In the past decade, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have experienced historically rapid economic growth and notable social change, yet poverty, hunger, and malnutrition remain widespread problems. With a large proportion of the population living in rural areas and working in agriculture, the solution to these problems largely lies in increasing agricultural productivity. To achieve this African Heads of State and Government committed to “allocate at least ten percent of the national budgetary resources to agriculture and rural development policy implementation within five years” as part of the 2003 Maputo Declaration to accelerate six percent annual agricultural growth.  However, many countries have not put their commitment into practice.

As a first step, African countries need to gear their efforts to increase investment in agriculture.  But it is not sufficient, and right priorities and sequencing are equally important.Agricultural productivity can be achieved in many ways including spreading knowledge of improved practices to smallholders, increasing the use of high-quality seeds and fertilizer, properly irrigating land, developing strong institutions, linking producers to markets, and appropriately addressing disease and conflict. Urgent actions—especially improving capacity and farmer support systems—are needed among all competing tasks.

Research-based evidence is required to tailor these methods to specific needs. But then this evidence must be communicated to users. FARA’s executive director Monty Jones said, “We must go beyond just research to increase productivity. Strengthening extension services and infrastructure, and implementing policies that support agricultural productivity and increase rural incomes will reduce hunger and poverty.”

According to Josué Dioné, director of UNECA’s Food Security and Sustainable Development Division, “Increasing agricultural productivity in Africa calls for broader policy and strategic frameworks that encompass the whole agriculture value chain, including agribusiness and agro-industrial sectors as well as farming.” Sustainably meeting food demands in the future—despite a growing population and diminishing natural resources—will require a greater emphasis on productivity growth.

“Increasing agricultural productivity is not a panacea to all problems, but it can make a significant positive contribution to resolve issues of food insecurity in Africa,” said Shenggen Fan, IFPRI director general.

In order for agricultural productivity to improve the lives of the poor, it needs a supportive environment, particularly increased access to markets.

Markets in particular pose a major challenge to poor people in rural areas. “Improving rural infrastructure to facilitate trade of goods—both at the country level, and across borders—would serve as an opportunity to improve food security in Africa,” said Abebe Haile-Gebriel, director of the AUC’s Rural Economy and Agriculture Division.

Experts at the conference will also examine issues related to:

• science, technology, and innovation in agriculture;
• rural services and access to inputs;
• markets, trade, and regional integration and value chains;
• investments, institutions, and policies for supporting agriculture;
• agriculture, nutrition, and health linkages;
• agriculture and climate change mitigation and adaptation;
• capacity development for agriculture through education and training; and
• the nexus of agriculture and the rural nonfarm sector in growth and poverty reduction

“Innovations in investment, institutions, technology, strategy, and partnerships will enhance productivity and greatly enhance food and nutrition security in Africa,” said Fan.

For more information on the conference: http://addis2011.ifpri.info.

The post Increasing Agricultural Productivity Critical to Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Governments and humanitarian organizations have received substantial donations from the international community, and the World Food Programme has mobilized aid workers and resources to deliver food and water to at least 6 million people to date. This immediate response should be scaled up and augmented with access to clean drinking water and medical services to curtail the crisis; governments, donors, and relief workers are being urged to accelerate aid efforts. In a region where drought is endemic and smallholder agriculture and pastoralism are primary sources of income, problems of food scarcity, lost livelihoods and assets, and the perpetual threat of similar future crises need attention as well. The following urgent actions have to be initiated now to help people in the Horn of Africa cope with the current situation and prevent future drought-induced food crises in the short, medium, and long term.

Short-term actions

• Scale up food and water aid, specifically targeting the most vulnerable people.
• Protect the remaining assets of the poor—such as livestock, labor, tools, and land—through social safety nets and insurance products that can help mitigate financial, agricultural, and health risks.

Medium-term actions

• Keep international and cross-border trade open. Do not introduce export bans within the region; while such bans may help secure the domestic food supply, they can also lead to starvation in neighboring countries, which will exacerbate the crisis.
• Accelerate the establishment of regional food reserves for humanitarian purposes.

Long-term actions

• Build the resilience of smallholder farmers and pastoralist communities by ensuring their access to risk-management tools (including insurance and credit), drought-resistant seeds, high-quality fertilizer, irrigation techniques, livestock-related assistance, and the technology and support to put the above to best use.

