Launch of the Montpellier Report

28th May 2013. Borschette, Brussels. Belgium. The European Commission, the Imperial College and CTA organized an event for the launch of the report 'Sustainable Intensification: A New Paradigm for African Agriculture', which aims to provide a new framework for understanding sustainable intensification and offers practical approaches to achieving it.

'Sustainable Intensification: A New Paradigm for African Agriculture' 

Event Speakers
Chair 1: Jean-Pierre Halkin, Head of Unit, Rural Development, Food Security and Nutrition, Directorate General for Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid, European Commission
Chair 2: Yemi Akinbamijo, the new Executive Director of FARA
Mr David Radcliffe, Montpellier Panel member and Senior advisor: Agricultural Research for Development, DG Development and Cooperation, European Commission
Mr Tom Arnold, Montpellier Panel member, former CEO of Concern Worldwide and Chair of the Convention of the Irish Constitution
Dr Peter Hazell, Montpellier Panel member and Visiting Professor, Imperial College London
H.E. Frédéric Assomption Korsaga, Ambassador of Burkina Faso

CTA Video Guest: Tom Arnold, Montpellier Panel member, on "Sustainable Intensification".

“It is about producing more from less, and in a way that it can be sustained“ (Tom Arnold).

On the occasion of the launch of the Montpellier report entitled 'Sustainable Intensification: A New Paradigm for African Agriculture', which took place on 28th May in Brussels, CTA Brussels discussed with Tom Arnold, former Chief executive of Concern Worldwide and member of the Montpellier Panel, on the meaning of this new concept and the challenges laying ahead in achieving it.

According to Tom Arnold, Montpellier Panel member, and former CEO of Concern Worldwide, (currently Chair of the Convention of the Irish Constitution), the biggest value of the newly launched report lays in its implication for African governments, highlighting the need to create an adequate policy environment that would favor sustainable intensification and the need for a strong commitment over agriculture.

Over recent years, the term “Sustainable Intensification” – producing more outputs with more efficient use of all inputs on a durable basis, while reducing environmental damage and building resilience, natural capital and the flow of environmental services – has come to take on a highly charged and politicised meaning, becoming synonymous with big, industrial agriculture. As we strive to feed a population expected to reach nine billion by 2050 sustainably, the risk is that we may lose sight of the term’s scientific value and its potential relevance to all types of agricultural systems, including for smallholder farmers in Africa.

TWO Swiss Calls for Proposals

Swiss programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (r4d programme)
Detailed information on the “Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development” and its structure can be found on the following website: www.r4d.ch

Innovations in Agricultural and Food Systems ‐ Call for Proposals (Launch 28/06/2013)

1. Topic 1: Sustainability of agricultural and food systems, natural resources and resilience
2. Topic 2: Agricultural innovation, extension and research into use
3. Topic 3: Governance and policies for the future world food system

The deadline for submission of Pre‐proposals is 13 September 2013.

The pre-proposal should provide an outline of the planned research project and has to cover the entire period of six years with more details of the planned activities for the first three year period.

Sustainable management of ecosystems for the provision of ecosystem services (Launch 28/06/2013)

1. Topic 1: The drivers of ecosystem change
2. Topic 2: Appropriating the economic, social and environmental value of ecosystems and ecosystems services
3. Topic 3: Ecosystems, ecosystem services and climate change

The deadline for submission of Pre‐proposals is 13 September 2013.

The pre-proposal should provide an outline of the planned research project and has to cover the entire period of six years with more details of the planned activities for the first three year period.

The East African Farmer Innovation fair

Fodder briquettes for cattle which are produced
based on banana leaves. Presented by a winner of the
EAFIF: Moses NARIOPE (Uganda)

29th May 2013. Nairobi, Kenya. The East African Farmer Innovation fair (EAFIF) provided an opportunity for farmer innovators from different parts of Africa to meet and showcase their innovations. The fair hosted 15 farmer innovators from each of these countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia.

The fair celebrated the creativity of Eastern African smallholder farmers – women and men – and gave them public recognition. This colourful event, with good media coverage, called attention to the importance of farmer innovation in agricultural development, brought policymakers and the general public in Kenya in contact with farmer innovators, and provided an opportunity for the international participants in the AISA workshop to meet and engage with the innovators.

The fair was hosted by Prolinnova–Kenya and co-organised with the Netherlands-supported AgriProFocus (APF) network and other organisations concerned with smallholder agricultural development. It involved farmer innovators identified by the Prolinnova Country Platforms (CPs), the APF networks and farmer organisations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Mineral blocks containing Calcium, Sodium, Phosphorus,
Copper, Selenium, Cobalt, Zinc, Iodine, Iron. Presented by
a winner of the EAFIF: Samuel KALIBBALA (Uganda)

The purposes of the Fair were:

• To raise awareness and share information about how smallholder farmers are innovating
• To encourage innovation by smallholder farmers
• To disseminate smallholder farmers’ innovations
• To identify and draw attention to more endogenous innovations than are currently known
• To influence policy to promote smallholder farmer innovation. 


Translation from and to English for the farmers was done by students from Kenyan universities and by Prolinnova CP or APF members who accompany the farmers to Kenya.

Michael Kiboe (member of the Kenya Livestock Working 

Group of the FAO/Sard initiative about the core business 

for livestock market access centre (Kenya)

PAEPARD interviewed Michael Kiboe, on how waste from Kenyan slaughter houses is used to produce bio-gas.

Statements:

1. The value chain analysis does not work
2. ARD is a killer of innovation: sciences suppresses the free local thinking. Innovation should not be related to educational capacities. 
3. We need more practical research
4. 3. A licence for producing biogas will be obtained over 2 months time. It is the first time that biogas will be packaged in Kenya. It will change drastically the livestock production in Kenya as it will also impact on the energy value chain, not only the milk and meet value chain.
5. A major problem is to raise innovations to the micro enterprise level
6. The value chain meat commission has difficulties to recognize the value of informal initiatives because it is based on economic efficiency instead of the social capital
7. The mindset of donors needs to be changed

Agricultural Innovation Systems in Africa or AISA workshop

29-31 May 2013. JOLISAA (EC funded FP7 project: Joint learning in innovation systems in African agriculture), KARI, the PROLINNOVA network, CCAFS, and FSIFS-AusAID organised an international workshop (the Agricultural Innovation Systems in Africa or AISA workshop ) during which selected participants from different horizons shared their experiences and reflect on concepts, results and lessons about agricultural innovation processes and systems involving African small holders. 

