The evaluation of the EU development co-operation support to Higher Education in partner countries

18 December 2017. Brussels, Seminar on the results of: The evaluation of the EU development co-operation support to Higher Education in partnercountries.

As the stakeholder consultations are underway to define the next phases of EU programmes, including Erasmus+, the results of a comprehensive evaluation of the six previous programmes Erasmus Mundus (the parts of the programme financed by development co-operation), Intra-ACP Academic Mobility Scheme, Tempus IV, ALFA III, Edulink, and the African Union Support Programme 2 (Pan-African University) are now available.

Has the EU support to Higher Education in developing regions added significant value ? Was the approach of supporting HE through regional and global programmes, and putting HE Institutions at the centre of supportan effective response ? These are just some of the questions addressed in the evaluation. The conclusions and recommendations will be presented followed by a session on questions and answers at the seminar.

The evaluation report is available on DEVCO's website (click here)

Main report (EN) 2.54 MB Download
Evaluation matrix by evaluation questions (EN) 2.97 MB Download
Desk phase analysis (EN) 14.07 MB Download
Country notes (EN) 8.82 MB Download
Context and methodology (EN) 5.66 MB Download
Summary (EN) 730.61 KB Download
Résumé (FR) 740.71 KB Download
Resumen (ES) 749.16 KB Download
Response of the EU services 323.75 KB Download
The seminar was recorded and available soon on the DevCo website.

Agriculture en Afrique de l’Ouest : Le Roppa préconise le modèle familial

8-10 December 2017. Dakar, Senegal. Le Réseau des organisations paysannes et des producteurs d’Afrique de l’Ouest (Roppa) a organisé, du 8 au 10 décembre 2017, un atelier régional des organisations paysannes sur le thème : « Des propositions paysannes pour un dialogue permanent : 1er rapport de l’observatoire des exploitations familiales ». 

A l’issue de trois jours de conclave à Dakar, quatre résultats majeurs ont été obtenus par le Roppa, indique un rapport sur les conclusions de l’atelier. D’après le document, l’ensemble des organisations paysannes sont d’accord sur « quel modèle d’agriculture à promouvoir » pour le développement de l’agriculture africaine. Pour le Roppa, il y a nécessité de confirmer le choix du modèle agriculture familiale tout en privilégiant la « gestion de l’espace, l’aménagement des territoires et le renouvellement des ressources naturelles ». Les panélistes ont aussi proposé une « anticipation sur les changements climatiques » et une « contribution du Roppa à la définition et la mise en œuvre des politiques ».

Au cours de cet atelier, rapporte le document de synthèse, la question du financement et de la pérennisation du cadre ont fait l’objet d’échanges intenses. Ensuite, les participants ont aussi pris « l’engagement commun à faire vivre le cadre de dialogue permanent ». Ainsi, à travers les débats en plénière, informe le rapport, le format et le fonctionnement de ce cadre ont été définis. Tous ces engagements ont été concrétisés par une « feuille de route » avec des pistes de mise en œuvre qui ont été proposées par les participants. Cela va permettre, d’après le document, de « matérialiser, dans les faits, l’engagement commun à faire vivre le cadre de dialogue permanent Op-recherche ».

Global Landscapes Forum

19-20 December 2017. Bonn. The Global Landscapes Forum brought together 1000 attendees from 103 countries in the World Conference Center in Bonn. In total, 21,610,513 people were reached across social media and fully 51,000 people tuned in live from 114 different countries to connect, learn, share and act around our planet’s greatest climate and development challenges.

Extracts of the programme:
Opportunities and lessons learned to enhance and accelerate recognition of community land rights |
HOSTS: Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) with Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
Land degradation, migration and resilience
HOSTS: TerrAfrica with New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), World Bank
Agroforestry in landscape restoration for livelihoods, climate and ecosystem services
HOSTS: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) with Humanist Institute for Co-operation with Developing Countries (HIVOS), CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry
(FTA)
AFR100: From pledges to implementation
HOSTS: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with IUCN, World Resources Institute (WRI), World Bank, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
Landscape restoration for food security and resilient livelihoods – Session 1: “Lessons learned from the ground”
HOSTS: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with World Bank, Landscape restoration for food security and resilient livelihoods – Session 2: “The way forward”
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), World Resources Institute (WRI)
HOSTS: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with World Bank, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), World Resources Institute (WRI)
Forest landscape restoration: Ambitious commitments and challenging practice – the role of financing
HOST: KfW Development Bank on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

 

FORUM ON MIGRATION, TRADE AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

14 December 2017 in Buenos Aires. FORUM ON MIGRATION, TRADE AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. ICTSD’s upcoming Forum on Migration, Trade and the Global Economy will be held on , in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration and Fundación Foro del Sur.