On behalf of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), I would like to express both my sympathy to those who are suffering in the Horn of Africa and my commitment to seeing the damage from this crisis reversed. As part of its vision for a world free of hunger and malnutrition, IFPRI has conducted research on a range of topics—including responses to natural disasters and political conflict, social protection services, and smallholder productivity, among others—that we hope can provide insight into the options available to policymakers and other stakeholders during this time of need. While the current levels of hunger and malnutrition in the Horn of Africa are grave, swift action can prevent them from spiraling into the unnecessary tragedy of widespread famine.

Shenggen Fan
Director General

The post IFPRI calls for urgent attention to famine in horn of Africa first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) will help policy makers to better predict likely food price pattern in the near future.

“For the first time ever, there is an instrument to measure periods of extreme price variability,” Maximo Torero, director of IFPRI’s Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division said during the launch of the tool on Wednesday.

Prices for food produce are high for many Ugandans

He said the new tool will help to reduce inconsistent information on price variability on the global level by providing timely and transparent market information which can be utilised by policy makers to avert food price crises.

The tool that is updated daily forewarns policymakers and humanitarian agencies of periods of time with excessive food price variability. Torero told journalists in a teleconference that this new tool measures excessive food price variability and is the only mechanism currently available to identify time spans of increased price variability.

“Policymakers need consistent tools to identify periods of increased price variability,” says Carlos Martins Filho, IFPRI senior research fellow. “With better and more precise information, they can devise policies to mitigate the impacts of volatility on both producers and consumers, particularly the poorest consumers in developing countries.”

Based on sophisticated statistical modelling (NEXQ: Nonparametric Extreme Quantile Model), this first-of-its kind tool provides daily price variability ratings for four major crops—hard wheat, soft wheat, corn, and soybeans. Data for the model are obtained from closing prices of futures contracts traded on the Chicago Board of Trade and, in the case of hard wheat, the Kansas Board of Trade.

Filho says accurate and transparent market information is important for addressing food price volatility and achieving the ultimate goal of improving food security, especially among poor people in developing countries.

While it is not clear how this will help African countries whose agriculture produce is largely not subject to an organised market based system, IFPRI says the tool is especially timely and important as it supports two of the recommendations in the “Action Plan on Food Price Volatility and Agriculture” issued by the G20 Agriculture Ministers on June in Paris.

“First, it provides information to the Agriculture Market Information System (AMIS) on price variability in global markets and shows when periods of excessive price variability are occurring and how long they last. Second, it supports the design of emergency humanitarian food reserves to be coordinated by the World Food Programme. It provides policymakers and others with a global trigger mechanism to develop country-level contingency plans, including the need to release and use grain reserves during periods of extreme price variability,” IFPRI said in a statement.

Ultimate Media

The post IFPRI Launches Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System tool first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

As experts in agriculture, the ministers no doubt know what extensive research confirms: Investing in agriculture and rural development, with a focus on smallholder farmers, is the best bet for achieving global food security, alleviating poverty, and improving human wellbeing in developing countries. During their upcoming meeting, the G20 ministers should seize the opportunity to call attention to this essential fact and propose a corresponding plan of action.

Shenggen Fan, Director General of IFPRI

Three years after the 2008 food crisis, expanding biofuel production, rising oil prices, U.S. dollar depreciation, extreme weather, and export restrictions have once again led to high and volatile food prices, threatening the wellbeing of the world’s poorest consumers, who spend up to 70 percent of their incomes on food. Any plan to curb volatility and protect the poor will require decisive action on a number of fronts, including measures to control speculation on agricultural commodities, promote open trade and export bans, establish emergency food reserves, curtail biofuels subsidies, and strengthen social safety nets, especially for women and young children.

In addition to these critical steps, achieving food security requires long-term investments to increase the productivity, sustainability, and resiliency of agriculture, especially among smallholder farmers, many of whom live in absolute poverty and are malnourished. Millions of poor, smallholder farmers struggle to raise output on tiny plots of degraded land, far from the nearest market. Lacking access to decent tools, quality seeds, credit, and agricultural extension, and being highly susceptible to the vagaries of weather, they work hard but reap little.