These inputs contributed to engage with policy-makers and other institutional decision-makers about implications and recommendations for policy, research and practice.

The objectives of the AISA workshop included:

•  To learn jointly about agricultural innovation processes and systems in Africa 
• To identify policy implications and develop policy-dialogue
  
  strategies and messages 
• To explore perspectives for collaborative action research on innovation in smallholder farming. 

The AISA workshop was held as part of an international week devoted to Agricultural innovation in Africa. The AISA workshop focused on active social learning among participants and tackled the following questions:

• What insights and lessons can be gained from recent experiences and initiatives to promote and support agricultural innovation involving smallholders throughout Africa? 
• How are the AIS concepts and approaches being operationalised in Africa? 
• With what successes and challenges? 
• What concrete added value do they seem to bring compared to other approaches to agricultural research and development? 
• What are some of the key implications and recommendations for the way forward in terms of policy, research and practice with regard to supporting agricultural innovation in Africa, and how can these recommendations be implemented concretely in the near future? 

To address these issues, the workshop was structured in 5 sessions:

1. Opening and facilitated participation in the Eastern Africa Farmer Innovation Fair 
2. Reflecting on conceptual issues / frameworks / approaches for assessing innovation experiences 
3. Sharing main results and lessons about innovation processes/cases (selected oral papers, posters, facilitated group and plenary sessions) 
4. Policy implications and policy-dialogue strategy and messages 
5. Identifying the way forward (World Café).

Interview avec Bernard Triomphe - CIRAD, France - lors de l'atelier: Agricultural Innovation Systems in Africa, 29-31 May 2013, Nairobi, Kenya [JOLISAA (Joint learning in and about Innovation Systems in African Agriculture), a project funded under the EU FP7 KBBE program that was launched in February 2010 and will last until July 2013]

Bernard reponds aux questions suivantes:
a) Quels sont les defis de l'approche multi acteurs pour la recherche?
b) Est-ce que le projet JOLISAA a pu clarifier certaines choses?

 

Interview avec Anne Floquet - University of Abomey-Calavi, Laboratoire des Dynamiques Sociales et du Développement (LADYD), Benin - lors de l'atelier: Agricultural Innovation Systems in Africa, 29-31 May 2013, Nairobi, Kenya.

Anne réponds aux questions suivantes:

• Comment peut-on identifier des innovations?
• Vous avez un exemple?
• Comment cela a été abordé par Jolisaa?
• Quels étaient vos critères d’analyse ?

Second interview with Anne Floquet - University of Abomey-Calavi, Laboratoire des Dynamiques Sociales et du Développement (LADYD) about the groundnut small scale processing industry in Benin.

Anne answers following questions:

• What is the groundnut small scale processing industry in Benin?
• Is there not an aflatoxine contamination issue?
• When will this study be available?
• What is the market potential of the groundnut fryers? 
• What is the next step to create a small and medium enterprise?

Interview with Geoffrey Kamau of KARI (Kenya Agricultural Research Institute) and co-coordinator of Prolinnova-Kenya Geoffrey answers following questions:

• Why was research focused on increased production not effective? 
• What were the lessons of the Jolisaa case studies? 
• Has KARI the capacity to accompagny an innovation into a Small and Medium Enterprise initiative? 
• What about linking with the private financial sector?

Interview with Conny Almekinders, Wageningen University.

 answers following questions:

• Where does the innovation term comes from? 
• What is innovation in your view? 
• Why do we fail to engage small and medium enterprises in the innovation approach? 
• Few researchers have a business approach about their research findings

Sub Sahara African involvement in FP7 projects: Theme 2 “Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnologies

The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) in Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology (FAFB) aims to create a strong and competitive bioeconomy and to off er solutions to challenges facing Europe and the world, such as feeding a growing world population and fighting climate change while mitigating its effects.

This Interim Catalogue of Projects presents 411 projects selected for funding under FP7 Theme 2 “Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnologies” during 5 years (2007-2012). (Directorate-General for Research and Innovation Biotechnologies, Agriculture, Food - Knowledge-based Bioeconomy ; © European Union, 2013 ; 450 pages).

It is bringing together science, industry and other stakeholders to exploit new and emerging research opportunities. Hereunder are the FP7 projects which involve African partners:


ACTIVITY 2.1 - SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION: AGRICULTURE

NEXTGEN  Next generation methods to preserve farm animal biodiversity by optimizing present and future breeding options
Call: FP7-KBBE-2009-3 Optimisation of methods to maintain farm animal biodiversity – SICA.

African partner: 

1. MAKERERE UNIVERSITY (UG)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 2,999,999.00
• PROJECT START DATE: April 2010 
• DURATION: 48 months
• NEXTGEN proposes the bold step of using whole genome data to develop and optimise conservation genetic management of livestock diversity for the foreseeable future. The rationale for choosing whole genome data is to ‘future-proof’ DNA-based analysis in livestock conservation against upcoming changes in technology and analysis. Thus, in the context of whole genome data availability, our global objective is to develop cost-effective optimized methodologies for preserving farm-animal biodiversity, using cattle, sheep, and goats as model species.

ANIMALCHANGE AN Integration of Mitigation and Adaptation options for sustainable Livestock production under climate CHANGE
Call:KBBE-2-1-2 Increased sustainability of all productions systems (agriculture, forestry); plant health and crop protection

African partners: 

1. INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE DE TUNISIE (TN) 
2. INSTITUT SENEGALAIS DE RECHERCHES AGRICOLES (SN) 
3. UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA (ZA) 
4. INTERNATIONAL LIVESTOCK RESEARCH INSTITUTE - ILRI (KE)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 8,999,535.00
• PROJECT START DATE: March 2011 
• DURATION: 48 months
• ANIMALCHANGE will provide scientific guidance on the integration of adaptation and mitigation objectives and design sustainable development pathways for livestock production in Europe, in Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. ANIMALCHANGE will inform public policy development in EU27 and propose cooperation programs addressing smallholder livestock farming in selected developing countries

BRIGHTANIMAL Multidisciplinary Approach to Practical and Acceptable Precision Livestock Farming for SMEs in Europe and world-wide 

Call: KBBE-2-1-2 Increased sustainability of all productions systems (agriculture, forestry); plant health and crop protection

African partner: 

1. CONSUMER GOODS COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA (ZA)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 997,425.00
• PROJECT START DATE: March 2009 
• DURATION: 24 months
• Livestock farming has a major role to play in the decades to come. Rising protein intake in the developing countries as well as rising concern for animal health and welfare in the developed countries present serious challenges to farmers. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) wants to return to the farmer to connect to individual animals or small animal groups in spite of growing intensification. PLF uses technology to give farmers additional hands, ears and eyes.