The Forum on Migration, Trade & the Global Economy offered an innovative platform to stimulate a greater understanding of the intersection between migration and international trade. It was an academic, high-profile and inclusive opportunity to facilitate constructive dialogue based on the identification of the latest research across disciplines, exploration of institutional experiences and networking among various epistemic and policy communities. 

The inaugural Forum on Migration, Trade and the Global Economy is being sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL). It will be a one-day event organised in the form of several high-level plenary sessions in the morning, followed by parallel sessions in the afternoon.

The following themes were addressed during the Forum:
Migration, labour policy and good governance

• The effect of international migration on labour market outcomes (employment and wages)
• The need for migrant-inclusive urban governance

Migration and the innovation economy

• Migration and the transfer of knowledge and technology across borders
• Linkages between migration and the digital economy, services and technology

Migration and regional integration

• Migration and the scope of regional integration into value chains
• Migration and the role of small and medium enterprises in Latin America and beyond

Migration and the contribution of diaspora communities

• Remittances as a source of revenue and foreign currency
• The need to strengthen diaspora networks and increase their engagement with countries of origin

Migration and a new vision for development

• Migration and its implications for international development
• UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030 with a focus on the migration-trade nexus

Extracts of the programme

• The contribution of diaspora networks in promoting trade and investment Onyekachi Wambu, Director, Engagement and Policy, The African Foundation for Development (AFFORD UK)
• Trade-related capacity-building to encourage entrepreneurship and businesses at the local level David Luke, Coordinator of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
• Potential role of trade and entrepreneurship/vocational training in addressing migration issues Marion Jansen, Chief Economist, International Trade Centre (ITC)

AgriFoodTech 2017

13-14 December 2017. 's-Hertogenbosch the Netherlands. AgriFoodTech 2017. Sensors, drones, autonomous robots, smart farming, big data, vision technology, smart LEDs …innovations within the Agri and Food sector are developing rapidly.

Mikrocentrum organized this second edition of AgriFoodTech in cooperation with AgriFoodTech Platform (FME, FNLI, LTO Nederland and 4TU with support of the Ministry of Economic Affairs), GMV, Hightech NL and ZLTO.

Extract of the programme:
Practical information and services to manage soil fertility into the hands of farmers worldwide

• Angelique van Helvoort, Manager Marketing and Communicatie, Soilcares
• If we have to feed 9 billion people on this earth soon, we’ll have to produce much more than we currently do. 60% of crop yields depends on soil fertility, which is not easy to manage. SoilCares has developed a Scanner, which can measure nutrients in soil via an App on a smartphone, in connection with an in-house developed soil database. Using algorithms and calculations, measurements of nutrients together with practical hands-on lime or fertilizer recommendations are sent back within 10 minutes. With different Apps and multiple databases different measurements can be done, SoilCares is currently developing Apps and databases to measure feed and leaf material.
• Angelique van Helvoort Soilcares AFT2017 (2.3 MB)

Online tools for innovation in the Agrifood sector

• Bogdan Vukeljic and Jeroen Knol, Director, EFFoSt
• Several freely-available online collaboration tools were developed within the EU-funded projects KATANA and INNO-4-AGRIFOOD. Two are highlighted here: Pragmatic is a marketplace for the precision agriculture in Europe and the other one is an advanced search tool for suitable partners across borders within the Agrifood sector. Learn how you could benefit!
• Bogdan Vukeljic and Jeroen Knol EFFoSt AFT2017 (2 MB)

Precision Livestock Farming - an overview

• Lenny van Erp-van der Kooij, Professor (UAS) Precision Livestock Farming, HAS University of applied sciences
• In the livestock sector, data is becoming increasingly important and the use of sensors becomes more common practice. New technologies evolve and (sensor)data are used to maximize animal and herd performance, monitor health and timely detect problems, thus helping the farmer in decision making. Sensors can monitor animals 24/7, detecting problems earlier than a person can. Precision Livestock Farming can improve animal monitoring and on-farm decision-making, thus improving performance of the cows, animal health and welfare and sustainability. In this lecture an overview of new precision livestock technologies for dairy cows, pigs and poultry will be given.
• Lenny van Erp HAS AFT2017 (1.2 MB)

Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture

12-14 December 2017 in Rome, Italy. GACSA ANNUAL FORUM 2017. Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture.

The GACSA Annual Forum brought together over 200 participants to share evidence and experiences related to Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) and how CSA solutions can be scaled up.

The Annual Forum served as an action-oriented, multi-stakeholder platform. During the three days, the GACSA Action Groups focused on the concrete results achieved by its members on CSA knowledge, investment and policy, and through increased regional engagement, with a view to articulating a concrete Strategic Vision for the Alliance.

Emphasis was made on the importance of the value chain and cross-sectoral partnerships. It showcased how successful adoption of CSA practices and systems by farmers and policy makers requires global, national and regional efforts.