These challenges, however, are not insurmountable, and many actually present opportunities. Successes during the Green Revolution in Asia and more recent accomplishments in Africa show that rapid increases in crop productivity among smallholder farmers can be achieved, helping to feed millions of people. When smallholder farmers have equal access to agricultural services, inputs, and technologies, including high-yielding seeds, affordable fertilizer, and irrigation, they have often proven to be at least as efficient as larger farms.

Exploiting the vast potential of small-scale agriculture would increase productivity and incomes where they are most needed—Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The two regions are not only home to the majority of smallholder farmers and people suffering from extreme poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, but they also have rapidly growing populations. Improving smallholder agriculture could take pressure off global food and agricultural markets and cushion the negative impact on poor people who are most vulnerable to volatile markets.

Harnessing the promise of smallholder farmers, however, will require concerted action in a number of areas. First, investments that improve farmers’ productivity—such as better access to high-quality seeds, fertilizer, and extension and financial services—should be increased along with spending on roads and other rural infrastructure to improve farmers’ access to markets. Investments in agricultural research should focus on new agricultural technologies that are well suited for smallholder farmers, as well as other innovations, including insurance schemes that can reduce the risk small-scale farmers face due to extreme weather and high price volatility.

Second, while increasing productivity and incomes is crucial, it is not sufficient. Agricultural development among smallholders should also improve nutrition and health. Growing more nutritious varieties of staple crops that have higher levels of micronutrients like vitamin A, iron, and zinc can potentially reduce death and disease, especially of women and children. Producing more diverse crops, especially fruits and vegetables, can also help to combat malnutrition, and selling more nutritious food could increase incomes and provide additional employment.

Third, since smallholder farmers are extremely vulnerable to weather shocks, including escalating threats from global warming, promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation is important to protect against risks and potential crop loss. With the right incentives and technologies, smallholder farmers can invest in mitigation efforts, including managing their land to increase carbon storage. Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, has 17 percent of the world’s potential for climate change mitigation through sustainable agricultural practices.

Finally, policies and programs need to narrow the gender gap in agriculture and address the specific constraints faced by women. Although female farmers do much of the work to produce, process, and sell food in many countries, they frequently have less access than men to land, seeds, fertilizer, credit, and training. When women obtain the same levels of education and have equal access to extension and farm inputs, they produce significantly higher yields.

When the G20 Ministers of Agriculture develop an action plan to address food price volatility and its impact on the poor, they should focus on both urgent actions and the vital role of smallholder farmers. But before the international community issues any new recommendations, they first need to make good on previous commitments, including the G8’s L’Aquila pledge in 2009 to invest $22 billion in agriculture, which must be targeted to small-scale farmers. When it comes to achieving food security and reducing poverty, poor farmers in developing countries might be part of the challenge, but they are definitely indispensable to the solution.

by Shenggen Fan, Director General, IFPRI

The post G20 Ministers of Agriculture Must Focus on Smallholder Farmers to Achieve Food Security first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Improving Investments, Policies, and Productivity Is Critical to Meeting Growing Demand for Food, Combating Hunger & Malnutrition

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) — May 24, 2011

St. Louis, MO—Global demand for major grains, such as maize, rice, and wheat, is projected to increase by nearly 48 percent from 2000-2025 and by 70 percent between 2000 and 2050. Per capita meat consumption will also increase in many developing regions of the world and it will more than double in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2000-2050, leading to a doubling of total meat consumption by 2050, according to research presented by Mark Rosegrant, who delivered the Ag Economic Forum Keynote during the 2011 Ag Innovation Showcase held in St. Louis on May 23-24. Rosegrant is director of Environment and Production Technology at IFPRI. At the same time, the growth in production of staple foods is expected to decline significantly in most of the world if business continues as usual.

“Climate change, high and volatile food and energy prices, population and income growth, changing diets, and increased urbanization will put intense pressure on land and water and challenge global food security as never before,” said Rosegrant. “If agricultural production and policymaking continues down its present course, there could be severe consequences for many poor people in developing countries.”

