. As part of this policy, the government of Nigeria has not only increased import duties but is also offering corporate tax rebates to millers, with duty-free imports of all equipment for processing or blending cassava flour.

While bakeries are to be allowed 18 months to comply with new requirements, 10% blending of cassava flour with wheat flour is to be introduced in 2012, increasing to 40% by 2015. This is seen as creating new market opportunities for Nigerian farmers. In addition, despite initial political controversy over the health effects of the use of cassava flour in bread, the president of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria has come out in favour of blending requirements, arguing that by lowering the glycaemic index of bread, cassava-blended bread would help combat diabetes and would in addition be more nutritious.

There remains scepticism over the initiative, given the failure of a similar 10% blending requirement in 2005. Faced with opposition from millers linked to the quality of the cassava flour produced, blending requirements were first reduced and then abandoned. The 2005 experience and similar shortcomings in the 2002 presidential initiative on cassava have been cited as past examples that have discouraged investors from engaging with the new policy.

However, some companies have publicly endorsed the initiative and pledged support for the government’s blending objectives, and in June 2012 the Association of Small Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN) came out in favour of the use of cassava flour in bread. However, ASSAPIN warned that the government needed to consult and carry small-scale farmers along with the new initiative.

The current ‘cassava bread’ initiative offers considerable potential for job creation (estimated by the government at 1.3 million jobs), as well as increased returns to cassava farmers and foreign exchange savings.

However, cassava is a versatile crop with multiple uses. In addition to growing international demand for cassava as an animal feed, there is a range of existing national and regional markets for cassava-based food products. For example, gari, a manufactured cassava product, is consumed widely in all parts of Nigeria and in the region.

Expanding the use of cassava flour in food products will require the development of an efficient and well-integrated production and marketing system, in order to assure a steady supply of cassava products of stable, high-quality standards, with specific properties at appropriate prices. The Nigerian government aims to meet this challenge in part by expanding production from the current 35 million tonnes (Nigeria is already the world’s largest producer) to 51 million tonnes. However, a shortage of contiguous land for commercial development, linked to Nigerian land tenure systems, suggests the need for a greater focus on expanding smallholder cassava production.

At a regional level, the Nigerian government’s decision to ban cassava flour imports from March 2012 (despite the absence of any current trade) sits uneasily with regional trade policy commitments and regional initiatives to promote cassava production and intra-regional trade in cassava products.

Tanzania: Sh160bn fund planned for agriculture

23 August. Dar es Salaam. A $100 million (Sh160 billion) catalyst fund will be launched before the end of this year to help attract the private sector to participate in the implementation of the Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (Sagcot).

The fund will help prepare investment opportunities for local and international investors and it will also complement existing government and donor-backed financing initiatives in the agriculture sector.

The fund will also compliment other funding models including the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank to be launched this year, the $25 million Danida backed-PASS facility, Agra/Stanbic Bank’s and Agra/NMB’s $25 million guarantee facility to support established and commercially viable agriculture business and the $5 million Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund window for Tanzanian agri-business.

According to the Sagcot blue print, the catalyst fund provides early ‘social venture capital’ to cover the start-up costs of commercially viable agri-businesses and other key investments.

The Confederation of Tanzania Industries chairman Felix Mosha urged farmers to get prepared to help in the transformation of Tanzania’s agriculture.

“After the catalyst fund is set regulations will be made clear on how to access the fund and what are the criteria for one to qualify for it,” said Felix Mosha.

Sagcot chairman (and SACAU board member) Mr Salum Shamte said the successful implementation of Sagcot will see an investment inflow of $2.1 billion from the private investment and $1.3 billion from the public sector by 2030. The result will be a tripling of agricultural production in about 350,000 hectares in Southern Tanzania. And at least 420,000 new employment opportunities will be created in the agricultural value chain and more than two million people lifted out of poverty. “We hope the outcomes of Sagcot by 2030 will lead to regional food security and annual revenue from farming of about $1.2 billion,” said Mr Shamte.

Already, there are investment opportunities to be undertaken in the five regions of Mbeya, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Morogoro and Iringa which form the special agricultural corridor of Tanzania. Investment will be in production of rice, sugar, banana, citrus, horticulture and pulses and keeping livestock. In Mbeya for example there will be the Mbozi seed farm of 3,000 hectare nucleus seed estate and irrigated outgrowers scheme for maize, soya, sunflower, sesame and pulses. In Iringa, there are seed potatoes at Mtanga farm for growing seeds and distribution on up to 100 hectare nucleus farm and throughout grower pragramme to provide improved seeds to farmers.

Major threats and opportunities for water and food security

The Stockholm International Water Institute released its report "Feeding a thirsty world: Challenges and opportunities for a water and food secure world", which will provide official input into the discussions to take place at the 2012 World Water Week in Stockholm on August 26-31.


Authored by a dozen experts from SIWI, the Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the report provides new evidence that shows how continuing current trends in food production could lead to increased shortages and intense competition for scarce water resources in many regions across the world.

The report notes that 900 million people are hungry and two billion more people are under nourished in spite of the fact that per capita production continues to increase. With 70 per cent of all water withdrawals used in agriculture, growing more food to feed an additional 2 billion people by 2050 will place greater pressure on available water and land.

"Feeding everyone well is a primary challenge for this century. Overeating, undernourishment and waste are all on the rise and increased food production may face future constraints from water scarcity," said report editor Dr. Anders Jägerskog. "We will need a new recipe to feed the world in the future."

