AFAAS Stakeholder engagement/ Consultation with Farmers &NGOs

29 August 2024. AFAAS Stakeholder engagement/ Consultation with Farmers & NGOs.

Download the programme here

The African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) launched a partnership under the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) in 2016, creating a ten-year Roadmap (2016–2026) focused on Research and Innovation (R&I) to enhance Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) in Africa and Europe. The Roadmap has made significant progress in its four thematic areas.

With the Roadmap reaching completion in two years (2026), a new initiative, the "Consortium Europe Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation (CEA-FIRST)" project, was launched by the African Union and the European Union alongside a number of implementing partners, under funding from the European Commission through the Horizon Europe R&I Program (Cluster 6). The CEA-FIRST project was launched in December 2023 with seven Work packages (WP):

1. WP 1: CEA-FIRST Project and IRC Start-up
2. WP 2: Consolidation of Knowledge Management & Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning tools and support to the FNSSA Roadmap update
3. WP 3: Strengthening Networking and Stakeholder Engagement
4. WP 4: Knowledge and learning facilitation using information generated from the Knowledge Management Platform and the MEL
5. WP 5: Implementing IRC Functions Through Stakeholder Engagement
6. WP 6: Coordination of CEA-FIRST and IRC Pilots. CEA-FIRST activities will be conducted under the control and guidance of the EC REA Project Officer
7. WP 7: Ethics Requirements.

RUFORUM and CIRAD lead the Task 2.4 of Work Package 2, whose primary role is to guide the update of the current Roadmap into a new Roadmap, drawing from lessons learnt from the implementation of FNSSA R&Is during the last eight years. To support the development of this new Roadmap, RUFORUM has contracted a team of two consultants, representing AU and EU, respectively, with a mandate to carry out a review of the 2016-2026 Roadmap. The final output of this task will be a Roadmap review report including recommendations for the new Roadmap.

The AFAAS Stakeholder Engagement and Consultation with Farmers & NGOs is part of the organization's broader initiative to enhance agricultural advisory services (AEAS) across Africa.

Opening remarks	Prof. Patrick Okori, Ruforum Executive Director
Overview of the FNSSA R&I 2016-2026 Roadmap	Dr. Sokona S. Dagnoko
Presentation of the desk review and survey results	Alex Percy-Smith and Prof. Adipala Ekwamu
Discussions	Dr. Lillian Lihasi, AFAAS

Key topics included integrating local knowledge with modern agricultural practices, addressing challenges such as climate change, and enhancing the capacity of AEAS providers. The goal is to create a more participatory approach where the voices of farmers and NGOs are actively involved in shaping agricultural policies and practices. This also includes discussions on resource mobilization, capacity building, and the legal recognition of AEAS entities to ensure sustainability and impact. These consultations are crucial for aligning the efforts of various stakeholders to improve rural livelihoods, promote food security, and increase agricultural productivity across the continent.

Related:

Global Programme for Small-scale Agroecology Producers and Sustainable Food Systems Transformation (GP-SAEP)

This EU-funded programme - 23.2 M EUR, including EUR 18.2 million from the EU and EUR 5.0 million from Belgium - has the objective to enable rural small-scale producers to strengthen their practice of agroecology through better access to knowledge, support services, improved technologies and market outlets thereby improving their resilience to climatic, environmental and socio-economic shocks and stressors as well as food and nutrition security and incomes. The programme is structured around four components focusing on:

• Improving access to agroecological bio-solutions, including seeds, bio-inputs (organic fertilisers and bio-pesticides) and mechanical equipment adapted to small-scale agroecology farming practices;
• Strengthening value addition and markets for agroecological produce harnessing sustainable food system benefits;
• Increasing access to knowledge and empowering small-scale producers in agroecological transition through Rural Advisory Services (RAS) and farmer-to-farmer joint learning;
• Expanding the Economic and Financial Analysis of investments2 (EFA+) taking into account avoided negative externalities and broader medium to long term food system sustainability benefits, knowledge management and sharing.

The programme will be implemented through sub-projects (components 1 and 2), a grant to the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRA) through its network of partners (component 3) and directly by IFAD/PMI (component 4) in two regions: i) Africa and ii) Latin America and Caribbean.

Moreover, the programme will support the Coalition for Food System Transformation through Agroecology (UN-FSS AEC). Bioversity International will receive EUR 1.2 million of the EU funding to host the UN-FSS AEC and finance the operations of the Coalition Secretariat.