Using state-of-the-art economic modeling based on alternative future scenarios for agricultural supply and demand that take into account the potential harmful impact of climate change, IFPRI projects crop yields, food prices, and child malnutrition through 2050 and beyond.  Even without climate change, the prices of rice, maize, and wheat are projected to increase by 25 percent, 48 percent, and 75 percent, respectively, by 2050, in a business-as-usual scenario. Climate change will further slow productivity growth, increasing staple food prices and reducing progress on food security and childhood malnutrition.

“Although the threats to food and nutrition security are very real, these outcomes are by no means inevitable,” said Rosegrant. “The myriad challenges underscore the importance of agricultural research, better policies, new technologies, and social investments to feeding the world’s burgeoning population while protecting critical natural resources.”

According to IFPRI’s sophisticated computer model, developed by Rosegrant, with US$7 billion of additional annual investments in research to improve crop and livestock productivity, nearly 25 million less children in developing countries would be malnourished in 2050 compared to a business-as-usual scenario.  If projected business-as-usual investments in agricultural research are increased along with greater spending on irrigation, rural roads, safe drinking water, and girls’ education, for a total additional increase of US$22 billion per year, the number of malnourished children in the developing world—currently projected to be 103 million in 2050—would drop substantially to 45 million.

“Spending in these areas would particularly help farmers to boost their yields, improve their market access, increase their incomes, and improve the health and wellbeing of their families,” added Rosegrant. “Greater crop productivity also means that more of the growing demand for food could be satisfied from existing land, limiting environmental damage and ensuring that progress in the fight against hunger and poverty is sustainable.”

For more information, please contact:  Michele Pietrowski, m.pietrowski@cgiar.org, +1 (202) 862-4630

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI is one of 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, an alliance of 64 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations. www.ifpri.org

The post Improving Investment and productivity critical to food security first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Nowhere is this more relevant than in Sub-Saharan Africa, where agriculture accounts for 30 to 40 percent of total gross domestic product (GDP) and almost 60 percent of export earnings. Agriculture is also the primary source of income and employment for many Africans, including most of the continent’s poorest citizens.

In recent years, many global and national promises have been made reinforcing the importance of agriculture for promoting development and alleviating hunger. But decisionmakers at all levels have often failed to make good on those commitments. Monitoring progress on past pledges—by international donors and African policymakers alike—also needs to be high on the Deauville agenda. In the face of growing challenges to global food security, such as high and volatile food prices, the rising cost of energy, and climate change, we cannot afford to let good intentions remain just that.

Shenggen Fan, Director General of IFPRI

Recognizing that agriculture must play a central role in stimulating economic growth and development across the continent, in 2003, African leaders launched the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and agreed to allocate at least 10 percent of their national budgets to agriculture. Although most countries have made progress toward this target, less than a dozen have achieved it.

From 2000 to 2007, public spending on agriculture as a share of agricultural GDP—which takes into account the relative size and importance of the sector—decreased from 4.4 percent to 2.5 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, during the same period, public agricultural expenditures in the region grew by 47 percent in absolute terms, which was significant, but considerably less than East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia, which increased spending by 86 percent and 65 percent, respectively.

Historically, African governments have spent much less on agriculture than their counterparts in other developing countries, but now is the time to reverse that trend. Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region of the developing world expected to have more poor people in 2015 than it did in 1990. Hunger and malnutrition continue to affect nearly 30 percent of the population. In Eastern and Central Africa, the percentage of people living on less than a dollar a day actually increased during the past two decades. An agricultural revival on the continent could help countries tackle these problems and enable them to take advantage of the renewed global interest in agriculture.

After more than two decades of neglect, official development assistance (ODA) to agriculture is gradually on the rise. From the mid-2000s to 2009, ODA commitments to agriculture increased from US$5 billion to nearly US$10 billion, not counting contributions from all multilateral donors. During the same time period, the share of total official development assistance spent on agriculture grew from 4 to 6 percent. At the G8 summit in L’Aquila in 2009, world leaders pledged more than US$20 billion to boost food security and agricultural development. And last year, a multilateral fund, the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, was launched with the goal of improving agricultural production, crop productivity, and food security.

Although these financial commitments are substantial, challenges remain. First and foremost, donors need to make good on their promises—as do African governments themselves.

Second, investments in agriculture should reflect a country’s national priorities, contribute to an overall development strategy, and be supported by good governance and effective policies. Finally, determining the “how” of agricultural spending is as important as the “how much.”

