By John Lyman. Presented at the ASTI-FARA conference Agricultural R&D: Investing in Africa's Future: Analyzing Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities - Accra, Ghana on December 5-7, 2011. ...
By John Lyman. Presented at the ASTI-FARA conference Agricultural R&D: Investing in Africa's Future: Analyzing Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities - Accra, Ghana on December 5-7, 2011. http://www.asti.cgiar.org/2011conf
What do donors want? Perceived shift upstream with System Priorities. Some think CG mission focus on poverty was a mistake. Gates forcing a shift to a focus on downstream impact.
Focus on production systems in terms of priorities
Conference Objectives: Agricultural R&D: Investing in Africa’s Future 5-7 December 2011Presentation Transcript
Conference Objectives Agricultural R&D: Investing in Africa’s Future 5-7 December 2011
R&D Context in Africa
Increases in smallholder productivity central to agricultural growth
Productivity remains low
Rainfed farming systems are heterogeneous and complex
Persistent underinvestment in R&D
“ Small country” problem complicates NARI financing and organization
Central Question of the Conference
How to finance, capacitate, and organize agricultural research in Africa to sustainably increase growth in smallholder productivity over the coming decade
Session I: Why do African governments underinvest in R&D
What is the contribution of research to agricultural growth
What are the finances available for research and is donor coordination necessary to increase effectiveness
Session II: Human Resource Development and R&D
What are trends in human resources in African NARI’s and agricultural faculties
How will the next generation of agricultural scientists be trained
Session III: Measuring and Improving Effectiveness of R&D Systems
Designing M&E systems and implementing results frameworks
Recent initiatives in impact assessment
Session IV: Aligning and Rationalizing R&D Structures
Small country problem and increasing polarization in NARI capacity
Evolving role of sub-regional structures
Linkages to global capacities
Implications of agricultural innovation systems for agricultural R&D
Synthesis
Combining these four elements, what is the vision for agricultural research in Africa over the next decade and what are the implications for evolving institutional arrangements, including CAADP