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

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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

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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

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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

Registration link for virtual participation

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

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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

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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 

14/08 Exploring the Potential of Agroecology Research & Capacity to Contribute to a Green Transition in Sub Saharan Africa

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

• Moderator: Caroline Callenius (JRC-ISPRA)
• David Amudavi (Biovision) . David shared the resource: 
• Agile, EOA, Biovision Africa Trust, (2023) ASSESSMENT OF THE LANDSCAPE OF AGROECOLOGY AND THE ECOLOGICAL ORGANIC AGRICULTURE INITIATIVE IN AFRICA. Study Report # 138 pp. 
• Baitsi Podisi (CCARDESA)
• Joseph Sekandi (UMU)

Agroecology RMRN Webinar I



Agroecology RMRN Webinar II

15/08 @ 10:30 – 13:30 The Consortium Europe-Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation (CEA – FIRST)

Concept Note

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)

Sustainable and Inclusive Extension Approaches for Agroecology Transition

9 August 2024. AFAAS WEBINAR “Theme: Sustainable and Inclusive Extension Approaches for Agroecology Transition”

This Webinar was organised to enhance knowledge, skills and innovation by leveraging diverse perspectives and experiences from countries participating in the ATREA project.

The Agroecological Transition Responsive Extension Approaches (ATREA) project is a response by the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) to contribute global effort in food systems through Agroecology responsive Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) in selected countries.

This involved identifying and documenting sustainable, inclusive, and responsive extension approaches for Agroecological Transition among target countries of Kenya, Benin, Madagascar, and Ethiopia to: Keep farmers engaged in extension approaches such as Farmer Field Schools (FFS), Farmer Business Schools (FBS), and Farmer to Farmer (F2F). 1. Integrate farmers further into exchanges with researchers and extensionists so that farmers stay motivated in sharing their experiences, hence contributing to an agroecological transition of agri-food systems from the bottom up.

The ATREA project aims at: i) identification and documentation of sustainable, inclusive and responsive extension approaches for an agroecological transition among target countries. Its specific objectives are to: ii) keep farmers engaged in extension approaches such as Farmer Field Schools, Farmer Business Schools, Farmer to Farmer; iii) integrate farmers further into exchanges with researchers and extensionists so that farmers stay motivated in sharing their experiences. Theses therefore are expected to contribute to an agroecological transition of agri-food systems from bottom-up.

• ED AFAAS, Dr Silim Nahdy - Introductory remarks
• Abdulrazak Ibrahim - Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) 
• Mr Baliraine - Chairperson on the Board, East and Southern Africa Small-scale farmers Forum (ESAFF)
• Martin Oulu - GIZ (Prosoil/ Proresilience) 
• Prof. Oladele Idowu - Keynote speech 
• Benin – Prof Moumouni Ismail
• Kenya – Peter Mwangi
• Ethiopia – Dr. Abadi Teklehaimanot
• Madagascar – Samuel Andrianjafy

From Degradation to Regeneration: Agroecology and Soil Health Research for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa

17 July 2024. 02:00 PM Agroecology RMRN Webinar II

From Degradation to Regeneration: Agroecology and Soil Health Research for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa.

Organised by the Regional Multi-Actor Research Network on Agroecology to Support Regional Centres of Excellence related to the Green Transition.

• Keynote Speaker: Dr. David Amudavi, Biovision Africa Trust
• Dr. Guy Faure, European Commissio, DG INTPA
• Dr. Oluwole A. Fatunbi, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
• Dr. Bernhard Freyer , Institute of Organic, Farming (IFÖL)
• Dr. Wivine Munyahali, Université Catholique de Bukavu
• Modetators: Dr. Kwaku Antwi, FARA, Prof. Majaliwa Mwanjololo, RUFORUM, Mrs. Ama P. A. Adu-Dartey, FARA

Background 

The project’s main aim is to increase Science Technology and Innovation capacities of RCoEs in agroecology to efficiently contribute to a green transition in Sub Saharan Africa. The 36-month project officially started on January 1, 2024. 

This project has three main objectives :  

• Strengthened scientific and technological capacities of RMRNs in Agroecology to produce, collect, access, process, share data / information and carry out research activities using a gender-sensitive approach.  
• Increased RMRNs contribution in agroecology through transformative quality research and scientific knowledge generation and dissemination. 
• Enhanced gender-sensitive support to agroecology practitioners, scientists, and policymakers.  