In a world where public resources are not only limited but often scarce, prioritizing investments to maximize benefits and on-the-ground impact is critical. Because countries have different political and economic systems, natural resource endowments, and socioeconomic conditions, a one-size-fits-all strategy will not work. However, IFPRI research shows that in general, spending on agricultural research and development, education, and rural infrastructure—especially rural feeder roads in Africa—are most effective for promoting agricultural growth and reducing poverty.

If G8 leaders are serious about their partnership with Africa, they need to ensure, in a spirit of mutual accountability, that African countries have every opportunity to capitalize on agriculture’s immense potential—beginning with the fulfillment of past pledges. With African countries firmly in the driver’s seat, agriculture can shape and impact development on the continent and ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of all citizens.

by Shenggen Fan

Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

The post G8-Africa Partnership Provides Opportunity to Revitalize Agriculture, Spur Development, and Improve Food Security first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The call was made by the International Food Policy Research Institute while releasing a new report on Agriculture Research and Development.

The report shows that investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) in Sub-Saharan Africa increased by more than 20 percent from 2001-2008, but most of this growth occurred in only a handful of countries. The report shows that Nigeria alone accounts for one-third of the increase.

spending on agriculture research

The report is a result of a collaboration between IFPRI’s Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) initiative with more than 370 agricultural research agencies in Sub-Sahara Africa. ASTI is spearheaded by IFPRI on behalf of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

“Studies show that investments in agricultural R&D have greatly contributed to economic growth, agricultural development, food security, and poverty reduction in developing regions over the past five decades,” said Nienke Beintema, head of ASTI.

“New agricultural technologies and crop varieties have helped to increase yields, improve nutrition, conserve natural resources, and expand rural markets,” Beintema said during a teleconference to release the report.

The report a result of a survey in 32 countries expresses concern that spending in most of the region has stagnated or fallen, and urgent investment is needed to rescue the situation.

Gert-Jan Stads, ASTI program coordinator says the state of agricultural R&D is particularly grave in francophone West Africa, where insufficient national investment has left programs debilitated and dangerously dependent on volatile external funding. Gabon, Gambia and Sierra Leone were at the lowest end of funding agriculture research and development. Many of these countries are also struggling with a rapidly aging pool of scientists, many of whom will approach retirement within the next decade, the IFPRI researchers said.

The IFPRI Report on Agriculture Research in Africa

[issuu layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml showflipbtn=true autoflip=true autofliptime=6000 documentid=110409161548-4576e7a603a94abfb703dce540aa7615 docname=africa_agriculture_research username=weinformers loadinginfotext=Agriculture%20research%20Investment%20in%20Africa showhtmllink=true tag=ifpri width=500 height=324 unit=px]
The report found that investment in agricultural R&D had rebounded in many of the larger countries, primarily Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. However, in 13 countries, spending actually declined. Even where funding did increase, much of the money went to boost low salaries and rehabilitate infrastructure and equipment after years of neglect.

Most countries in the study are facing human capacity challenges, such as recruitment freezes, retention problems, and researchers who either lack high-level training or are old and nearing retirement, according to the report.

Yet the researchers say well-developed, funded, and staffed agricultural research programs are crucial if farmers are to be more productive and prosperous in the future. The report shows,  that only a few countries are making the necessary investments. In 2008, only eight countries in the study—Botswana, Burundi, Kenya, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, and Uganda—spent more than one percent of their agricultural GDP on research and development, the target set by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Moreover, many countries still depend on donors for funding, which is often short-term and unpredictable, leaving programs vulnerable and hampering long-term planning.

To address the challenges hindering agricultural R&D in Africa, the report calls for increased, consistent, and coordinated funding among governments and donors to counteract decades of underinvestment in agricultural R&D; improved recruitment and training, and expanded investments in agricultural higher education to resolve human resource capacity issues; and increased regional and sub-regional cooperation in agricultural R&D to pool resources, share information and innovations, and maximize the benefits of research.

“In the face of escalating challenges to food security, such as rapid population growth, climate change, water scarcity, and volatile food prices, investing in agricultural research is more important than ever,” said Gert-Jan Stads.

He said although there has been renewed interest in the role of agriculture in tackling hunger and poverty in recent years, governments, donors and development banks should translate this political support “ into action if the immense potential of agricultural research is to be realized.”