CA2AFRICA Conservation Agriculture in AFRICA: Analysing and FoReseeing its
Impact - Comprehending its Adoption
Call: KBBE-2-1-2 Increased sustainability of all productions systems (agriculture, forestry); plant health and crop protection

African partners: 

1. AFRICAN CONSERVATION TILLAGE NETWORK (KE)
2. INSTITUTE DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT ET DE RESEARCHES AGRICOLES (BF)
3. INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE (MA-Morocco)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 999,808.00
• DURATION: 30 months
• PROJECT START DATE: January 2010
• Over 30 months, the overall objective of this project is to assess and learn jointly from past and on-going CA experiences under which conditions and to what extent does CA strengthen the socio-economic position of landholders in Africa.

SOLIBAM: Strategies for Organic and Low-input Integrated Breeding

And Management

Call: KBBE-2-1-2 Increased sustainability of all productions systems (agriculture, forestry); plant health and crop protection

African partners:

1. COORDINATION NATIONALE DES ORGANISATIONS PAYSANNES DU MALI ASSOCIATION (ML)
2. MEKELLE UNIVERSITY (ET)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 5,999,000.00
• DURATION: 54 months
• PROJECT START DATE: March 2010
• The objective of SOLIBAM is to develop novel breeding approaches integrated with practices to improve the performance, quality, sustainability and stability of crops adapted to organic and lowinput systems in Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.

TESTA: Seed health: development of seed treatment methods, evidence for seed transmission and assessment of seed health.

Call: KBBE-2-1-2 Increased sustainability of all productions systems (agriculture, forestry); plant health and crop protection

African partners:

1. UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA (ZA)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 2,998,384.00
• DURATION: 40 months
• PROJECT START DATE: under negotiation
• Outcomes from the project will include a comprehensive electronic database of seed transmitted diseases and pests, validated detection methods for target species, a validation protocol for assessing the efficacy of disinfection, as well as many key scientific publications.

ARBO-ZOONET: International network for capacity building for the control of
emerging viral vector borne zoonotic diseases
Call: KBBE-2-1-3 Optimised animal health production and welfare
across agriculture

African partners:

1. NATIONAL HEALTH LABORATORY SERVICES (ZA)
2. INSTITUT PASTEUR DE DAKAR (SN)
3. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FAO

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 908,470.00
• DURATION: 36 months
• PROJECT START DATE: May 2008
• integrated control measures which include vector control, vaccination programmes, improved therapy strategies, diagnostic tools and surveillance, public awareness, capacity building and improvement of infrastructure in endemic regions.

ICONZ: Integrated control of neglected zoonoses: improving human

health and animal production through scientifi c innovation and

public engagement

Call: KBBE-2-1-3 Optimised animal health production and welfare

across agriculture

African partners:

1. LABORATOIRE CENTRAL VETERINAIRE (ML)
2. INSTITUT AGRONOMIQUE ET VETERINAIRE HASSAN II (MA)
3. UNIVERSIDADE EDUARDO MONDLANE (MZ)
4. MAKERERE UNIVERSITY (UG)
5. STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY (ZA)
6. SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE (TZ)
7. UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA (ZM)
8. INTERNATIONAL LIVESTOCK RESEARCH INSTITUTE (KE)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 5,994,998.00
• DURATION: 60 months
• PROJECT START DATE: April 2009
• This project aims at Improving Human Health and Animal Production in developing countries through Integrated Control of Neglected Zoonoses in animals, based on Scientific Innovation and Public Engagement. Neglected zoonoses, such as anthrax, rabies, brucellosis, bovine TB, zoonotic trypanosomiasis, echinococcosis, cysticercosis and leishmaniasis, are major causes of ill-health in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

OH-NEXTGEN: Training of the One Health Next Scientifi c Generation in

the Sahel and Maghreb

Call: KBBE-2-1-3 Optimised animal health production and welfare

across agriculture

African partners:

1. UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA (ZA)
2. INSTITUT AGRONOMIQUE ET VETERINAIRE HASSAN II (MA)
3. ECOLE INTER-ETATS DES SCIENCES ET MEDECINE VETERINAIRES DE DAKAR (SN)
4. UNIVERSITY OF GHANA (GH)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 1,997,402.00
• DURATION: 48 months
• PROJECT START DATE: October 2011
• OH-NEXTGEN will develop a web-based modular training course designed to empower a new generation of scientists to address One Health issues faced by communities in Africa. While this programme is targeted to the Maghreb and the Sahel, the course will be accessible world-wide by off ering training modules through the European Tropical Health Education Network (tropED) and other existing networks.

TB-STEP: Strategies for the eradication of bovine tuberculosis

Call: KBBE-2-1-3 Optimised animal health production and welfare

across agriculture

African partners:

1. UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA (ZA)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 2,894,759.00
• DURATION: 45 months
• PROJECT START DATE: October 2008Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. This infection aff ects domestic and wild animals and represents a major concern worldwide because of its high economic impact due to mortalities, condemnations, decreases in productions, and its zoonotic potential.

ADVANZ:Advocacy for the fi ght against Neglected Zoonotic Diseases

Call: KBBE-2-1-4 Socio-economic research and support to policies

African partners:

1. UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL (ZA)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 499,958.00
• DURATION: 30 months
• PROJECT START DATE: October 2012
• The aim of ADVANZ (Advocacy for Neglected Zoonotic Diseases) is to persuade decision makers and empower stakeholders at local, regional, and international levels towards a coordinated fight against neglected zoonotic diseases (NZD), first and foremost in Africa, where the burden from NZD are heaviest.

AGFOODTRADE: New issues in agricultural, food and bioenergy trade
Call: KBBE-2-1-4 Socio-economic research and support to policies

African partners:

1. INSTITUT SENEGALAIS DE RECHERCHES AGRICOLES (SN)
2. INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE - IFPRI (US)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 2,866,478.00
• DURATION: 41 months
• PROJECT START DATE: May 2008
• AGFOODTRADE helps answer the following questions: what are major trends and driving forces affecting world trade? What is their impact and how should trade policies deal with these processes in the future?