The RMRN Project is funded by the European Union (EU) as part of its Regional Multi-year Indicative Programme (MIP) for Africa. The MIP will support strengthening the consortia of Africa based institutions to lead interventions in Africa in several domains including multi-stakeholder partnerships to bring agroecological innovations to scale, using co-learning, co-creation, and multi-stakeholder approach.

The Africa-based and Africa-led research organisations include FARA, CORAF, ASARECA, CCARDESA, universities under the RUFORUM Network and Africa in general and other research institutions. The proposed actions will promote partnership with relevant institutions such as Farmer organizations under the Pan African Farmers Organization (PAFO), extension institutions under the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory services (AFAAS), NGOs, CSOs, the private sector, and financial institutions. The project targets countries in Eastern, Western, Southern and Central Africa.

Recording of the first webinar

 5 June:

https://www.youtube.com/live/rEqftSCPXjw?si=7UIFrsnOz9ZuHpUN

Fostering innovative partnership to strengthen pluralistic Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (EAS)

25 June 2024. Fostering innovative partnership to strengthen pluralistic EAS in Agrifood systems: Cases from Eastern and Southern Africa

Different countries have different experience in designing and implementing pluralistic extension services systems based on their specific situation, challenges, and priorities. 

FAO Office of Innovation, the Regional Office for Africa of FAO (RAF), and the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), had initiated a joint activity in documenting and showcasing different good practices of pluralistic Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (EAS)  in countries in Africa; and facilitating knowledge and experience sharing among countries across the region. Three cases have been selected for the webinar through a rigorous selection process.

Speakers

• 

  Kristin Davis

  Senior Research Fellow·Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR) Unit at the International Food Policy Research Institute

  
  

• 

  Godfrey Omony

  CARE Uganda

  Godfrey Omony has been on the CARE Uganda team for 3 years. He currently manages the Scaling Up Farmer Field and Business School, SFFBS-C, and FNGAP Projects where the Farmer Field and Business School approach is being scaled up in different contexts.

• 

  Jerry Aries

  Western Cape Department of Agriculture

  
  

• 

  Beatrice N. Luzobe

  Chief Executive Officer (Ex-Officio)·Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS)

  
  

• 

  Peter Gitika Mwangi

  The Country Focal Person KeFAAS (2018-date) Agricultural Rural innovations Expert (ARIS)-Egerton university
  

Resources:

Reflections on 50+ Years Assisting Smallholder Farming Communities RL Tinsley1 Prof. Emeritus Soil & Crop Sciences, Colorado State University # 33 p.

 

To assist countries in making evidence-based decisions regarding Extension and Advisory Services, FAO has recently developed guidelines and tools for the systematic assessment and performance measurement of national EAS systems. Three complementary instruments are developed and these are here:
FAO (2022) INDICATOR FRAMEWORK FOR NATIONAL EXTENSION AND ADVISORY SERVICE SYSTEMS: Metrics for performance and outcome measurement # 56 p.

• This Indicator Framework provides much needed structure to EAS assessment, taking into account contemporary, pluralistic services and is complemented by FAO’s instruments for participatory data collection in EAS, including quantitative and qualitative data.

FAO (2022) EXTENSION AND ADVISORY SERVICE SYSTEMS YARDSTICK (EAS-Y): A Scoring Tool to Generate Evidence on Performance and Outcomes  # 48 p.

• To enable evidence based and informed policy and investment decision for extension and advisory systems, the EAS-Yardstick (EAS-Y) has been developed through a consultative expert process. 
• It constitutes a holistic scoring tool based on a comprehensive set of metrics that can capture all the nuances of the pluralistic EAS.

FAO (2022) COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF NATIONAL EXTENSION AND ADVISORY SERVICE SYSTEMS: An operational guide  # 108 p.

• This operational guide meets the longstanding demand for guidance on undertaking such a comprehensive assessment of national EAS systems. 
• It provides detailed directions on how to organize the entire process, from preparation to implementation and consolidation. 
• Its use will help identify gaps and entry points for targeting investments and realigning policies for transforming EAS.

Essential Competencies of Frontline Agricultural Extension Professionals

Suvedi, M., and Sasidhar, P.V.K. (Eds.). (2024). Essential Competencies of Frontline Agricultural Extension Professionals. East Lansing, Michigan, USA: Alliance for African Partnership, Michigan State University. #461 pp.

This training manual was funded by Michigan State University through the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) for a 2021 Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) grant award titled ‘Strengthening Agricultural Extension Training in the MSU Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) Consortium Partners in Africa’. 

