Special bulletin: 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW) - June 2016

The IITA CGIAR

No. 2332

27 June – 1 July 2016

Special bulletin: 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW)

IITA plays active role at Africa Agriculture Science Week

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rom supporting the organization of the event both programmatically and financially, to organizing various parallel and side sessions and taking part in an exhibition together with other CGIAR centers, IITA was very active and visible at the recently concluded Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW). The event was organized by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in Kigali, Rwanda, 13–16 June, alongside its General Assembly.

IITA also had a large delegation present at the event led by Director General Nteranya Sanginga, Deputy Director General for Partnership for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, The IITA delegation at AASW was led by DG Nteranya Sanginga (left) and DDG Kenton Dashiell and Director for Humidtropics Kwesi (right).

Attah-Krah. Also present were staff from “Integrated systems research involves its hubs in Central, Eastern, and West Pushing for a systems approach taking a holistic approach to enhancing Africa as well as representatives from the to agricultural research agriculture and the livelihoods of smallholder IITA Youth Agripreneurs.

IITA and like-minded partners took farmers. It involves looking at the farm as a The AASW brings together all key part in sessions, building a case for system to identify the interactions, tradestakeholders in African Agriculture a systems approach to agricultural offs, and synergies between the various Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) research. These included a side event on components and not neglecting such to exchange ideas on latest developments the first day looking at how to integrate aspects as nutrition and gender. and trends as well as strategize on ways the systems approach into the Africa to push for more investment in African Science Agenda and the Comprehensive During this session various presenters Agriculture Development of the Humidtropics program shared their agriculture as a key driver for economic Africa Programme (CAADP) process organized experiences of working in an integrated development.

by IITA, Humidtropics, and FARA. A manner through multi-stakeholder The theme of this year’s event was parallel event on the second day led platforms that were vehicles for facilitating ‘Apply Science, Impact Livelihoods’ and by IITA, Bioversity International, and collective action to address agricultural discussions focused around the following FARA discussed how to support challenges. Experiences were shared subthemes: Institutional systems and agricultural intensification in Africa for from Burundi, Cameroon, DR Congo, and policies for making science work for African food and nutrition security and poverty Rwanda. agriculture; Sustainable productivity growth, alleviation. value chains, and profitable agribusinesses; Human capital development and the Speaking at the session on integrating youth; Sustainable financing of science, the systems approach into the CAADP technology, and innovation for African process, Dr Atta-Krah noted that agriculture; and Megatrends in African “integration was one word that everyone agriculture. The event brought together over loved to use but no one liked to do.” He 1500 key stakeholders in the agriculture also said that while “integration was not cheap it was necessary.” sector in Africa and beyond.

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Piet van Asten, IITA Systems Agronomist based in Uganda, was a keynote speaker during the parallel session on “Achieving sustainable productivity growth” on the second day, where he also continued to build a case for a systems approach.

Van Asten said a systems approach looked at increasing productivity from four dimensions: increasing productivity at the farm level through improving the overall efficiency of the production system, ensuring household members invest and benefit in an equitable manner through addressing gender issues, having in place enabling factors required at the community level, and creating a favorable institutional and policy environment. He gave examples from ongoing IITA research in Uganda that was addressing these dimensions to achieve Piet Van Asten gives keynote speech on a sustainable increase in the production achieving sustainable growth at AASW. of important staple crops such as coffee, sociocultural, economic, institutional, and banana, and potato. political dimensions that are interrelated, Paul Dontsop, an IITA Impact Economist thus the need for systems thinking in based in DR Congo, further shared some agriculture research and development. of the successes of the Consortium for “Sustainable productivity growth calls for Improving Agricultural Livelihoods in coherent action across farm, community, Central Africa (CIALCA) project through regional, national, and international its systems approach, which had lifted levels and for collective action from over half a million people out of poverty. all stakeholders―farmers, research, CIALCA is led by IITA and Bioversity markets, policymakers, private sector,” and brought on board a wide range of said Marc Schut, IITA Social Scientist partners in the three project countries: based in Burundi, while summarizing the Burundi, DR Congo, and Rwanda. conclusions from these sessions on the Dontsop said that success factors last day of the event at the FARA General included local adaption of technologies, Assembly. and flexible and long-term funding that “Both technological and institutional also invested in partnership building. This innovations are required for sustainable supports the case for sustained longagricultural growth. New technologies term funding of research. such as new varieties are important but they will not have impact if they Way forward are not accompanied by appropriate At the end of these sessions it was institutional arrangements such as concluded that sustainable productivity having functioning seed and extensions growth has biophysical technological, systems,” he said.

Value chains, agribusiness, and the youth

Kwesi Atta-Krah (left) leads panel discussion on sustainable productivity growth.

Special bulletin: 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW)

Another subtheme in which IITA was active was on how to develop agricultural value chains and involve youth in agriculture. IITA co-organized a parallel session on this on the second day together with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the African Agribusiness Incubation Network (AAIN). The session noted that for agriculture to develop, strategies to move smallholder farmers out of subsistence into commercial farming were key.

Mentoring youth in agriculture was considered very important as well as the need for continuous innovations.

The session also applauded the IITA Youth Agripreneurs initiative, which is now operational in six African countries: DR Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. It was noted that the model had very good potential for scaling up to many more countries.