FOODMETRES: Food Planning and Innovation for Sustainable Metropolitan Regions
CallL KBBE-2-1-4 Socio-economic research and support to policies

African partner:

1. UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI (KE)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 1,493,671.00
• DURATION: 36 months
• PROJECT START DATE: under negotiation
• One of the main goals is to identify concepts as well as practical examples for food chain innovation in the context of small-scale urban, peri-urban and peri-urban-rural forms of agriculture and food production up to large-scale metropolitan production regimes geared towards feeding urban populations

JOLISAA: JOint Learning about Innovation Systems in African Agriculture
Call: KBBE-2-1-4 Socio-economic research and support to policies

African partners:

1. UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA (ZA)
2. KENYA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (KE)
3. UNIVERSITE D'ABOMEY CALAVI UAC (BJ)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 999,657.00
• DURATION: 42 months
• PROJECT START DATE: February 2010
• The JOLISAA project aims to increase understanding of agricultural innovation systems focusing on smallholders’ livelihoods and the articulation of local/traditional and global knowledge.

QBOL: Development of a new diagnostic tool using DNA barcoding to identify quarantine organisms in support of plant health
Call: KBBE-2-1-4 Socio-economic research and support to policies

African partner:

1. STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY (ZA)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 2,991,433.00
• DURATION: 42 months
• PROJECT START DATE: March 2009
• QBOL wants to make DNA barcoding available for plant health diagnostics and to focus on strengthening the link between traditional and molecular taxonomy as a sustainable diagnostic resource.

SARNISSA: Sustainable Aquaculture Research Networks in Sub Saharan Africa
Call: KBBE-2-1-2 Increased sustainability of all productions systems
(fisheries and aquaculture)

African partners:

1. UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI (MW)
2. INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE AGRICOLE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT (CM)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 996,036.00
• DURATION: 36 months
• PROJECT START DATE: February 2008
• The project concept is to build a sustainable aquaculture research network based on academics and other professionals between Europe and Africa, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.

TXOTX: Technical eXperts Overseeing Third country eXpertise
Call: KBBE-2-1-2 Increased sustainability of all productions systems
(fisheries and aquaculture)

African partners:

1. UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN (ZA)
2. COLDSTREAM HOLDINGS LTD TRADING AS NFDS AFRICA (BW)
3. SEYCHELLES FISHING AUTHORITY (SC)
4. INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE HALIEUTIQUE (MA)
5. UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM (TZ)
6. TANZANIA FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE (TZ)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 999,854.00
• DURATION: 36 months
• PROJECT START DATE: April 2008
• The purpose of this Coordination Action is to facilitate a coherent approach towards research directed at the assessment and management of fish resources.

AFSPAN: Aquaculture for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation and Nutrition

Call: KBBE-2-1-4 Socio-economic research and support to policies
African partners:

1. MINISTRY OF FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT (KE)
2. MAKERERE UNIVERSITY (UG)
3. UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA (ZM)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 999,380.00
• DURATION: 36 months
• PROJECT START DATE: January 2012
• The project will strengthen the knowledge base on food security and poverty and develop new methodologies or more rigorous methodologies to quantify the contribution of aquaculture in combating hunger and poverty in developing countries and LIFDCs.

INSTAPA: Novel staple food-based strategies to improve micronutrient status for better health and development in sub-Saharan Africa
Call: KBBE-2-2-2 Nutrition

African partners:

1. UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL (ZA)
2. UNIVERSITE D ABOMEY CALAVI UAC (BJ)
3. INTERNATIONAL CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR THE SEMI-ARID TROPICS (IN)
4. UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI (KE)
5. CENTRE NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE ET TECHNOLOGIQUE (BF)
6. INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE - IFPRI (US)
7. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL
8. AGRICULTURE (NG)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 5,900,284.00
• DURATION: 60 months
• PROJECT START DATE: June 2008
• This project aims to identify novel staple food-based approaches to improve micronutrient malnutrition in order to improve the health and development of women and children in sub-Saharan Africa.

SUNRAY: Sustainable Nutrition Research for Africa in the Years to come
Call: KBBE-2-2-2 Nutrition

African partners:

1. SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE (TZ)
2. FACULTÉ DES SCIENCES AGRONOMIQUES, UNIVERSITÉ D'ABOMEY-CALAVI (BJ)
3. MAKERERE UNIVERSITY (UG)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 968,463.05
• DURATION: 24 months
• PROJECT START DATE: January 2011
• The SUNRAY (Sustainable Nutrition Research for Africa in the Years to come) project will produce a new, sustainable nutrition research agenda for sub-Saharan Africa based on five concepts.

AFTER: African Food Tradition Revisited by Research
Call: KBBE-2-2-3 Food Processing

African partners:

1. UNIVERSITE D'ABOMEY CALAVI UAC (BJ)
2. COUNCIL FOR SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (ZA)
3. ALEXANDRIA UNIVERSITY (EG)
4. UNIVERSITY OF ANTANANARIVO (MG)
5. ASSOCIATION DE COORDINATION TECHNIQUE POUR L'INDUSTRIE AGROALIMENTAIRE (FR)
6. UNIVERSITE CHEIKH ANTA DIOP DE DAKAR (SN)
7. UNIVERSITE DE NGOUNDERE (CM)
8. ASSOCIATION AFRIQUE AGRO EXPORT (SN)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 2,929,585.00
• DURATION: 45 months
• PROJECT START DATE: September 2010
• AFTER aims to revisit traditional African products, knowledge and know-how in the light
• of new technologies for the benefi t of consumers, producers and processors in Africa and
• Europe.

PROTEINSECT: Enabling the exploitation of Insects as a Sustainable Source of
Protein for Animal Feed and Human Nutrition
Call: KBBE-2-2-3 Food Processing

African partners:

1. FISH FOR AFRICA - GHANA LIMITED BYGUARANTEE (GH)
2. INSTITUT D'ECONOMIE RURALE (ML)
3. CAB INTERNATIONAL (UK)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 2,946,537.00
• DURATION: 39 months
• PROJECT START DATE: February 2013
• PROteINSECT will build a pro-insect platform in Europe to encourage adoption of sustainable protein production technologies in order to reduce the reliance of the feed industry on plant/fish derived proteins in the short term, and promote the acceptance of insect protein as a direct component of human food in the longer term.

related: Edible Insects in a Food Safety and Nutritional Perspective: A Critical Review

MYCORED: Novel integrated strategies for worldwide mycotoxin reduction
in the food and feed chains
Call: KBBE-2-2-5 Environmental Impacts and Total food Chain

African partners:

1. SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (ZA)
2. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (NG)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 5,769,956.00
• DURATION: 54 months
• PROJECT START DATE: April 2009
• The project will develop novel solution-driven methodologies and handling procedures to reduce both pre- and post-harvest contamination in selected feed and food chains. It will also generate and disseminate information and education strategies so as to reduce mycotoxin risks at a global level.