Focus on solution-oriented knowledge
Participants at the meeting focused on how to generate knowledge to support implementation, showing the added-value of CSA as an integrated approach that transforms farming practices and systems to achieve the triple win of sustainable productivity and incomes, adaptation and resilience, and mitigation, for food security and nutrition. While global climate finance flows increased by almost 15% between 2011 and 2014, only a small portion went to agriculture including smallholder projects that are bankable. Developing CSA metrics, related, in particular, to adaptation and resilience to measure progress and attract greater investments in CSA, was reaffirmed as key. Enabling environments need to address issues related to technology constraints, legal frameworks, political instability and institutional capacity, and to consider how to better support farmers, empower
women and engage youth.

As part of the Annual Forum, two regional-side events for Africa and Asia were held.

"The Africa Climate-Smart Agriculture Programme of the African Development Bank: Synergies and Opportunities for Implementation" side event introduced the new « Africa CSA Programme » of the African Development Bank (AfDB). It identified several opportunities for synergies and partnerships, as well as the urgent need for: comprehensive mapping of all CSA initiatives on the continent; closer coordination among stakeholders at national and sub-regional levels; technology transfer and the promotion of proven technologies; private sector engagement in scaling up CSA; regional CSA alliances and platforms for the exchange of good practices; and close collaboration in resource mobilization efforts.

Resources 

Videos of the event are available here.
Photos are available here.

Universities and Climate Change

12 - 13 December 2017. Queen Mary University of London. Universities and Climate Change: The Role of Climate Change Research and Projects in Fostering Climate Action.

There are  relatively few events where a multidisciplinary overview of university-based research efforts and projects on climate change can be show cased, and where researchers from across the spectrum of the natural and social sciences have had the opportunity to come together to discuss research methods, the results of empirical research or exchange ideas about on-going and future research initiatives focusing on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

It is against this background that the 2nd Symposium “Universities and Climate Change” was organised by Manchester Metropolitan University, Queen Mary University of London (UK), and HAW Hamburg, Germany, under the auspices of the International Climate Change Information Programme (ICCIP).

It involved researchers in the field of climate change in the widest sense, not only from traditional climate science, but also from the fields of environment, human geography, business and economics, arts, administration and media studies.

The Symposium focused on the role of climate change research and projects in fostering climate action, and contributed to the further development of this fast-growing field.

Extracts of the Programme

• Improving Knowledge and Practices of Mitigating Climate Change Effects through Waste Recycling in a Community in Ibadan, Nigeria (Dr. Hammed Taiwo Babatunde, University of Ibadan, Nigeria)
• The value of understanding smallholder farmers' contextual vulnerability to climate change and variability (Mrs. Louise Abongu, University of Reading. School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, UK)
• Community Action for Biodiversity and Forest Conservation and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Wild Coffee Forests (CAFA) (Svane Bender-Kaphengst, The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), Ethiopia)
• Understanding the role of networks in stimulating adaptation actions on the ground: examples from two African case studies (Dr. Lorena Pasquini, University of Cape Town, South Africa)
• Behavioural approaches of rural women farmers to mitigation and adaptation measures of climate change in Abia state Nigeria (Dr. Umeh Ogechi Jubilant, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Nigeria) 
• Climate Change Impacts and Research in the Caribbean: contraints, opportunities and the role of tertiary institutions (Dr. Lisa Benjamin, The Climate Change Initiative/University of the Bahamas, The Bahamas)
• Integrated Nutrient Management Can Enhance Capacity of Conservation Agriculture to Mitigate Climate Change in Southern Africa (Prof Isaiah IC Wakindiki, University of Venda, South Africa) 
• Maize yields in varying rainfall regimes and cropping systems across Southern Africa: A modelling assessment (Mr. Siyabusa Mkuhlani, Climate Systems Analysis Group, University of Cape Town, South Africa)
• Assessing the impact of 1.5 and 2 degree warming on crop suitability over West Africa (Temitope S. Egbebiyi, Olivier Crespo, Climate System Analysis Group, Environmental and Geographical Science Department, University of Cape Town, South Africa and Visiting Academic Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK) 

Climate change adaptation: community-based adaption in multistakeholder landscapes

7-8 December 2017. Utrecht. The Netherlands. Climate change adaptation: community-based adaption in multistakeholder landscapes. This interactive seminar was a follow up from last year’s conference Climate Change Interventions as a Source of Conflict, Cooperation and New Mobilities.

Bottom-up, participatory, community-based approaches – where local actors participate in the selection of and decision-making about adaptation strategies to be pursued in their area – are commonly presented as a requirement for successful interventions. This notion is fundamentally embedded in popular adaptation programming, such as Ecosystems-Based Adaptation (EBA) and Community-Based Adaptation (CBA).