The authors spotlight a number of essential and largely overlooked challenges where dedicated action can help ensure food security to a growing global population with available water resources. These include:

• improvements in on-farm water efficiency, 
• reductions in losses and waste in the food supply chain, 
• enhanced response networks to early warning systems for agricultural emergencies, 
• and increased investment to close the gender gap in agricultural production. 

The report also investigates the impact of the recent surge in foreign direct investment to lease land in developing countries on local and regional water resources, a phenomenon that requires more stringent regulation to ensure that the water and land rights of local farming communities are upheld.

Related: Farmer-led irrigation schemes could transform food security in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia. Study shows potential for smallholder water management innovations to boost crop yields and household revenue by tens of billions of US dollars

Media Release: Farmer-led irrigation schemes could transform food security in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Background summary Synthesis report: Water for wealth and food security: New research sheds light on huge potential of farmer-led innovation in water solutions. Results suggest that water management investment priorities should be reassessed to boost global food security and poverty alleviation. Listening to the farmers What the researchers say Seminar: Sunday 26 August at Stockholm  Investment Scenario Modeling Tool: to compare agricultural water investment options

Related:

26-31 August 2012. Stockholm, Sweden. World Water Week is hosted and organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and takes place each year in Stockholm. The theme for 2012 is: Water and Food Security.

26/08 Smallholder Agriculture + Water = Solutions to Rural Poverty & HungerCountry Perspectives: Achieving Policy Change by Linking Research with Decision Making

• Ghana: Food, Water, Energy Nexus. Mr. Ben Nyamadi, Ghana Irrigation Development Authority
• Tanzania: Government Investment in Smallholder Irrigation. Eng. Mbogo Futukamba, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives and Prof. Nuhu Hatibu, Kilimo Trust

26/08 Communities of Practice, Financial and Institutional Tools for Sustainable Water Management in Africa

• Africa's Challenges and Opportunities. Dr. Sheikh Javed Ahmed, AfDB, Tunisia
• Investment in AWM in Africa: Recent trends and Prospects. Dr. Maher Salman, FAO
• Private sector involvement in agriculture in the CAADP context: Irrigate Africa Ms. Njabulo Zwane, Agriculture Development, South Africa
• Focus on the Role of AgWA in Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing to Scale up AWM Investments. Dr. David Love, WaterNet
• AgWA Country Support Tool. Application in West Africa. Dr. Ben Nyamadi, GIDA, Ghana
• Diagnostic Financial and Institutional Tool for Investment in Water for Agriculture. Dr. Maher Salman & Ms. Claudia Casarotto, FAO

28/08 Focus Africa: Water Security: Opportunities for the 21st Century 

Panel Discussion on Way Forward. Panelists:

• Prof. Jumanne Maghembe (MP), Minister for Water, Tanzania
• Dr. Laurent G. Sedogo, Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, Burkina Faso, Sering Jallow, (AfDB OWAS)
• Prof. A Szollosi-Nagy, (UNESCO-IHE)
• Mr. Hama Arba Diallo, (GWP)
• Mr. Dominic Waughray, (WEF-WRG)

Managing African Water Resources: Challenges and Opportunities

• Co-Chair: Hon. Charity Kaluki Ngilu, MP, Minister of Water and Irrigation, Kenya and Hon. Issoufou Issaka, Minister for Hydraulic and Environment, Niger 
• Moderator: Dr. Joakim Harlin (UNDP)

Regassa Namara, Senior Economist & Head of IWMI West Africa office GHANA, talks about outgrower farming schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Branding Agricultural Commodities: The development case for adding value through branding

This paper examines the potential for branding agricultural commodities in developing countries. We look at how producers in these countries can exploit the same commercial marketing principles and supply chain innovations commonly used in the mature markets of the developed world.

Agricultural commodities matter to development. Commodity products such as sugar, coffee or beef contribute to more than a quarter of GDP in developing countries, where over 1 billion farmers derive at least part of their income from them. As most of these farmers are smallholders, raising the value of commodities can do much to reduce poverty.

Unfortunately, the trend has been the opposite. Modern food chains place increasing importance on branding, distribution and services — activities ‘downstream’ of farmers’ traditional role in supplying produce to markets. As a result, primary producers of agricultural commodities have been capturing less and less of the total value of their products. At the same time, power has become concentrated in the hands of a small number of buyers — the giant supermarket chains and manufacturers who dominate the global food market.

By branding commodities, producer countries and organizations can reverse this growing imbalance. Branding creates consumer demand, giving producers leverage in negotiations with major buyers.

A longer paper is also available. 

Incentives for sustainable cocoa production in Ghana

 Incentives for sustainable cocoa production in Ghana : moving from maximizing outputs to optimizing performance 2012

This study has been conducted and funded under the Multi-Annual Strategic Plan 2012-2015 of the Netherlands Embassy to Ghana, and carried out to provide an overview of the incentives system in the cocoa chain in Ghana and The Netherlands in view of mainstreaming sustainable cocoa production.

Communicating Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) has released several interesting reports and news items on crop biotechnology and its communication.

These include:

• Science and Popular Media: How Cartoonists Visualize Crop Biotechnology - Blogpost / Download the report
• Communicating Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa: What Role for Radio? - Download the brief
• Communication Challenges and Convergence in Crop Biotechnology - Download the book
• Bridging the Knowledge Divide: Experiences in Communicating Crop Biotechnology - Download the report