SECUREFISH: Improving food security by reducing post harvest losses in the
fisheries sector
Call: KBBE-2-2-5 Environmental Impacts and Total food Chain

African partners:

1. KENYA MARINE AND FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE (KE)
2. COUNCIL FOR SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (GH)
3. UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA (NA) 
4. MAYFAIR HOLDINGS LTD (KE)

• EC CONTRIBUTION: € 2,997,422.00
• DURATION: 36 months
• PROJECT START DATE: January 2012
• The overall objectives of SECUREFISH are to strengthen capacity in low cost technology; to improve the preservation of existing fi sh supplies; to utilise waste and bycatch to produce value-added products; to develop an integrated quality management tool and finally to test the developed technology and quality management tool in real conditions different third countries.

Inter-Agency Donor Group (IADG) on pro-poor livestock research and development

May 22-24, 2013, Berlin. 14th Annual Meeting of the Inter-Agency Donor Group (IADG) on pro-poor livestock research and development “Development of Livestock Value Chains through strengthened Public-Private Cooperation” sponsored by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Some 36 livestock advisers and managers from public and private sector donor and major implementing agencies, have discussed following topics:

1. Theme 1: ‘Development of livestock value chains through strengthened public-private partnerships’ – the agenda will tease out the importance of PPPs in facilitating improved livestock value chains and identify how in-country and global public sector donors can be more effective partners with the private sector in achieving common goals.
2. Theme 2: Mapping livestock development initiatives – information on who is funding what and where – in order to facilitate greater collaboration and coordination of effort between members of the donor community.

Several donors have thanked IADG for undertaking an initial analysis of available data about Which donors support what and where? –  as they did not have such a collated list before. It is clear that increasing numbers of donors are integrating livestock support within more diverse programmes - food security, climate change, human health, livelihoods etc so it is increasingly difficult to have clear oversight over ‘livestock’ funding per se for which support seems to be waning. Wyn Richards, Livestock Development Practice, UK

The participants included representatives from:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) ; Consultative Group on Agricultural Research (CGIAR); International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) , Freie Universität, Berlin ; ACDI/VOCA; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ; Ceva Santé Animale, France ; European Commission Directorate General for Development and Cooperation (EUROPAID) ; World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) ; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ; Veterinarians without borders, Belgium and Germany ; Animal Production and Health Division - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock development (LPP) ; World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism (WISP); Global Donor Platform for Rural Development ; GALVMed ; Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) ; African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) ; Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) ; Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) ; Livestock Development Practice, UK ; International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) ; Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences ; Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany ; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France ; Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp Belgium (ITM) ; Ministry of Economic Affairs and Foreign Affairs; Development Cooperation, Netherlands ; Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD II).

Presentation by ASARECA

Download the presentation of ASARECA here

Presentation by PAEPARD

Eastern Africa Livestock Strategy commissioned by the East African Farmer Federation (EAFF).
EAFF - Post handling in Extensive Livestock value chains in Eastern Africa with Specific Focus on Kenya and Uganda. 
(peer reviewed by CIRAD (France), Wageningen Universty (The Netherlands) and the Natural Research Institute (UK).
In this strategy a number of most significant innovative technologies are promoted (but require additional research) including (among others):

• feed conservation and feeding packages
• increasing fodder and crop residues availability to strengthen the feed resources (up to 23% of cattle feed requirements can be covered by crop residues /industrial by-products)
• Herd management innovations including destocking and herd splitting
• Innovations for preservation (increasing shelf life)
• linkages with market information providers
• policies to promote value addition

See also a video interview with Dr. Jean Ndikumana who explains the objectives of the study:

STUDY ON PROMOTING A COMMERCIAL BEEF INDUSTRY IN UGANDA
The Delegation of the European Union to Uganda will launch a SME Development Fund (Equity Fund) over 2- 3 months.

It will be open to all sectors of agribusiness, including livestock.
The selection will be made on the basis of socio-economic-environmental criteria and financial return criteria.
The EU/Uganda aims at targeting at least 25-30 companies with the first closing of the fund.
To enable you a quick scan of this document (on the EC equity fund)  refer to paragraph 43 (page xi) and 4.4 at page 49.

Sub-group discussion

Background Inter-Agency Donor Group (IADG) on pro-poor livestock research and development
At present, there is no formal global mechanism by which donors who support work on livestock research and development can communicate or coordinate their efforts, although many share common goals and outputs in their separate programmes. To address this deficiency, the ‘inter-Agency Donor Group’, have met informally on an annual basis for the past 13 years in order to; i) share intelligence on contemporary issues facing livestock development ; ii) promote innovative and collaborative approaches to pro-poor livestock research ( new technologies, policies, practices) in the fields of animal health, animal production and public health; and iii) facilitate a common response by its members to research and development proposals emanating from in-country institutions, implementing agencies and other stakeholders.

Structure: The IADG has no formal secretariat or payroll. Rather the burden of convening and reporting on meetings has been done voluntarily by a few keen individuals in collaboration with the organising committee of each meeting – normally a donor or implementing organisation. This informal structure has suited the needs of donors to date although discussions on the need for a more formal secretariat or linkages with other initiatives are held regularly.

Benefits:

• a greater awareness among donors and other players of each other’s current and future research and development activities and future priorities to stimulate collaboration and reduce duplication of funding;
• evidence of greater collaboration between donors on common livestock research issues and the birth of new PPP initiatives such as GalvMed;
• growing interest and involvement of new donors from the private sector and from BRIC countries in attending meetings and in collaboration; and
• moving towards greater effectiveness of donor investment –poverty reduction, sustainable development,value for money.

China colonising Africa is a myth

MAY 21, 2013. How we made it in Africa. Professor Calestous Juma from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, argues that despite the negative perceptions, China and Africa’s relationship is mutually beneficial.

“China colonising Africa is a myth. We have mutual investment; China investing in Africa and Africa investing in China. This to me is very significant because both sides have an interest in developing a mutual relationship. The rhetoric of China colonising Africa doesn’t make sense. Colonising means taking people’s land, pushing them off and turning them into workers,” said Juma during a session at the recent World Economic Forum on Africa, held in Cape Town.

According to Juma, China came to Africa through an invitation and African governments engage with China out of choice, not force.

Lessons for the West

Juma said that Western countries can also learn from how China works with Africa. He noted that despite the fast paced changes in Africa, in much of the Western world the old narrative about the continent persists.

On the contrary, Juma explained that Chinese leaders take a different approach of learning about the continent first, before further engagement with African countries.