Yet despite the emphasis on community participation in adaptation, the ‘communities’ themselves are increasingly implied as abstracted, isolated, homogenous and static units, through which resilience is automatically strengthened. In reality, we know very well that communities are also sites of internal conflict and changing patterns of cooperation. They exist in complex, multi-stakeholder landscapes where competing claims to natural resources are intertwined in fragile and sometimes violent relations between different livelihoods, ethnicities, gender, generation and political affiliations, with, in many instances, very different definitions of sustainability.

Extracts of the LANDac – UU – TICCI 7th December Programme

• Towards inclusive climate change interventions in African Drylands Sebastiaan Soeters, Utrecht University 
• Biodiversity and farmer-pastoralist conflict in Burkina Faso Babou Bationo, INERA
• Dam rehabilitation (developing agriculture in pastoral landscapes) in Kenya Patrick Twala and Stanley Riamit Kimaren, ILEPA
• Top down analysis for bottom up adaptation: filling knowledge gaps for data scarce environments of urban SubSaharan Africa Eduardo Pérez-Molina, University of Twente

Nigerian Poultry Feeds Research and Development

7-8 December 2017. Nigeria. Nigerian Poultry Feeds Research and Development. The Nigerian Poultry Feeds Research for Development (NIPOFERD) Consortium organised the TropiSymposium 2017 event.

This was a two­ day event focused on the current scientific knowledge and technology developments on the use of palm kernel meal and cake in animal production.

Scientists, postgraduate students, end users and experts from social, natural, environmental, animal and veterinary sciences attended the TropiSymposium 2017.

The organizers were: the Research Tropica Forum of the Nigerian Poultry Feeds Research for Development (NIPOFERD) Consortium, domiciled in the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT), Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

Objective of the Symposium
The symposium had the general objective of harnessing research information on recent developments leading to more efficient PKC utilization in the livestock industry.

• Share research information and practical experiences on recent developments on PKC utilization in animal production
• Enhance the capacity of participants on the science and technological innovations involved in the development of new products from PKC and their uses in animal production
• Identify key challenges and bottlenecks that may hinder the scaling‐up of the use of PKC derived products in animal production
• Enhance an enduring network of PKC researchers

Background information
Modern intensive animal production is input driven, with formulated diets accounting for 60 – 70% of the cost of production. However, high costs of conventional feed raw materials and commercially finished rations are major constraints of intensive animal production in Nigeria and many tropical developing countries. The rising demand for maize and other grains for other industrial uses and the attendant high cost of these important feed raw materials have been severally reported. The solution, therefore, has been to explore through research, the use of locally available alternative feed raw materials such as palm kernel meal and cake.

Palm kernel cake (PKC), obtained from palm fruit (Elaeis guinesis), is an agro-industrial by-product derived from the local processing of palm nuts for vegetable oil in Nigeria and many tropical countries. It is readily available and cheap, particularly in Southern Nigeria. There has also been a dramatic increase in global production of PKC with annual growth of 15% amounting to about 8.2 million metric ton in 2012. Industry adapted processing methods include a solvent or hydraulic press which accounts for the variations in its biochemical compositions. It is aflatoxin free, palatable, and has considerable potential as carbohydrate, fiber and protein source.

However, chemical analysis of PKC shows that its nutrient content varies widely, depending upon the oil extraction process, the species of the palm nut and the amount of shell content remaining in the meal. It has therefore been used as a moderate source of protein and energy in different livestock such as dairy cow, pig, rabbit, laying hen and broiler chickens. 

Recently, several studies employing enzyme treatment and solid-state fermentation of the PKC have been carried out to enhance the nutrient content of PKC for poultry digestion and inclusion level enhancement. For example, enzymic depolymerization of PKC has been employed to release digestible and absorbable sugars for poultry, while supplementation with specific enzymes has resulted in appreciable break down of mannans in PKC. 

Other findings suggest that PKC could replace commercial Manno-oligosaccharides as a prebiotic to improve animal health and immunity. It is, therefore, our belief that research knowledge developed on the better processing of PKC to value added products feed formulation and production could be harnessed under an interactive knowledge exchange environment for transfer to end users in order to scale up the use of PKC in the Nigerian livestock industry and beyond.

Abstracts:

• THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF PALM KERNEL CAKE DURING GROWING STAGES IN THE NIGERIAN LOCAL CHICKEN
• EGG LAYING PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS TRAITS OF NIGERIAN LOCAL HENS FED VARYING DIETARY LEVELS OF PALM KERNEL CAKE, K.D
• CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH UTILIZATION OF PALM KERNEL CAKE (PKC) IN POULTRY NUTRITION AND FEED ADDITIVE APPLICATIONS FOR THEIR MITIGATION 
• PERFORMANCE OF BROILERS FED PALM KERNEL CAKE-BASED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH BIOACTIVE YEAST
• PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF PALM KERNEL CAKE TO PIG FEEDING BY SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA
• LEAST COST PRODUCTION OF SAWDUST/PALM KERNEL CAKE BASED DIETS FOR POULTRY ON ZOOTECH FORTIFIER MIX
• GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND COST-BENEFITS OF BROILERS FED CORN-PALM KERNEL CAKE BASED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH COMMERCIAL ENZYMES
• PERFORMANCE OF GROWER PIGS FED VARYING DIETARY LEVELS OF PALM KERNEL MEALIN THE HUMID TROPICS
• PERFORMANCE OF WEANER PIGS FED VARYING DIETARY LEVELS OF PALM KERNEL MEAL
• PROXIMATE and AMINO ACIDS COMPOSITIONS OF PALM KERNEL CAKE SAMPLES FROM NIGERIA
• METHODS FOR IMPROVING THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF PALM KERNEL CAKE AND ITS UTILIZATION AS SUBSTRATE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS
• GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTIC EFFECTS OF REPLACING MAIZE WITH PALM KERNEL NUT MEAL (PKNM) IN BROILER DIETS IN SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA
• QUALITY SCORES OF THE AMINO ACIDS CONTENT OF PALM KERNEL CAKE SAMPLES FROM NIGERIA
• THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FIBER COMPOSITIONS OF PALM KERNEL CAKE IN RELATION TO MONOGASTRIC ANIMAL NUTRITION
• APPROPRIATE EXTENSION AND ADVISORY SERVICES APPROACHES IN DISSEMINATING PALM KERNEL CAKE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIA
• ECONOMICS OF PALM KERNEL CAKE PRODUCTION IN SOUTH EAST, NIGERIA
• NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF BIOACTIVE MOLECULES DERIVED FROM PALM KERNEL CAKE
PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PALM KERNEL CAKE AND STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING ITS NUTRITIVE VALUE FOR POULTRY AND PIGS
• UTILIZATION OF PALM KERNEL CAKE IN FEEDING POULTRY
• PALM KERNEL CAKE AND SOME AGRO BY-PRODUCTS MIXTURE: A POSSIBLE ENERGY SOURCE IN POULTRY DIET
• EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION PALM OIL AND PALM KERNEL OIL ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND TESTICULAR DEVELOPMENT IN ALBINO RATS

Resources:
Programme + abstracts TropiSymposium 2017. The Science and Technology of Palm Kernel Cake Utilization in Animal Production. 16 pages

Analysis of a Nipoferd Symposium on Palm Kernel Cake (PKC) Utilization in Animal Production: The Foundation for a PKC Research Network in Nigeria 3 pages

List of Participants at the Tropisymposium 2017

Network meeting and launch of BiomassNet

7 December 2017. Accra, Ghana. Network meeting and launch of BiomassNet. The meeting was open to relevant disciplines and sectors that address food and non-food biomass issues in Africa, particularly scientists and experts from government and non-governmental organizations, development agencies, farmers and the private sector.

The launch was followed by an exhibition and presentations of demand-driven research projects funded under the BiomassWeb project and other BiomassWeb related projects focused on innovative approaches towards enhancing biomass productivity and utilization in food and non-food production, processing and trading.

BiomassWeb is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supported with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as part of the GlobE – Research for the global food supply program.

• German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
• German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Duration of the Project: Phase 1: July 2013-June 2016, phase 2: July 2016-June 2018.

The European Mineral Fertilizer Summit

6-7 December. Amsterdam. The European Mineral Fertilizer Summit. This two day event provided an exclusive platform for collaboration and discussion between a variety of industry perspectives including manufacturers, suppliers, distribution/logistics, academia but some other involved areas as policymakers, NGO’s, nutrition and environment preservers.

Extracts of the programme:
Delivering Sustainable agriculutre and the outstanding production practices

• Prem Bindrabham, Director of European-Netherlands Office of IFDC adressing public perception of fertilizers' use and its' contribution in several sectors (nutrition, water and soil security, human health, climate chage, sustainable development, agriculture...)
• Dominik Klauser. Senior Scientist and Research Manager Sygenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Demonstrating the involvment of the industry in a changing world

8th International Forum on Food and Nutrition

4-5 December. Milano, Italy. 8th International Forum on Food and Nutrition. The BCFN Forum is
the international platform of dialogue and networking that every year aims to identify the pathway towards concrete solutions to the environmental, health and socio-economic challenges affecting the current food system.

The 2017 edition brought together policy makers, the scientific community, private sector and the general public to share knowledge, analysis and best practices in light of the Agenda 2030.

Held in Milan at Pirelli HangarBicocca the eight edition of the event focused on food security, climate change and migrations, sustainable food systems at the country and city level and the reform of the agricultural policy in Europe.

Extracts of the programme
On December 4, the Forum amplified the voice of new generations, involving young leaders from all over the world seeking for scalable ideas to overcome current burning issues in the food system.