All the papers are available at https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/murari_suvedi

To serve farmers and agribusiness operators better, we need to prepare new generations of agriculture development professionals, change our extension curriculum and pedagogy and prepare competent extension professionals. 

To improve training of extension professionals, the editors of this manual conducted three comprehensive studies on essential competencies of extension professionals in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa: 

1. Assessment of Core Competencies of Livestock Extension Professionals in India (2016): USAID – MEAS Funded Project. 
2. Strengthening Agricultural Extension Training in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka and Nepal) - Process Skills and Competency Gaps in Undergraduate Agricultural Extension Curriculum (2020): Funded by US Department of State under Fulbright programme. 
3. Strengthening Agricultural Extension Training in Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Kenya (2023): Funded by AAP-PIRA (Alliance for African Partnership - Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa), Michigan State University. 

These studies identified essential job competencies of extension professionals, assessed whether these key competencies were covered in current UG extension curriculum, determined the gaps in essential job competencies of extension professionals and recommended competency-based curriculum with 11 process skills and core competencies and 97 subcompetencies for their inclusion in the UG agricultural extension curriculum. 

Extracts

The extension system is challenged to serve as the connecting actor in complex agricultural innovation systems, to go beyond technology transfer to facilitation, beyond training to learning,  assisting farmers to form groups, dealing with marketing issues, addressing public interest issues in rural areas such as resource conservation, health, monitoring of food security and agricultural production, food safety, nutrition, family education, and youth development, and partnering with a broad range of service providers and other agencies.  This calls for new skills and competencies for extension professionals, apart from those they  traditionally possessed. (page 277)

In general, innovators and earlier adopters have more formal education, higher social status (larger farms, higher income), greater exposure to mass media, greater exposure to interpersonal channels of communication, greater extension agent contact, greater social participation (e.g., community leader, farmer association leader) and more contact with persons outside their community than later adopters. However, it should be noted that individuals do not occupy permanent positions in the characterization of the adopter categories for all innovations. For instance, an individual who 

falls into the category of laggard in innovation A may become an innovator for innovation B. (page 102)

The multitude of ICT initiatives in agricultural extension plays an important role in revitalizing the interaction between extension services and farmers by making services more demand-driven, up-to-date, and inclusive. However, ICT is but one element in the wider transformation toward pluralistic extension services. Francis and Addom (2014) argue that extension alone cannot lift people out of poverty without the right combination of policies, technologies, and market opportunities. Context specificity is critical. To be effective, it is essential to choose the ICT tool that is the most appropriate in a specific situation and context, such as in affordability (McNamara et al., 2011). This depends both on the type of information to be transferred as well as on the characteristics of the target group. ICTs should not be seen as the sole solution to the challenges associated with agriculture because broad access to more sophisticated and integrated ICTs requires organizational capacity that public sector agricultural extension systems at present lack. (page 155)

Management generally values improvement-oriented studies. Donors and policymakers seek
knowledge-oriented evaluations and studies that answer accountability questions. (...) The extension program or project manager should establish the desired level of outcomes at the outset of a program, project, or policy. The higher up the hierarchy they are, the more time and resources it generally takes to gather data about outcomes, but the more convincing the evidence will be. As a manager, you must decide the trade-off between strong evidence of worth and the cost/time required to gather evidence. The top rung of the ladder shows results related to the long-term benefits or impacts that drive the program or project – for example, “environmentally friendly agricultural production.” Managers typically cannot evaluate at the top level because they cannot isolate other factors that may have led to the long-term result, but it is nevertheless helpful to know what the ultimate expected outcome or impact is. (page 169)

Because of several limitations -- such as availability of baseline data, budget, and absence of a
suitable comparison group -- experimental or quasi-experimental designs may not be feasible
in many contexts. In such situations, extension program evaluators have frequently used non-
experimental evaluation designs to conduct program/project evaluations. Two commonly designs
used evaluation designs are: Pre- vs. Post-program Evaluation page 173)

AFREXIMBANK and AUC Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance the CAAPs Initiative for Africa

 

Addis Ababa, 16th February 2024: 

The African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK) and the African Union Commission (AUC) have formalized a strategic partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement the Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs) initiative. This landmark agreement, inked at the 37th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, solidifies the commitment of both entities to catalyze agricultural development and agro-industrialization across the African continent following the endorsement of CAAPs as one of the Flagship initiatives of the AU during the 2023 Summit.

