The Role of FARA in Advancing Ecological and Organic Agriculture in Africa

1. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Wole Fatunbi
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
The Role of FARA in Advancing Ecological
and Organic Agriculture in Africa

2. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Why Ecological Agriculture is suitable for Africa
• 4 out of 10 Africans survive on
less < US $1 per day
• Number of poor has increased
by 50% in last 14 years
• In the last seven years more than
50% of the countries that
required food emergencies were
found in Africa
• Acute food insecurity currently
affects 38 million people in
Africa
Food and nutritional security remains a major challenge
in Africa.

3. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
State of Food and Nutritional Security in Africa
• The state of food and nutritional security in SSA
is still not encouraging
4%
40%
56%
North Africa Central Africa West/ East/South Africa
Figure 1. Proportion of malnourished population by region in Africa

4. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Poverty still lingers
MDG 1: Eradication of extreme poverty & Hunger
Target I: Halve the
proportion of people
who live on less than
$1/day by 2015
Target II: Ensure full
and productive
employment for all
including Youth and
Women.
Target III: Half the
proportion of people
suffering from Hunger
Why the slow
progress?

5. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Challenges of Food & Nutritional Security in Africa
Old challenges
• Population growth against economic and agricultural productivity
growth.
• Rural poverty
• Environmental degradation
• Market access and policies
• Natural resource management
Additional challenges
- Unstable commodity prices
- Globalization and Global financial crises
- Increasing protectionism of the West
- Climate change
- Traceability etc.

6. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Defining food security
Food security has been defined as a situation in which all
people; at all times have physical and economic access to
sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary
needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life
(IFPRI, 2002)
Food
Security
Food Availability Food Access
Food
Adequacy

7. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
FARA’s Specific Result
The specific objective of FARA is to engender broad-based
agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets in Africa.
FARA Core Functions,
• Facilitating collective action around the promotion of innovations
in Africa.
• Strengthening capacity to enhance the functionality of agricultural
innovation systems in Africa
• Offering intellectual leadership for AR4D in Africa
• Building partnerships to enhance broad-based productivity,
competitiveness and markets in Africa
• Carrying out advocacy and communication for improved AR4D in
Africa.
• Tracking progress in Africa agricultural development

8. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
FARA Outlook for Ecological Agriculture
Crop
Forestry
Tree
crop Livestock
Fish Microbe
Generation of new products (rural Income / poverty reduction)
Policy research, Market research etc.
Support for access to information / Knowledge sharing
Resource mobilization and Capacity strengthening
Research and
technology
generation,
dissemination
and adoption

9. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Importance of Ecological Agriculture to food security
Facts
• Africa production resources (natural & Biological) are
enormous and it spans across crop, trees, fish, livestock,
microbes, insects, etc.
• These resources offer the natural safety net and give a
resilient base to the Africa production domain.
• These resources can be maximized
for today and future need in the
confines of ecological agriculture.
• Climate change and sources of
genetic variability for scientific
intervention in plant and animal is
now crucial.

10. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Importance of Agricultural Biodiversity to food security
Facts
• Untapped advantages in Ecological and organic
agriculture and resources could play an important role
in rural poverty alleviation and improvement of
smallholders livelihood.
• Conservation and judicious
utilization of Africa biodiversity is
a key factor to resolve Africa
challenge of food and nutritional
security.

11. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
In Conclusion
Advancement of ecological and organic agriculture in
Africa can be achieved through:
- regional cooperation
- recognition of ecological agriculture as a priority niche
- increased investments
- improved human and institutional capacities
- improved access to markets
FARA advocates for sound agricultural policies that
encourage resource conservation through ecological
agriculture as a vital component of the production
system

12. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Thank you
for the attention
To get bi-monthly news on
African agriculture research for development
visit
www.fara-africa.org
25