• The first day included the Award ceremony - Agropolis Louis Malassis International Scientific Prize for Agriculture and Food Olam Prize for Innovation in Food Security

On December 5, the Forum  involved high level speakers on main topics and participants in interactive working sessions on such subjects, stimulating an active engagement of the audience.

• Keynote. Food solutions in the framework of the SDGs, Jeffrey Sachs  Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University and Director, UN SDSN
• The role of African CSOs for the implementation of Agenda 2030: The case of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa Million Belay  Founder of Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and Researcher, Stockholm Resilience Centre
• Getting to Zero Hunger in an uncertain world! What will it take? Arif Husain  Chief Economist and Director of the Food Security Analysis and Trends Service, World Food Programme
• Safe and healthy food in 2030: the road ahead - Interview with: Vytenis Andriukaitis  EU Commissioner Health and Food Safety

PARALLEL WORKING SESSIONS: extract

Research and Innovation in Food Systems

• Bina Agarwal Professor of Development Economics and Environment - University of Manchester
• Filippo Maria Bassi Durum wheat breeder, ICARDA, Morocco, winner, Olam Prize 2017
• Barbara Buchner Executive Director, Climate Finance - Climate Policy Initiative
• Paul Gepts Distinguished professor of the University of California-Davis, California
• Touhami Khorchani Professor Director, Institut des Régions Arides - Tunisia
• Paul Kosuth Director, Agropolis Fondation
• Elena Poverenov Research Scientist, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences of Agricultural Organization of Israel

Videos

Webinar Innovative Annual Reports

6 December.  (co-organized by GFAR and GLF). While most people are looking forward for a season filled with jingle bells, carols, presents and new year’s fireworks, many professional communicators have a different perspective: the end of the year marks the start of yet another dreaded process of preparing the organisation’s annual report…

But.. there is a light at the end of the tunnel: there are ways to improve the data-collection process, and to present annual reports in more exciting ways than just a boring .PDF version of that same printed copy!

Speakers:

Stefanie Neno joined the The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in 2014 as Public Awareness Coordinator and became Communications Manager in January 2016. She supervises the Center’s corporate and strategic communications, story development, media outreach, events, web presence (website, blog, and social media), and design and publications areas.
Stefanie has worked in communications related to sustainable development for the past 15 years. She received a Master’s degree in Environmental Economics in 2002 and subsequently trained in strategic communications, outreach and policy influencing.

Joan Apio has a 10 year experience working with African Universities to strategically position themselves through turning scientific research into simple yet compelling communication products. Joan has worked as the Program Officer, Communication, Publicity and Marketing at the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a network of 85 universities in 35 African countries. She has engaged with stakeholders to design and implementation of Communication Strategies.

Samuel Stacey is a digital marketing and communication consultant, specializing in websites, campaigns, social media and content creation. He’s currently Interim Communications Manager at the CGIAR System Organization, and has served as their Online Media Coordinator since 2014. Over the past 4 years, he has been involved in several interactive Annual Report projects, taking print versions and rapidly deploying fully featured, interactive, single-page websites.


Jennifer Johnson is the Communications Officer for the CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, where she works to develop innovative web content and annual reports to highlight the work being done by MAIZE and CIMMYT staff around the world.

Jemima Mandapati is a Senior Communication Officer at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India. She worked as a journalist in the Indian media for over a decade. At ICRISAT she started off as a Science Writer/Editor in 2014, working on annual reports, the newsletter and other publications besides taking on reporting assignments.

Fiona Chandler is a communication champion who works in the agricultural development environment to mobilize communities and partnerships. After spending nearly 20 years working in communication, fund raising and organizational development for agricultural research for development organizations, Fiona knows what drives conversions, builds partnership, fosters communities—and it’s not just blasting your messages out. It’s how well you connect with the people you’re engaged with and nurture mutual collaboration.
Fiona has worked with both the doers and donors in international agricultural research and development including the CGIAR, GFAR and CSIRO.

Resources:
You can contact the speakers directly via:

• Jemima Mandapati (ICRISAT-IN) <M.Jemima@cgiar.org>
• Fiona Chandler <chanderanfarm2375@gmail.com>
• Samuel Stacey (CGIAR System Organization) <s.stacey@cgiar.org>
• Jennifer Johnson (CIMMYT) <J.A.JOHNSON@cgiar.org>
• Stefanie Neno (CIAT) <s.neno@cgiar.org>
• Joan Apio <j.apio@kavibe.com>
• Technical assistance: charles.plummer@fao.org

Some links distributed in the chatbox: annual report examples:

