Presented by Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg at the ISPC Science Forum 2016, Addis Ababa, 12-14 April 2016

1. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg
Director, African Women in Agricultural Research
& Development (AWARD)
Agriculture Research and Poverty
Reduction: Pathways and Drivers in East and
Southern Africa

2. Rethinking Pathways for Eastern & Southern Africa
• Region in Context
• Mapping Impact of Ongoing Transformations
o Economic
o Technological
o Political

3. BENIN
SUDAN
SOUTH
AFRICA
SWAZILAND
LESOTHO
NAMIBIA
ZIMBABWE
ANGOLA
ZAMBIA MOZAMBIQUE
MALAWI
TANZANIA
BURUNDI
RWANDA
KENYA
UGANDA
DJIBOUTI
ETHIOPIA
BOTSWANA
ERITREA
EAST AFRICA
Burundi
Djibouti
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Kenya
Madagascar
Rwanda
Somalia
Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
SOUTHERN AFRICA
Angola
Botswana
Lesotho
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
South Africa
Swaziland
Zambia
Zimbabwe EASTERN & SOUTHERN
AFRICA
Source: UN Data

4. BENIN
Agriculture as
a % of GDP
(2010 or last available data)
< 15 %
15-30 %
30-45 %
> 45 %
Human Dev
Index rank
GDP/capita
(2010 $)
Botswana 109 7,627
South Africa 118 7,157
Namibia 127 5,651
Zambia 141 1,221
Kenya 147 809
Swaziland 148 3,061
Angola 149 4,477
Rwanda 151 562
Madagascar 155 391
Zimbabwe 156 594
Tanzania 159 548
Lesotho 162 836
Uganda 164 500
Sudan 166 1,705
Djibouti 170 1,383
Ethiopia 173 350
Malawi 174 321
Mozambique 180 458
Burundi 180 180
Eritrea 182 397
Economic development
indicators
Source: NEPAD, Agriculture in Africa, 2013

5. Hunger and malnutrition in Africa
Hunger Index
(2013)

6. Natural resource endowment in agricultural sector
Soil
degradation
Total renewable water
resources (billions m3/year)
Potential unused
agricultural land for
agriculture (2002)
Source: NEPAD, Agriculture in Africa, 2013

7. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways
Rethinking Assumptions on the Economy
What does ongoing economic transformation mean for agriculture in East
and Southern Africa?
• Economies of Eastern and Southern Africa are undergoing rapid
transformation and growth
• Decisions in Beijing have a massive impact on the region
• Increasing diversification of economies means agriculture must
compete with emergent sectors such as manufacturing and real
estate.
• Increasing regional integration means potentially larger markets for
agricultural products
• A rapidly growing middle class means we must prepare smallholder
farmers to address the tastes and preferences of a wealthier African
middle class

8. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways

9. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways
Facing East
Source: UN COMTRADE 2015

10. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways

11. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways

12. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways

13. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways

15. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways

16. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways
Leveraging the Technology Opportunity
• Tech sector undergoing radical transformation
• With low access to broadband internet for the region, mobile phones
and associated technologies have potential to transform extension
services for rural farmers

18. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways

20. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways
Free Internet for Africa

21. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways
Re-Centering Politics
What do ongoing political transformations mean for agriculture in East and
Southern Africa?
• Political context in Eastern and Southern Africa undergoing rapid
transformation.
• While Democracy is the overarching trend, processes are highly
country-specific.
• Some countries are opting to pursue a more centralized model
delivering big wins quickly
• Others in the region are in the midst of radical devolution of powers
including fiscal decentralization.
• Most countries in Eastern and Southern Africa are in midst of heated
contestation about the future of democracy. Agricultural pathways to
prosperity must recognize and carefully navigate those contestations

22. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways
Politics Matters

23. www.scienceforum2016.org
Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways
Source: FreedomHouse
Democratic Trends

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Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways
Fundamentals on the Way Forward in
the Region:
• Pathways to rural prosperity will need to
be customized to each specific country
context
• NARES will remain critical partner as the
CGIAR seeks to deliver context-relevant,
innovative agricultural interventions
towards rural prosperity in the region