Led by H.E. Commissioner Amb. Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, and Prof. Oramah, President of AFREXIMBANK, the ceremony underscores the pivotal role of collaboration in achieving sustainable development for Africa. The CAAPs initiative, adopted by the 37th AU Assembly as a flagship program for the next ten years of the AU Agenda 2063, is a strategic response to enhance local agricultural production and trade under the AfCFTA.

This partnership signifies a shared vision to create regional agro-industrial hubs, aligning with the AU Agenda 2063 objectives. Cross-border mega agro-park projects, a focal point of the collaboration, aim to stimulate economic growth, enhance food security, and foster industrialization. AFREXIMBANK's financial commitment of USD 20.8 million demonstrates a concrete step toward realizing the ambitious CAAPs goals, with an overarching objective to implement 15 CAAPs mega projects within the next decade.

 

You may visit https://faraafrica.org/caaps/ for details about the CAAPs initiative.

 

For media inquiries and further information, please contact the CAAPs Secretariat at FARA through:

1.       Anselme Vodounhessi -  avodounhessi@faraafrica.org

2.       Benjamin Abugri -  babugri@faraafrica.org

Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy Practice for Sustainable Food Systems

15 February 2024. Alisa Hotel, Tema-Ghana. 

The African Union & the European Commission launched the "Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy Practice for Sustainable Food Systems under the AU-EU Partnership" StEPPFoS, (HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01) project which is designed to promote policy coherence and alignment across #PANAP and #FNSSA to contribute towards minimizing fragmentation of policy initiatives in the agri-food sector at national and regional levels.

This follows the launch on 14/02 of the CEA-FIRST, the Consortium Europe Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation to operationalize the International Research Consortium IRC

Food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA) are among the critical development concerns in Africa. FNSSA is among the policy priorities in many African countries and at the center of the AU/EU international development agenda. FNSSA was the priority R&I area in the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology, and Innovation. This was further substantiated by the establishment of the Pan-African Network for Economic Analysis of Policies (PANAP). 

StEPPFoS thus, aims contribute to the FNSSA 10-year roadmap and the global transition towards sustainable food systems through the implementation of activities that link PANAP to the FNSSA partnership. Specific objectives are:

1. to improve capacities of stakeholders 
2. to enhance science-policy interface 
3. 
   to improve strategies that promote scientific support within policy development 
   
4. to expand and strengthen the PANAP Network. 

StEPPFoS will be implemented through its 8 work-packages (WPs) over a period of 48 months. Capacity building, stakeholder engagements, participatory monitoring, evaluation, and learning are the main methods to be used to deliver StEPPFoS objectives whiles adhering to open science principles and effective data management practices. 

The consortium is well positioned to deliver these objectives as it draws on the expertise and experiences of its partners drawn from both Europe and Africa credible academic, research, and policy institutions.

1. Forum For Agricultural Research In Africa, Ghana – FARA Coordinator
2. 
   The Registered Trustees Of The Association For Strengthening Agricultural Research In Eastern And Central Africa – ASARECA  
3. Conf. Respons. Recher. Agronom.Afriq. De L'ouest & Du Centre - CORAF/WECARD  
   
4. Council For Scientific And Industrial Research - CSIR-GH   
5. European Centre for Development Policy Management – ECDPM  
6. Food Agriculture And Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network – FANRPAN  
7. 
   Regional Universities Forum For Capacity Building In Agriculture – RUFORUM  
8. Universitaet Hohenheim
9. European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for Development Agrinatura
   
10. Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis KIPPRA, Kenya
11. 
    Stichting Wageningen Research – WR  
12. African Forum For Agricultural Advisory Services AFAAS
13. Universita Ca' Foscari Venezia – UNIVE  
14. Universite Felix Houphouet Boigny, Benin
15. E-Science European Infrastructure For Biodiversity And Ecosystem Research - LifeWatch 
16. Eastern Africa Farmers' Federation Society – EAFF
17. The Association of Commonwealth Universities - UK 
    
18. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission - EC-JRC

CEA-FIRST, the Consortium Europe Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation

12 - 14 February 2024. Accra, Ghana. 

The African Union and the European Union alongside a number of implementing partners have launched the Consortium Europe-Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation #CEA_FIRST Project.

CEA-FIRST, the Consortium Europe Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation began on 1 December 2023 and will run for 4 years.