• https://wle.cgiar.org/research/annual-report/2016
• http://ciat.cgiar.org/ciat-annual-report-2016-2017/
• https://www.bioversityinternational.org/ar2016/
• https://www.plantwise.org/Uploads/Plantwise/Plantwise
• http://www.rtb.cgiar.org/2016-annual-report/
• http://ivri.nic.in/news/Best_ANNUAL_REPORT_150515.pdf
• http://annualreport.icrisat.org/
• http://annualreport.iica.int/home.html with PDF in 4 languages: : http://opackoha.iica.int/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=34818
• >>note that there are a LOT of example of annual reports in the powerpoint presentation too!
• Adobe Spark: https://spark.adobe.com/page/dnhO9/
• Social media toolkit for an annual report: https://annualreports.cgiar.org/2016/social-media-toolkit/
• Cheap and good infographics (and other PR material): http://fiverr.com/
• How to set up a branded URL shortener with Bitly (side conversation with Sam): https://bitly.is/2B60Q9C
• Creative annual reports: http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/annual-report-design-2131905
• More on the same: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/beautiful-annual-report-designs/
• CIAT’s use of Tableau: http://ciat.cgiar.org/datasets/data-visualizations/

3rd International Conference on Global Food Security

3-6 December 2017.  Cape Town, South Africa. The 3rd International Conference on Global Food Security in association with the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security and the Universities of Pretoria and the Western Cape, brought together leaders from industry and academia to exchange and share their experiences, present research results, explore collaborations, and to spark new ideas, with the aim of developing new projects and exploiting new technology for food security.

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAMME

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The five core conference themes reflect an integrated approach to identifying solutions to the complex global challenge of food security:

1. Food creation
2. Food safety and bio security
3. Food loss and waste
4. Food in a changing society



Prof Julian May, director 
of @FoodSecurity_za,
closes the Conference 
by announcing
the launch of the UNESCO 
Chair in African Food Systems

5. Food utilization

Download the thematic matrix

Extracts of the programme:
3 December
Australia Africa Universities Network Meeting

• F. Swanepoel, University of Pretoria, South Africa, 
• J. Hearn, Member of Advisory Group on Australia Africa Relations, Australia

Value chain development of underutilised horticultural crops as strategic means to generating local food and nutrition security 

• Chair: Prof Wolfgang Bokelmann Division Economics of Horticultural Production, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany 
• M. Krawinkel, Justus-Liebig-University, Germany
• E. Mitcham, University of California Davis, USA
• W. Oluoch-Kosura, University of Nairobi, Kenya
• S. Stöber, S. Huyskens-Keil, Humboldt University, Germany
• E. Gogo, Egerton University Kenya, Kenya
• M. Abukutsa, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya

What strategies work for food and nutritional security and gender equality in agriculture research and development ?

• Chair: Professor Alice Pell Cornell University, USA
• S. Cole World Fish, Sierra Leone
• M. Miruka CARE, USA
• J. Njuki International Development Research Centre, Kenya
• M. Mentz University of Pretoria, South Africa
• S. Ndema Mwamakamba Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network, South Africa (FANRPAN)

Small farms and their contribution to sustainable food and nutritional security: A transdisciplinary analysis of food systems in European and African regions

Chair: Prof Karlheinz W Knickel Universidade de Évora, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Portugal

• M. Nganwani Tia, Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet), Ghana
• Q. Naidoo AfriGrow NPC, South Africa
• M.R. Méndez, Universidade de Évora, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Portugal
• M. Redman, James Hutton Institute (JHI), UK
• Vlachopoulou, Consulting S.R.L .Romania
• R.W. Nartey Yeboah, University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana

Agro-biodiversity for dietary diversification with traditional African fruits and vegetables for improved health and nutrition

Science of scaling: connecting the pathways of agricultural research and development to improve rural livelihoods

Sustainable agricultural intensification: How to make it happen in Africa

Foresight for decision-making on food security in Africa

4 December

• Keynote  Investing in potential: Africa’s people and land feeding the world, Adipala Ekwamu, Executive Secretary, Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)
• The future of farming: Who will produce our food?- Ken Giller, Wageningen Centre for Agroecology and Systems Analysis, The Netherlands
• Unseen fungal pathogens threaten biosecurity and trade, Professor Pedro Crous, The Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, The Netherlands

5 December

What agriculture is needed for sustainable food systems?, Dr Hans Herren, IPES-Food
The Swaminathan Lecture series aims at promoting the work of a senior researcher that has devoted his life and his career to working on agriculture and food issues and over the course of their career have come to work on sustainable food systems, showing an open mind to new dimensions of the subject.