“I have a very different experience when I interact with Chinese leaders. They come to Harvard, attend my classes for three months and educate themselves about Africa. They are starting from scratch and creating a new image of Africa. The Western world should do the same; educate themselves about the continent. This is a new Africa,” said Juma.

Reduction of Post Harvest Losses and Value Addition in East African Food Value Chains

RELOAD: Reduction of Post Harvest Losses and Value Addition in East African Food Value Chains. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and led by the University of Kassel in Germany. This collaborative project builds a research network between partners in Germany, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. It is a 5-year collaborative trans-disciplinary project which starts in June, 2013. 

Within RELOAD, the German Institute for Tropical and Sub-tropical Agriculture (DITSL) leads the subproject “Transdisciplinary research: Stakeholder processes, knowledge integration and collaborative learning”. DITSL is a non-profit limited liability company (GmbH) at the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences of the University of Kassel at Witzenhausen. DITSL conducts research on agricultural systems as human activity systems following an inter- and transdisciplinary social-ecological approach. 

• DITSL will investigate food value chains (mainly milk and meat and to some extent vegetables, grains and tubers) as human activity systems, with a focus on communication, collaboration and competition of various actors. 
• Research will focus on actors, their goals, perspectives, strategies, activities, needs and room for maneuvre. 
• Starting out from a stakeholder analysis and the formation of stakeholder platforms, DITSL will offer learning opportunities to the actors to reveal control options in food value chains - so that losses can be reduced and value addition enhanced. 
• DITSL will explore possibilities for collective action by producer groups to bring about benefits especially in the areas of strengthening marketing capacity and market linkages.

In Kenya, one focus of RELOAD is on pastoral meat value. The high losses along the pastoral meat value chain include animal weight loss prior to slaughter, wastage of animal products and by-products, losses in quality of meat products and economic losses due to low profit margins for the producers. 

• The project will fund four (4) PhD research studies to analyze different possibilities to reduce losses and increase efficiency along the pastoral meat value chains. 
• These studies will be jointly implemented by the University of Nairobi, National Museums of Kenya and the German Institute for Tropical and Sub-tropical Agriculture (DITSL) at the University of Kassel in Germany. 
• The PhD candidates will be registered at the University of Nairobi and University of Kassel (see advertisement for PhD positions on www.ditsl.org

Building Research in Development Alliances to Unlock the Economic Potential of Aquatic Environments in Africa

14th and 16th of May, 2013. Lusaka, Zambia. The CGIAR, New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) held a workshop on Aquatic Agricultural Systems in Africa.  The workshop, Building Research in Development Alliances to Unlock the Economic Potential of Aquatic Environments in Africa, was the catalyst for more effective partnerships in Africa.

The CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) has developed a refreshing perspective to aquatic agricultural systems; systems where land and water meet. These systems are not simply focused on what can be captured or farmed from the water, but include agricultural resources of the land. These land based resources are influenced by the nearby aquatic resources and affect how people utilize and interact with these environments.

The Program is currently operating in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. In Africa, the Program is initially centered on Zambia, with the Barotse Flood Plain system inWestern Zambia as the first research hub.

The workshop generated an understanding of where each of the different organizations stand with their work, and what potential benefits exist for working together. The intention of this workshop was to align goals and understanding how this collaboration could be leveraged to maximize the benefit for African countries. Opening Plenary - CGIAR, AAS and Africa.

 

Opening Plenary - CGIAR, AAS and Africa from WorldFish

Moving AAS Forward: CAADP & Rural Futures from WorldFish

Feedback and recommendations on how AAS might most effectively move forward from WorldFish

Why Should Fish Matter in CAADP at Country Levels? from WorldFish

RESEARCH UPTAKE, A guide for DFID-funded research programmes

May 2013, 19 pages. RESEARCH UPTAKE, A guide for DFID-funded research programmes

This DFID guide is tailored to DFID-funded research programmes and DFID staff but is of use to other research intermediaries.

Research uptake activities aim to:

1. support the supply of research by ensuring research questions are relevant through engagement with potential users; communicating research effectively; and synthesising and repackaging research for different audiences. Activities in this area typically start with a focus on a particular research project or body of research and consider how it can be communicated.
2. support the usage of research by building capacity and commitment of research users to access, evaluate, synthesise and use research evidence. Activities in this area typically start with a focus on a particular decision or decision-making process and consider how it can be informed by a range of research evidence.

US, Sweden create $25m fund to spur private agric investment

13 May 2013. The governments of Sweden and the United States of America have announced the creation of a $25 million African agriculture fund for the six-member New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition initiative.

The countries part of the Alliance are Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

To be managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the $25 million fund known as the Agriculture Fast Track, will spur greater private investment in agriculture infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

The fund was jointly announced May 9, 2013 by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the AfDB and the Swedish government during the Grow Africa’s Investment Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Agriculture Fast Track was developed with the support of USAID, which has committed $15 million and the Government of Sweden, which pledged $10 million.

The fund is expected to strengthen the links from farmers to markets to tables.

In a joint statement, the three said “Supporting up to $1.5 million per project, the Agriculture Fast Track will finance upstream work of project design, including feasibility studies, market analyses, site surveys, business plans, financial modeling and other activities necessary to ensure project quality and bankability.”

German academics unite to deliver urban food security in Africa

8 May 2013. A team of German agricultural scientists, economists, ethnologists and geographers are working together to boost the productivity of urban farming in Africa. The project -- called UrbanFoodPlus -- is headed up by the Universities of Kassel and Bochum and aims to address challenges of soil fertility and limited water in order to drive urban food production in a number of African countries. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research to the tune of 7.5m Euros over five years. Start date: June 1st, 2013.

The German team are partnering with 14 African institutes to develop ways to increase food production in urban areas and understand how this sort of farming can help generate economic growth. Initial research will take place in Burkina Faso and Ghana, before extending to other West African cities including Camaroon, Mali and Nigeria.

The plan is to conduct small crop-growing experiments, to interview growers, sellers and government officials as well as to teach local farmers about new techniques they can adopt, such as using charcoal as a water filter and organic fertiliser. There will be a range of project groups that will focus on different elements of food production. This includes a group looking into animal husbandry and the accumulation of dung for fertiliser; one group looking at the role of natural fertilisers and product hygiene and one looking at the possible politico-economical benefits from the suggested improvements.

Food, geography, traditions: Protecting agricultural traditional products

15th May 2013. Brussels. This CTA Brussels Development Briefing tackle the topic of ‘Food, geography, traditions: Protecting agricultural traditional products’, by looking at the challenges and opportunities for protecting traditional knowledge and registered agricultural products in a sustainable way.

