This document discusses targeting innovations in African farming systems to improve productivity and impact. It notes the challenges of increasing food demands and continued hunger and poverty. Approaches are needed to intensify farming systems sustainably without degrading resources. Targeting research and development by farming systems provides a more efficient framework than using administrative or agro-ecological zones. The document contrasts two African highland farming sub-systems and drivers of farming system change. It argues that targeting innovations by differentiated farming systems can support national and regional agricultural strategies and monitoring in Africa.

1. Innovations in targeting African farming
systems for improved productivity and
investment impact
FARA AASW Sub-theme 2
Accra, 19 July 2013
John Dixon
Principal Regional Coordinator
South Asia & Africa, ACIAR

2. Contents
Challenges for ARD
Approaches to targeting
Farming systems
Conclusion

3. Challenge 1: food requirements in 2050
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
1970 1990 2010 2030 2050
GlobalFoodDemand(Petacal/day)
Year
71% increase 2010
to 2050
129% increase
1970 to 2010
Source: Keating et al 2012
Goal:
“feeding
9 billion”

4. Century trends: population, agric prices
Source: Fuglie & Wang 2012

5. Regional trends:
African extensification cf Asian intensification
 Source:
World Bank, 2008
In some African
countries, areas
of under
utilized
agricultural
land

6. Challenge 2: current hunger & poverty
Goal: “eliminate poverty
for 1 billion poor”

7. Pathways out of smallholder poverty
Intensification
20%
Diversification
30%
Exit
10%
Off-Farm
Income
20%
Farm Size
20%
Example: maize mixed farming system
in east and southern Africa

8. Some of the constraints …
Low productivity
Scarce biomass
Land degradation
Poor marketsClimate variability
Limited resouces

9. A response:
Sustainable Intensification Systems
Increased productivity and resilience without loss of resource
quality, through:
• Commodity or NRM programs
• Augmented by “systems” components
Four pillars require investment:
• Systems and farming systems
• Innovation systems and information sharing
• Policies, institutions and markets
• Metrics and monitoring

10. Where and how to target sustainable
intensification and agric R&D
 Current targeting is often organized by
administrative or agro-ecological zones
 Potential for improved targeting to ..
• Improve efficiency and impact, e.g., research
productivity
• Align better with other programs and partners
 Targeting by farming systems is generally
more efficient than by administrative divisions
or agro-ecological zones

11. African farming systems framework
NOTES
Too much
diversity for
research & policy
decisions
Differentiate broad
farming systems,
each with a “core
concept” and
specific R4D
priorities
NB. A similar classification
exists for North Africa

12. Contrasting sub-systems: Highland
Perennial farming system Central Highlands Western Highlands
Population density +++ ++++
Farm size +++ ++
Market infrastructure ++ +
Poverty 30% poor >60% poor
Crop area 35% maize
17% tea
17% coffee
More high value crops
42% maize
8% tea
10% coffee
% of improved cattle 95%
22% of crop area in
fodder
Zero-grazing increasing
67%
11% in fodder
Value of production 102K KSh/household 44K KSh/household
Use of fertilizers 122 kg/ha
74 manure bags
51 kg/ha
26 manure bags
SYSTEM LEVEL
High population density
High agricultural potential
Permanently cultivated systems
Market-orientation as a way to intensify systems
SUBSYSTEM LEVEL
Differentiate

13. Drivers of farming system change
• Population, hunger and poverty
• Natural resources and climate
• Energy
• Human capital and information (gender)
• Technology and science
• Markets and trade
• Institutions and policies

14. Productivity and risk
e.g., possibilities to 2030 in Australia
Carberry et al. 2011

15. Applying farming systems targeting
Value add at regional scale
 Differentiating regional strategic priorities
 Framing technology spillovers across countries
 Potential framework for monitoring progress (CAADP ..
Value add at national scale
 Enrich existing planning frameworks
 Support CAADP investment plans

16. Some implications in Africa
• Foresight needed to specify plausible future scenarios
• Increased productivity of existing food production without
diversification risks poverty traps
• Small holders have comparative advantage in integrated
management-intensive production
• Research on institutional innovations for gender
sensitive access to services (beyond markets), access to
resources (land, water, .) and options for risk management

17. Conclusion
 Twin challenges (of feeding 9 billion in 2050
and addressing current poverty of 1 billion)
can be met through targeted research and
scaling out (supported by other programs)
 Farming systems offers an efficient targeting
framework to support CAADP Investment
Plans
• Within countries, to enrich existing approaches
• Within sub-regions, for strategic priorities and
spillovers

18. ACIAR
Thank you for your
attention