• Chair: Dr Emile Frison, Chair of the International Scientific Committee of the Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso 
• What agriculture is needed for sustainable food systems? H. Herren, Biovision Foundation, Switzerland

Youth inclusion, Dr Alemayehu Konde Koira, MasterCard Foundation, Canada

Rethinking public policies for food security: Moving from sectorial to territorial approaches, Dr Bruno Losch, University of the Western Cape, South Africa, and CIRAD, France

Food creation agricultural productivity and livestock

6 December

• The Malabo Montpellier panel and forum, Prof. Sheryl Hendriks, Member of the Malabo Montpellier Panel and Director of the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Well-being, University of Pretoria, South Africa
• Review of SDG 2 by the UN high level political forum in July and the identification of critical and emerging issues by the HLPE, Dr Patrick Caron, Cirad, Chair of the High-Level Panel of Experts of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security, France
• Recent developments in food and nutrition security on the African continent, Prof. Mandivamba Rukuni, Director, BEAT Doctoral Academy, South Africa
• 9th GCHERA Global Conference and World Agriculture Prize, Prof. John Kennelly, President, GCHERA World Agriculture Prize, Canada

Closing plenary: Food in the future

High level panel of experts provided their insights on the future of food in the world, incorporating the insights shared over the course of the conference. A moderator will provide commentary on the synergies at the 3rd IGFSC and other global conferences.

• Professor Molly Jahn, Professor, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
• Dr Lindiwe Majele, Vice-President Country Support, Policy and Delivery, AGRA, Kenya
• Dr Dorine Odongo, Senior Communications Manager, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), Kenya
• Chair: Bongiwe Njobe, Chairperson, Global Forum Agricultural Research (GFAR)

Upcoming:

The 4th International Conference on Global Food Security goes to ... Montpellier

Agriculture-Nutrition Outcomes for Countries

11 December 2017. Brussels. DevCo Infopoint. Countries are seeking to improve nutrition through multiple sectors, including agriculture and food systems. This requires navigating dietary transitions, strengthening country ownership of programmes and investment decisions, working with public and private partners, and better understanding drivers that shape demand. These are key considerations for lesson learning moving forward.

Introduction: Bernard Rey, Deputy Head of Unit, DEVCO C1- Rural Development, Food Security, Nutrition
Panel discussion:

• John McDermott, Director, CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH)
• Namukolo Covic, Senior Research Coordinator, IFPRI, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Roseline Remans, Research Scientist, Bioversity International, Brussels
• Thom Achterbosch, Senior Researcher, Wageningen Economic Research, International Policy

Please find also the link to the video of the conference:

https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/news-and-events/agriculture-nutrition-outcomes-countries_en

Helping countries improve nutrition outcomes through agriculture and food - what have we learned? what next? from Francois Stepman

Research & Policy: a dialogue for food security impact

1 December 2017. The Hague, the Netherlands. NWO-WOTRO and the Food & Business Knowledge Platform, organized the conference “Research & Policy: two peas in a pod? A dialogue for food security impact”. The conference was organized in in close cooperation with the Dutch Ministries of Foreign and Economic Affairs.

Around 150 participants from the Netherlands, Africa and South Asia gathered in The Hague to share and connect their work in the field of food security.
The aim of this conference was to improve the link between (interim) results of the Food & Business Applied Research Fund (ARF) and the Food & Business Global Challenges Programme (GCP) research projects and the Dutch policy and programmes in the field of food and nutrition security. The intended outcome was to strengthen policy relevance and uptake of research results through a constructive dialogue between researchers and Dutch policy makers.

The conference brought together consortium members of the 45 ARF and 30 GCP projects, Dutch policy makers, and professionals from the larger F and BKP network. Insight was given in the unique ARF and GCP instruments which fund
multi-actor research-business groups that focus on local food security issues in LMICs and have much attention for co-creation and research uptake.

There was an opening by Rob de Vos (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs), key-note speeches from Brave Ndisale (FAO) and Cees Leeuwis (WUR) and the targeted Agrofood Broker of the Year Award will be presented. Furthermore, thematic focus areas based on (interim) results, innovations, potential outcomes and interesting experiences of the projects, and related to Dutch policy, was used to focus the dialogue in different ”round table” sessions during the conference.

For all sessions, concept notes were drafted: please click on the link (PDF) to download the concept note for the thematic focus area :

Morning sessions

• Session 1 – Innovations for food security: concept note
• Session 2 – Nutrition and consumption: concept note
• Session 3 – Inclusive business development for food security: concept note
• Session 4 – Knowledge co-creation for food security: concept note

Afternoon sessions

• Session 5 – Capture fisheries, aquaculture and food security: concept note and annex
• Session 6 – Urban food systems: concept note
• Session 7 – Climate Smart Agriculture: concept note and background paper
• Session 8 – Food security, conflict and resilience: concept note

Resources:
Please find here a link to the newsletter with all conference highlights and results, including the dynamic discussions during eight thematic sessions in various conference blogs.

For a visual impression of the day, please take a look at the conference video.

 On Twitter you can find the posts related to the conference at #FoodDialogue.

Keynote speakers elaborated on the role of research in development practices and the need to consider food systems within a wider policy and (local) political context to achieve changes. In the thematic sessions results from ARF and; GCP research projects were presented followed by lively dialogues on how to improve the policy-research link and which bottlenecks need to be addressed. In addition, the Agrofood Broker of the Year was announced and an ARF booklet presented on the unique approach of the ARF.