The first session looked at ways of preserving traditional knowledge: frameworks, processes and tools, and discussed the various frameworks, uses and tools to protect and preserve traditional agricultural and food products, and their added value in terms of quality, reputation, competitiveness, profitability and support to biodiversity.

The second panel reviewed the potential of origin-linked tools for ACP producers based on successes, by looking especially at sustainability factors.

Video streaming by Ustream Background: 
In 2013, sixteen African countries (members of OAPI - Organisation africaine de la propriété intellectuelle) are to recognize the first three foodstuff products as Protected Geographic Indications (PGIs): Penja pepper, Oku honey and Ziama-Macenta coffee. Moreover, the signature in November 2012 of the cooperation between the European Commission and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) to help improve the protection of traditional agricultural products (geographical indications or "GIs”) in the 18 ARIBO member countries represents another important indicator of the growing interest on the topic in developing countries.

Bridging The Nutrition Security Gap In Sub-Saharan Africa: A pathway to strengthen resilience and development

14-15 May, 2013. Paris, France. Bridging the nutrition security gap in Sub-Saharan Africa : a pathway to resilience and development. This high-level meeting built on the global momentum to focus on child undernutrition, highlighting both the urgent need and unprecedented opportunity to address this problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, and in doing so to strengthen social and economic progress and resilience in a region that has fallen behind in terms of child nutrition.


The conference  brought together a wide array of participants, including Government representatives, civil society organizations, academia, donors, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. It fostered dialogue between stakeholders, facilitating sharing of  experiences and lessons learned to identify the most effective strategies.

Focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa, the conference provided a unique opportunity for African leaders to share region-specific challenges and experiences and chart the way forward. Initiated by the French Committee for UNICEF, this conference was supported by major partners: the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Action contre la Faim (ACF), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Alliance for International Medical
Action (ALIMA), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). It also benefiedt from inputs of other key stakeholders at global level and regional level in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Agriculture en crise et transition en cours : quelle dynamique

13 May 2013. Brussels. Séminaire « Agriculture en crise et transition en cours : quelle dynamique ? », avec e.a. Olivier de Schutter, rapporteur spécial pour le droit à l’alimentation du Conseil des droits de l’homme à l’Organisation des Nations unies.

Les autres intervenants etaient:

• Hans Herren, Millennium Institute et rapport IAASTD L’agroécologie a-t-elle gagnée la bataille des idées ?
• Laure Brun Diallo, Assistante de coordinatrice ENDA-PRONAT (Sénégal) Genre , savoir traditionnel, transition agroécologique et souveraineté alimentaire
• Martin Wolpold Bosien, FIAN International (Amérique centrale) Gouvernance internationale et rôle de l’état, Les luttes internationales (CFS)
• Piet Vanthemsche, président du Boerenbond (Belgique ) Le rôle des organisations paysannes et celui de l’état dans le processus de transition

SACAU policy conference Financing agriculture

President Jakaya Kikwete addressed 

the SACAU Regional Conference

13 May – Wed, 15 May 2013. Dar el Salaam, Tanzania. This conference under the theme “Aligning agricultural finance with a growth oriented and business development focused agricultural development strategy in Southern Africa” was organised by Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT) in collaboration with the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU).

The conference has attracted about 200 participants from 14 Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) countries and some representatives from regional agriculture organisations from other parts of Africa.

Objectives:

SACAU Chief Executive Officer Ishmael Sunga

• update farmer leaders on the SADC/ COMESA/EAC tripartite agreement: the rationale and architecture were presented and highlighted of matters of interest to farmers and agribusiness.
• provide data regarding the global supply and demand projections of key agricultural commodities and highlight the opportunities and threats that this could present to farmers and agribusiness.
• bring farmers from African continent to deliberate on topical issues 
• launch of the SACAU Agribusiness Pilot Project in Tanzania.

After the meeting, SACAU held its Annual General Meeting and selected its leaders. Participants had an opportunity to visit farmers in Bagamoyo in Coast Region as part of their field visit.

Note:

ACT is a private sector apex organisation uniting and representing all stakeholders in the agricultural sector. SACAU seeks to promote the creation of an enabling environment that allows southern African farmers to realise their productive potential by influencing regional, continental and global policies and programmes related to agriculture. 

Agriculture: Investing in Transformation: World Economic Forum on Africa 2013

08-10 May 2013. Cape Town, South Africa. Agriculture: Investing in Transformation How are partnerships in the region accelerating investment in agriculture? Dimensions addressed: Enabling private-sector investment Bolstering infrastructure Developing regional markets Empowering women farmers

Speakers:
Michael Mack
Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina
Philip Kiriro
Jane Karuku
James Mwangi

Related:
Grow Africa partners convened the annual Grow Africa Investment Forum from May 8-9 in Cape Town, South Africa. Over 300 participants from all stakeholder groups engage in a highly interactive programme to:

• Review private-sector investment commitments and opportunities in member countries
• Share best practices and lessons learned to address cross-cutting issues such as finance, infrastructure, sustainability and empowering smallholder farmers
• Reaffirm the shared agenda and leadership commitment of Grow Africa partners and stakeholders 

Participants in the 2013 Grow Africa Investment Forum engaged in a variety of interactive sessions to address opportunities, challenges and solutions to advance sustainable agricultural transformation in African agriculture. The Investment Forum took place before and fed into the 2013 World Economic Forum.

Click here to download the programme overview and the detailed agenda.

Global CIARD Consultation 2013: Access, Sharing and Transformation of Agricultural Data and Information

6 – 9 May 2013. ADDIS ABABA. Global CIARD Consultation 2013: Access, Sharing and Transformation of Agricultural Data and Information.

The founders of the Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD ) movement organized a Global CIARD Consultation. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) hosted the consultation on behalf of the partners at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Addis Ababa.

 The objectives of the Consultation were:

• Review progress and achievements to date, and identify lessons learned. 
• Consider the priority areas of action identified in 2011 and 2012. 
• Determine a program of work for the next 2 years in relation to (a) advocacy/policy, (b) institutional/human capacities, and (c) technical issues. 
• Revisit and reconsider the CIARD “Checklist” and “Pathways"the report 

A review of the CIARD movement has been recently published on the CIARD website. It covers the following items:
1. CIARD origins and purpose
2. Timeline of Development of CIARD Resources and Activities
3. Outcomes of CIARD Activities (2008-2013)
4. General Issues and the CIARD of the Future
Appendix 1: CIARD Promotion at Meetings and Workshops
Appendix 2. CIARD Partners registered on CIARD Main site
Appendix 3: Top unique page views on www.ciard.net (January 2009-March 2013)
Appendix 4: Top page views of Pathways on www.ciard.net (January 2009 – March 2013)
Appendix 5: National Case Studies - Summary of key findings
Appendix 6: Study on Researcher Attitudes and Behaviour Towards the ‘Openness’ of Research Outputs in Agriculture and Related Fields (summary of the main findings)
Appendix 7: CIARD Framework for Action - Priorities identified in 2011 and 2012
The document also discusses the outcomes of the Partner Survey which took place in 2011 and the recent Global Survey which took place in April 2013.