• CEA FIRST is funded by the European Union as part of the Green Deal’s “From Farm to Fork” strategy (Horizon Europe budget envelope). It forms a crucial part of the EU’s “Global Gateway” strategic vision, which aims to establish sustainable and reliable connections serving citizens and the planet. This vision addresses pressing global challenges, from combating climate change to enhancing the competitiveness and security of global supply chains, particularly in Africa.
• The project brings together 22 partners from Europe and Africa covering a wide range of expertise and stakeholders (research, NGOs, donors, extension workers, etc.) involved in the field of food and nutritional security and sustainable agriculture. It consists partly from the former LEAP4FNSSA and PAEPARD, extended with new public and private network partners.

The main objectives of CEA-FIRST are as follows: 

1. Providing public access to an extensive platform of knowledge in food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture.
2. Developing a robust methodology for analyzing Research and Innovation (R&I) activities and priorities.
3. Supporting the update of the AU-EU R&I partnership roadmap.
4. Establishing operational and thematic research working groups.
   
   
   
   * COLEAD leads the CEA-FIRST working group which focuses on fostering linkages and multi-stakeholder engagement in programmes and initiatives related to food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture. Concurrently, COLEAD will co-lead efforts to strengthen the link between research, innovation, and their practical application.
   
   
5. CEA-FIRST will facilitate connections between the IRC and the AU-EU high-level political dialogue.
6. It will create a learning environment, including communication channels, to support multi stakeholder networks and to strengthen R&I coordination.

CEA-FIRST will operationalise the International Research Consortium (IRC) as a long-term platform on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA) in line with the FNSSA Roadmap of the AU-EU High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD).

• The IRC is a member-based, multi-actor platform and will work towards increasing synergies andcoherence while reducing fragmentation and duplication of research efforts. Its aim is to promote higher returns on investments and impact on business development in Africa and Europe, by linking actors, research and innovation projects, initiatives, and funding programmes.
• 
  The final output will be a fully functional IRC. In the context of an essential transition in agri-food systems, compounded by the challenges of climate change and demographic shifts,
  the IRC is positioning itself as a vital tool for fostering an equitable and sustainable research and innovation partnership between Africa and Europe. This partnership focuses on bolstering agriculture as a key driver of economic development. 
• The IRC will also serve related AU-EU policy priorities, such as the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy and the Innovation Agenda of the HLPD, as well as the European Green Deal priorities (and farm to fork strategy) and the AU priorities like the African Free Trade Area.

In his opening remarks to kick-off the International Research Consortium and the #CEA_FIRST Project, the Executive Director of FARA, Dr. Aggrey Agumya  recognized: "CEA-First represents a larger and far-reaching formation that promises to revolutionize the partnership and working arrangements between African and European institutions."

Participants

1. 
   Forum For Agricultural Research In Africa (FARA), Ghana (Coordinator)
2. Centre For International Cooperation In Agronomic Research For DEVELOPMENT (CIRAD), France
3. European Alliance On Agricultural Knowledge For Development (Agrinatura), France
4. Stichting Wageningen Research (WUR), the Netherlands
5. Agricultural Research Council Institute For Soil Climate And Water (ARC), South Africa
6. Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (SLU), Sweden
7. Helsingin Yliopisto (UH), Finland
8. Food Agriculture And Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), South Africa
9. Regional Universities Forum For Capacity Building In Agriculture (RUFORUM), Uganda
10. Association Of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), United Kingdom
11. 
    The Registered Trustees of The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research In Eastern
    And Central Africa (ASARECA), Uganda
12. Council For Scientific And Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana
13. National Research Agency (ANR), France
14. National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa
15. National Fund For Research And Innovation For Development (FONRID), Burkina Faso
16. West And Central Africa Council For Agricultural Research And Development (CORAF), Senegal
17. Young Professionals For Agricultural Development (YPARD), Germany
18. Entrepreneurship-Agriculture-Development Liaison Committee (COLEAD), Switzerland
19. African Forum For Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), Uganda
20. Agricord, Brussels Belgium
21. Ciheam, Bari Italy
22. Science, Technology And Innovation Funding Authority (STDF) Egypt

See also:

13/02 CNR Citinewsroom/Ghana Consortium Europe Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation project launched

The project brings together 22 partners from Europe and Africa covering a wide range of expertise and stakeholders (research, NGOs, donors, extension workers, etc.) involved in the field of food and nutritional security and sustainable agriculture. It consists partly on lessons from the former #PAEPARD initiative, to the LEAP4FNSSA and now extended with new public and private network partners.