Monday, August 12, 2024

Operationalising Higher Agricultural Education and Research Ecosystems for Innovation, Industrialisation and Economic Development in Africa

 


12 - 16 August 2024. 2nd RUFORUM Triennial Conference Windhoek, Namibia

The theme for the second Triennial Conference is “Operationalising Higher Agricultural Education and Research Ecosystems for Innovation, Industrialisation and Economic Development in Africa: A Call for Action”.

The conference will enable education, research and agricultural ecosystem actors to showcase and present their key findings, lesson-share and inform each other on key actions required to harness science, technology and innovation for Africa’s development. Accordingly, the second Triennial Conference will involve scientific sessions that bring together a wide range of stakeholders and partners. The scientific sessions will include oral and poster presentations as well as exhibitions.

Extracts of the programme # 26 pp.


12/08 @ Educating Africa for the 21st century, lessons leaned over the years, implications for Africa’s Higher Education sector


This symposium was held in three sub-themes listed below. 
  1. Supplying Africa’s 2nd decade (2024-2034) work force: i. Transforming Graduate Training and Research: The gaps, experiences, and lessons learnt. ii. Entrepreneurial education: The practice, and scalable lessons. iii. Rebalancing the human resource pyramid: The gaps, and linkage between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs) and university education. iv. Closing the gender and diversity gap in agricultural education: The gaps, lessons learnt and opportunities. v. Leaving no one behind: Out of school skilling and education programmes: Practice and lessons learnt. 
  2. Emergent Issues-Digitizing education: i. Leveraging digital tool to increase access to education while maintaining quality and relevance. ii. Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence and its impact on education.
  3. Emergent issues: Building human capital for Africa’s climate change and resilience
    programmes.     i. Climate risks and mitigation: The gaps, experiences, and lessons learnt in training programmes. ii. Low carbon services and renewables: The gaps, experiences, and lessons learnt in training and research programmes. iii. Climate and carbon finance, and resilience investments: The gaps, experiences and lessons learnt.
  • Prof. Patrick Okori, RUFORUM
  • Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, Principal Secretary, State Department of Higher Education, Kenya
  • Dr. Molapo Qhobela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Institutional Change, Strategic Partnerships and Societal Impact (TBC)
  • Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole, Secretary General, AAU
  • Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President, AGRA
  • Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director, FARA
  • Dr. Silim Nahdy, Executive Director, AFAAS
  • Dr. Simeon Ehui, Regional Director, Continental Africa CGIAR and DG IITA

13/08 @ 8:30 CET Sustainably Growing the economy and Feeding Africa


Download Concept Note + Registration link for virtual participation 
Plenary Session, Thematic Area 2: Sustainably Growing the Economy and Feeding Africa 

The event will start with a policy address on “Africa’s strategic and policy aspirations for sustainably feeding and growing its agrifood system to be delivered by Special Advisor to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), African Union Commission. This will be followed by a keynote address on “Sustainably growing the economy and feeding Africa” to be made by the CGIAR.” Discussants from academia, national and continental agricultural research organizations, and the extension service providers, private sector, and farmers will respond to the key issues raised in the keynote address.
  • Prof. Jerome Theo Afeikhena, Special Advisor to the Commissioner, Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission (Representing Commissioner ARBE) - Policy address on “Africa’s strategic and policy aspirations for sustainably feeding and growing its agrifood system”
  • Dr. Ephraim Nkonya, Nonresident Research Fellow, IFPRI - Economics of land degradation in sub-Saharan Africa

    His paper was shared among the participants:

    Ephraim Nkonya, Timothy Johnson, Ho Young Kwon, and Edward Kato Background Paper_Economics of land degradation in SSA.pdf # 47 pp.

     Efforts to increase adoption of integrated soil fertility management will require improvement of access to markets, advisory services and retraining of agricultural extension services. There is also need to find practical and amenable strategies for incentivizing farmers to use ISFM. For example, conditional fertilizer subsidy could provide incentives for farmers to adopt nitrogen fixing agroforestry trees and improve significantly the current subsidy programs in several SSA countries.

  • Prof. Agnes Mwangombe, Former Principal of the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi
  • Dr. Job Kihara, Initiative Co-Lead, Excellence in Agronomy, CGIAR
  • Prof. Umezuruike Linus Opara, Distinguished Professor and Research Chair, Stellenbosch, South Africa
  • Prof. Cliff Dlamini, Executive Director and Head of Mission, CCARDESA
  • Dr. Moumini Savadogo, Executive Director, CORAF
  • Dr. Robert Zougmoré, AICCRA Cluster Lead for West Africa, Alliance of Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT


13/08 @ 10:30 Unlocking Inclusive and Broad-Based Economic Opportunity


Thematic Area 3: Plenary Session

To unlock inclusive and broad-based economic opportunity for Africa, new knowledge on models, pathways, and drivers of Africa’s economic growth, successes, and lessons for scaling these across the continent be identified and widely disseminated. A symposium will discuss how to unlock inclusive economic growth in Africa in two sub-themes:
  1. Inclusive resourcing for equitable economic growth: i. Inclusive access to financial resources: Microfinance, Fintechs and supporting excluded communities and populations. ii. Access to agricultural input subsidies: Lessons learnt and options for the future iii. Access to technologies: Lessons learnt and options for the future in formal and informal seed and technology supply systems, post stress seed systems (emergency seed) iv. Closing the gender gap in agriculture practice and enterprise. v. Inclusive access to land, water, and other physical resources for production (land tenure systems -access, usage, control) for all. 
  2. Wealth and Youth Employment: i. Agri-entrepreneurship and agriculture de-revived jobs: Initiatives, opportunities, prospects, and lessons learnt from past and ongoing actions. ii. Feeding Africa’s urbanising population: The changing peri-urban and urban food systems and their opportunities for young people through service provision, value addedprocessing and new foods. iii. Unlocking entrepreneurship in innovation: Digitization, and emerging technologies to facilitate best environment for entrepreneurship.
  • Dr. David Nielson, RUFORUM IAP, and former WB - "Is an inclusive and diverse growth possible for Africa? Lessons learnt over the past decades of the continental renaissance."
  • Dr. Pascal Sanginga, Regional Sector Manager for Agriculture and Agro-Industries, African Development Bank
  • Dr. Enock Warinda, Executive Director, ASARECA.
  • Dr Tshilidzi Madzivhandila, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), FARNPAN

13/08 @ 8:30 CET Economic Trends, Best -Practices, Policy-Practice and Futures

Thematic Area 4: Plenary Session
  1. Innovations for growing Africa’s agriculture and related sectors: a) Improving Africa’s low agricultural total factor productivity: The status, trends and opportunities; b) Technological Leapfrogging: Digitization, renewables and manufacture transition ; c) Production at scale for a growing population and markets: Can smallholder agriculture grow and feed Africa: Evidence, roles and opportunity?
  2. Foresight and trend studies: a) Reaping Africa’s demographic dividend: Implications for education planning and investments; b) Making agriculture work for African economies: lessons learnt from CAADP and other frameworks; c) Policy and economic implications of climate risks and natural disasters.
  3. Policies, planning and its implementation (underpinnings for the second decade of Africa’s agenda 2063- (2024-2034): a) People centred development; b) Economic resilience:

14/08 @ 2:00 pm CET AU - EU high level policy dialogue on higher agricultural education



The meeting is designed to have three sessions that will include an official opening, and two technical sessions that will focus on; (a) Policy frameworks for strengthening Africa-Europe Research and Science capacity; (b) Dialogues on experiences and lessons learnt from implementing intra-Africa, Africa-European partnerships as well as global collaboration for building human and science capacity for Africa.

Session 1: Dialogue Opening : Call for Action to Strengthen Africa’s Human & Science Capacity
  • Prof. Kenneth K. Matengu, Vice Chancellor
  • Dr. Stephen Onakuse, President, AGRINATURA 
  • Mr. Mukulia Kennedy Ayason, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission 
  • H.E. Ana Beatriz Martins, EU Ambassador to Namibia 
  • Hon. Carl Schlettwein, MP, Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform 
Session 2: Policy frameworks and agendas for strengthening Africa’s Research and Science capacity

Lead Paper 1: Imperatives for strengthening Africa- European Union higher education and research agendas: Lessons learnt and new opportunities. Prof. Ylva Hillbur, Pro Vice-Chancellor, international relations, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden.

Panel Discussion: Making the partnership work for African and European Universities
  • Prof. Ioannis Dimitriou moderator 
  • Prof. Peter Mageto, Vice Chancellor of Africa University 
  • Prof. Georgewill Owunari, University of Port Harcourt 
  • Jelle Maas, Wageningen University 
  • Prof. Rachid Serraj Director of Strategy & Africa Initiative at UM6P 
  • Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University
Session 3: Convergence and way-forward planning for strengthening Africa-European strategic partnerships for higher agricultural education, research for development and policy

Lead Paper 2: The AU-EU International Research Consortium on Research and Innovation on Food, Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture as a coordination mechanism for a coherent AU-EU partnership Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director, FARA

Panel Discussion: Experiences from Africa and Europe for making the IRC relevant and effective 
  • Moderator: Dr. Petronella Chaminuka
  • AGRINATURA 
  • Dr. Patrice Grimaud Director for East Africa, CIRAD 
  • National Research Foundation, South Africa 
  • National Council for Research, Science and Technology, Namibia.
Panel Discussion: Strengthening regional coordination of the partnership in Africa
  • Moderator: Dr. Petronella Chaminuka
  • Dr. Enock Warinda, Executive Director, ASARECA 
  • Dr Moumini Savadogo, Executive Director, CORAF 
  • Executive Director and Head of Mission, CCARDESA