ROPPA MSRQD workshop on Rice and climate change

2 - 4 mai 2013. Ouagadougou. L’objectif visé par la rencontre était de discuter les priorites de recherche riz dans le cadre du "processus guidé par les utilisateurs ".

L’enjeu régional sur la relance du secteur rizicole est basé sur les trois piliers de l’ECOWAP:

• l’amélioration de la productivité et de la compétitivité des agricultures régionales 
• la promotion du marché régional des produits agricoles 
• l’adoption d’un régime commercial extérieur adapté au développement agricole régional 

Les tendances actuelles de la riziculture en Afrique de l’Ouest affichent une nette croissance en termes de production :

• Tendance à la hausse au niveau des rendements et des superficies 
• Augmentation de la production du à une augmentation à la fois des superficies et des rendements de 2001 à 2010 
• Récent progrès dans l’augmentation de rendements en Afrique de l’Ouest: 1.56T/ha (2001-2007); 1.63T/ha (2001-2010); 1.81T/ha (2008-2010) 

Des efforts d’investissements sur les autres maillons de la chaine de valeur doivent être consentis pour :

• Promouvoir une transformation durable pourvoyeuse d’emplois 
• Privilégier la fabrication locale d’équipements agricoles adaptés pour une transformation de qualité tels que les mini-décortiqueuses 
• Stimuler (par un programme de crédit, réduction de taxes) l’investissement dans l’équipement agricole 
• Stimuler une commercialisation du riz local de qualité et en grande quantité 
• Désenclaver les zones de production par la construction de routes ou pistes de production durables 
• Stimuler l’investissement dans les infrastructures de stockage 
• Renforcer le packaging et promouvoir label pour le riz local

AfriCAN Climate, AfricaAdapt Workshop on Agriculture and Climate Change

8 May 2013: AfriCAN and AfricaAdapt recently hosted a workshop and technical tour on the topic of 'Agriculture, Climate Change and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).' The event featured panels focusing on concrete actions that can help farmers adapt to climate change.

The workshop, which took place in Dakar, Senegal, from 25-27 April 2013, saw the announcement of the First AfriCAN Climate award to Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu of the Smallholders Foundation, for his project 'Climate Change on Air.' The Project combines research, creativity, and innovation to raise awareness of climate risk management techniques in Nigeria.

AfricaAdapt is a network hosted by three African organizations, namely the Environment and Development in the Third World (ENDA-TM), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC). AfricaAdapt aims to facilitate the flow of climate change adaptation knowledge for sustainable livelihoods between researchers, policy makers, civil society organisations and communities.

AfriCAN Climate is a project co-funded by the European Commission, which involves various partners, including the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Risø Centre. [AfriCAN Press Release] [AfricaAdapt Website] [AfriCAN Website]

Launch of two Dutch Funding instruments on food security challenges in Low and Middle Income Countries

Jos Engelen and Minister Lilianne Ploumen sign the convenant.
In the middle Harry Buikema of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

13th May 2013. The Hague. Two new Dutch Funding instruments on food security challenges in Low and Middle Income Countries were launched during a well attended meeting.

Food and Business Research aims at addressing persistent food security challenges in Low and Middle Income Countries. It focuses on the urgent and growing need for adequate knowledge and solutions for regional and local problems related to food security. Food and Business Research consists of two funding instruments: the Global Challenges Programme and the Applied Research Fund. Both are part of the Food & Business Knowledge Agenda of the Ministry of the Dutch Foreign Affairs.

Food and Business Global Challenges Programme (GCP) This programme provides grants to research that generates insights into the functioning of the global food system. The closing date for submitting preliminary applications is 9 July 2013. Proposals should be submitted by consortia of research organisations and various public and private organisations from both the Netherlands and at least one Low and Middle-Income Country (LMIC). Dutch enterprises are especially encouraged to participate.

1. Food and Business Global Challenges Programme | call for preliminary proposals PDF, 428 KB
2. Food and Business Global Challenges Programme | application form preliminary applications Word, 308 KB

Food and Business Applied Research Fund (ARF) This Call for proposals invites consortia composed of private and public practitioners organisations and research organisations, from the 15 Dutch development partner countries and from the Netherlands, to submit project proposals for applied research for innovation.
Of the 15 partner countries for Dutch international cooperation, following countries are from Africa: Benin, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, South Sudan, Uganda. A grant amounts to a minimum of 50,000 euro (for six months) to a maximum of 300,000 euro (for 36 months). Proposals can be submitted continuously during the course of this first Call for proposals. This Call closes at 15 April 2014. Proposals received will be collected and assessed in three different rounds:

1. Food and Business Applied Research Fund | call for proposalsPDF, 720 KB
2. Food and Business Applied Research Fund | application formWord, 146 KB

Myrtille Danse, member Steering Committee, presented the Food and Business Knowledge Forum and Heleen Bos, also a member of the Steering Committee gave a reaction to the synthesis of the online debate (see below). Henk Molenaar, NWO-WOTRO explained the Food and Business Global Challenges Program and Food & Business Applied Research Fund while Paul Engel, Chair of the Steering Committee concluded the day and invited participants in the networking/matchmaking session.

ONLINE DISCUSSION. 
From December until the end of March, The Broker facilitated a dossier on food security. The core of the dossier was an online debate organized jointly with the Dutch Food and Business Knowledge Forum, a new knowledge platform initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find innovative ways to address food insecurity. The focus of the debate was the Dutch government’s analysis of food security, which forms the basis of its policies on food security and nutrition, and to understand better the impact of these policies on developing countries. The ‘Opening Statement’ describes this process.

After a three-month debate on food security, the report with the main findings and recommendations is now online. Over 90 international experts helped determine key challenges and offered answers on how a knowledge-based policy can tackle global food issues. Those include: Mainza Mugoya of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation ; Marco Wopereis, AfricaRice ; Myra Wopereis-Pura, Consultant