The IFPRI researchers say investing in agriculture research is vital for the development of agriculture and ensuring food security.

Also see

Country Specific agriculture research trends

Absolute Levels of R&D Spending and Staffing by Country

Spending: Overall and Countries with Greatest Increases & Decreases

Spending: Annual Growth Rates by Country

“Best Bets” for Agricultural Research at Global and Regional Levels

By Gerald Businge

The post IFPRI calls for urgent invest in Agriculture Research and Development in Sub-Sahara Africa first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

*All data related to investment and spending patterns are adjusted for inflation.

BENIN

• Agricultural R&D expenditures have gradually increased since 2000, reflecting enhanced government funding and greater involvement by the higher education sector, but agricultural research remains largely donor dependent.

• Benin faces a serious research capacity crisis. Staff levels at the country’s National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRAB), the main R&D agency, have dwindled and the high average age of scientists means that the most experienced researchers are nearing retirement.

• INRAB has difficulty retaining qualified researchers due to low salaries relative to universities and a public-sector recruitment ban that limits opportunities. About two-thirds of its researchers are contract workers.

• Urgent steps must be taken to boost scientific cooperation among research actors, cancel the hiring freeze, and provide young researchers with training opportunities.

BOTSWANA

• Investments in agricultural research rose rapidly until 2007, after which spiraling inflation prompted the government to cut funding to public R&D agencies in 2008.

• Research capacity also declined in 2008 due to a considerable exodus of R&D staff from the Department of Agricultural Research (DAR), the country’ main public agency for agricultural research.

• R&D is mainly funded by the government. Donor support for, and private-sector involvement in agricultural research is minimal.

• Despite government-funded training initiatives, which increased the number of PhD-level scientists, DAR has serious difficulties attracting and retaining well-qualified staff because of its relatively low salaries.

MoneyMaker Pumps made by KickStart International

BURKINA FASO

• Agricultural R&D spending has followed a pattern of booms and busts, coinciding with the start and end of projects funded by World Bank loans, which have heavily funded R&D since the late 1980s.

• In 2004, R&D expenditures plummeted following the conclusion of a World Bank-funded project, resulting in dire financial straits, disruptions in research, and a halt to recruitment.

• Overall, the country’s agricultural researchers are among the more highly qualified in West Africa, but recruiting and training young scientists are vital as the average age of researchers has rapidly risen.

• The government needs to increase funding, with a long-term focus, to halt the instability and fragility that have characterized the country’s agricultural research to date.

BURUNDI

• Following a decade of sociopolitical turmoil, a peace treaty was signed in 2003 that prompted the return of donors and has led to an increase in agricultural R&D spending and research capacity.

• Donors, particularly Belgium and the World Bank, play a key role in funding Burundi’s agricultural R&D.

• The Burundi Institute of Agricultural Sciences (ISABU), the country’s main R&D agency, lacks a critical mass of PhD-level scientists due to serious difficulties in attracting and retaining well-qualified staff. However, the status of ISABU researchers has been upgraded recently, which will allow the institute to offer much higher salaries and, hopefully, recruit and retain highly qualified staff.

• The government needs to provide long-term support to R&D to strengthen the agricultural sector, which has been weakened by sociopolitical crisis and climatic disturbances, so it can play a crucial role in poverty reduction and food security.

CONGO (REPUBLIC OF)

• Despite recent and slight improvements, agricultural R&D spending remains far below the levels recorded before the civil wars of the 1990s, which had caused investments to plummet.

• The country’s agricultural research is primarily funded by the government. Donors play only a very modest role in funding compared to many African countries.

• Research capacity levels declined from 2001–08 at the agricultural centers of the General Delegation of Scientific and Technical Research (DGRST)—which coordinates and oversees research at 14 centers in the country—due to numerous retirements and a public-sector hiring freeze.

• Congo’s researchers are among the oldest in Africa and 60 percent of DGRST staff are expected to retire between now and 2016, making the recruitment and training of young researchers an urgent need.

• Reviving the agricultural sector and developing a research policy is crucial to reducing rural poverty and supporting economic diversification as oil production, the country’s main source of income, declines.

 
Next Page

The post Trends in Agricultural Research and Development in African Countries first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.