Triennial Conference side events


13/08 CGIAR, African Agricultural Research, Innovation and Education Institutions


13/08 @ 2:00 pm CET High Level Partnership Roundtable for Last Mile Delivery



Given the diversity and complexities of SSA farming systems , coupled with increased internet band width, and telephony penetration across the continent; as well as the presence of financial technologies (FINTECs) and other digital information innovations, the potential for the continent to increase access to knowledge to the s majority of farmers, is a realistic optimism. Leveraging all these opportunities requires new ways of doing business, including among others shifting to market-driven, business oriented and integrated systems. This is necessary, among other things, to reengage Africa's women and young population in agriculture.

This meeting brings together different actors to create shared vision for increasing last mile delivery of science and technology products and services as well as other allied requisites for transforming Africa’s agrifood systems. A major objective being the intensification of young people in Africa’s emerging USD 1 trillion agrifood systems market.

  • Dr. Paul Fatch 
  • Dr Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director, FARA. 
  • Dr Simeon Ehui, Director General the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Regional Director for Africa, CGIAR
  • Dr Silim M Nahdy Executive Director, AFAAS - Last mile delivery: What we have learnt and the transformations needed to engage unlock opportunity for agrifood systems transformation 
  • Prof. Anthony Egeru, Skilling and Engagement Manager, RUFORUM Secretariat. - Engaging young people into the monetized economy: What we have learnt. 
  • Experiences from the sub-regional organisation CCARDESA, ASARECA and CORAF
  • Development partner perspectives: What is the agenda and what have we learnt?
  • Roundtable discussions: Other opportunities for agrifood systems transformation 

Concept Note + Registration link for virtual participation


The transition towards agroecological food systems and the development of both productive andresilient farming systems and value chains are complex processes. It requires new knowledge, competencies and policies to co-create solutions based on agroecological principles and the integration of scientific and local knowledge.

Therefore the Regional Multi-Actors Research Network (RMRN) projects is being implemented onregional scale to strengthen the capacity of the Regional Centers of Excellence (RCoE) and other actors which are to be selected by the subregional organizations (SROs), namely CORAF, ASARECA, and CCARDESA, to conduct agroecology research within their respective sub-regions . These RCoEs rely on stakeholder engagement to bridge the gap between the research, policy, and practice and provide a better understanding of Co-: the duties and responsibilities of researchers and policy makers and practitioners in promoting the green transition trough agroecology practices.

  • Welcome Remarks from the Chair: Aggrey Agumya
  • Welcome by DG INTPA
  • Prof. Alex Awiti (CIFOR-ICRAF) - Title: Focus on research and capacity on agroecology in Africa
  • Welcome Remarks from the Chair: Aggrey Agumya 
  • Welcome by DG INTPA
  • Prof. Alex Awiti (CIFOR-ICRAF) - Title: Focus on research and capacity on agroecology in Africa 

    Shared Resource: Evaluating the Integration of Agroecological Principles into Kenya's Legal and Policy Framework. Alex O. Awiti Aurillia M. Ndiwa June 2024, # 33 pp 

  • Presentation of Discussion Paper: How can agroecology contribute to improving food security in Africa? Prof. Majaliwa JG / Dr. Kwaku A./Dr. Felix Rembold 

Panel Discussion


Agroecology RMRN Webinar I



Agroecology RMRN Webinar II





Approximately 40 participants are expected at the CEA-FIRST side event in Windhoek, Namibia. They include representatives of FNSAA stakeholders from AU/EU member countries; CEA FIRST project beneficiaries; HLPD FNSSA working group; Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (RTD); the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA); the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG-Agri); the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR); regional economic communities (ECOWAS, CEMAC, SADC, EAEC); sub regional organizations (CORAF/WECARD, ASARECA, CCARDESA); and the specialized Technical Committees (i) on Education, Science and Technology, (ii) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment, on (iii) Social Development, Labour and Employment or on (iv) Gender and Women’s Empowerment of the African Union, etc.
  1. Overview of the International Research Consortium
  2. Presentation of the Results of the desk review and online surveys
  3. Setting up Breakout sessions (two – four groups) TORs: (i) What are the levels of implementation, key achievements, challenges, and areas of improvements of the four thematic areas of the 2016 -2026 AU-EU FNSSA roadmap? (ii) What are the emerging trends and future priorities of the new AU-EU FNSSA R&I roadmap?  
  4. Breakout sessions – Inputs to the MEL Frameworks


16/08 @ 14:00 – 16:30 AU-EU Working Group on FNSSA (CLOSED MEETING)

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