Sustainable financing of Science, Technology, and Innovation in African Agriculture IITA DG Nteranya Sanginga was a panelist on a parallel session on Sustainable financing of STI for African agriculture organized by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). There it was concluded that African countries cannot continue business as usual and that there needs to be a mindset change by African governments to prioritize agriculture. The group also praised the funding plan of the AfDB on agriculture which they said would go a long way to give the sector the much needed push.

CIALCA marks 10th anniversary CIALCA also used the opportunity to mark its 10th year anniversary. The project organized a side event that was graced by the IITA DDG for Partnership for Delivery, the Director General of Agriculture Development at the Agriculture Ministry, and Ambassador of the Belgium Embassy in Rwanda, among others, and attended by partners and friends of CIALCA from Burundi, DR Congo, and Rwanda.

The Africa Science Week and FARA General Assembly are organized every three years. The previous AASW and FARA general assembly were held in Accra, Ghana, in July 2013.

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CIALCA marks a decade with over half a million farmers out of poverty

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ver half a million smallholder farmers in the Great Lakes region of East and Central Africa have been lifted out of poverty. This is partly due to 10 years of research, capacity building, and networking activities of the Consortium for Improving Agriculture-based Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA) that has seen over 25 innovative agricultural technologies developed and disseminated.

Staff, partners, and friends of CIALCA drawn from Burundi, DR Congo, and Rwanda, celebrated this achievement at a side event to mark CIALCA’s 10th anniversary held alongside the 7th African Agriculture Science Week organized by the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA), 13–16 June.

CIALCA is led by IITA and Bioversity International and was created in 2006 when the Belgian Directorate General for Women of ‘Tugurakire kitoki’ farmers group give a hearty welcome to visitors in their banana field.

Development Cooperation (DGD) approved In its 10 years CIALCA has lifted 560,000 smallholder farmers out of poverty. three separate proposals from the two institutions and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), all focusing the event, praised CIALCA for supporting technologies through sustained communi­ on improving agricultural productivity, the national agricultural systems in the cation and extension efforts. incomes, and sustainability for smallholders three countries to engage in dialog and share lessons learned in addressing their In its third phase CIALCA became part in the Great Lakes Region. common agricultural challenges with each of Humidtropics, a CGIAR Research “A lot of technologies have come out of other and other national and international Program led by IITA and a new angle was added to its research―the creation CIALCA’s research-for-development efforts, partners. of multi-stakeholder platforms to provide which have been widely disseminated and adopted by our smallholder farmers to “The great partnerships and networks the necessary institutional support for improve their food security, nutrition, and created at the local, national, and regional innovation and scaling. The focus moved levels have been instrumental in the beyond single crops and value chains to incomes. success of CIALCA”, said the Ambassador. livelihood and “whole farm productivity” “These include high-yielding improved improvement. varieties of banana and legumes, control The capacity building efforts of the of deadly pests and diseases such as initiative were also noted as instrumental in The promotion of technologies and the Banana Xanthomonus wilt, as well ensuring the sustainability of the successes livelihood improvement were now guided as appropriate soil fertility management achieved. “Over 20 PhD and 35 MSc by understanding and using diversity practices,” said Geraldine Mukeshimana, students have been trained; many of them within the farming community. This in turn Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal now hold key positions in the national strengthened the role of women and youth Resources as she congratulated CIALCA in agricultural institutes in Burundi, DR Congo, in agricultural development. Collective learning and multi-stakeholder engagement a speech given on her behalf by Charles and Rwanda. have now become the bread and butter of Murekezi, Director General of Agriculture “The initiative also trained over 1000 CIALCA. Development at the Agriculture Ministry. extension staff of nongovernmental and Strengthening regional collaboration farmers organizations,” said Kenton From all these activities significant impact Dashiell, IITA Deputy Director General for was made in efforts to reduce poverty: in research for development Partnership for Delivery.

“We were pleasantly surprised with the The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium findings of an impact study on CIALCA in Rwanda, His Excellency Arnout Pauwels, CIALCA transformation in its that established that the initiative had who was also among the dignitaries at 10-year journey contributed to lifting over 560,000 farmers “CIALCA has undergone various in Burundi, eastern DR Congo, and Rwanda transformations over the 10 years, adapting out of poverty,” van Asten said. to changing farmer and partner needs and circumstances,” said Piet van Asten, a Systems Agronomist with IITA while giving an overview of the CIALCA initiative.

In its first phase, CIALCA focused on developing and adapting technologies for improving production systems, while “Partnerships and networks have been instrumental in in the second phase more investment the success of CIALCA” - Ambassador Arnout Pauwels. went into scaling up and out these Special bulletin: 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW)

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Africa must develop its agribusiness for economic growth and social transformation–FARA Director

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et’s change the way we do business.

Agriculture is beyond the farm gate and selling the raw produce which constitutes only 10% of business in agriculture. The profit is in the value chain,” says Yemi Akinbamijo, the Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). He made these remarks at the 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW) and the FARA General Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda on 13−16 June. The event was organized by FARA and the Government of Rwanda. It attracted eminent scholars and scientists from agricultural research institutes all over the world. The Rwandan Prime Minister, Hon Anastase Murekezi, opened the event.

and evolving policy and institutional changes in the African agricultural landscape and their implications for the implementation of the science agenda.

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There were side events which deliberated on the five subthemes of the conference namely, Institutional systems and policies for making science work for African agriculture; Sustainable productivity growth, value chains, and profitable agribusinesses; Human capital development and the youth; Sustainable financing of science, technology, and innovation for African agriculture; and Megatrends in African agriculture.

FARA Science Week is greatly valued Nteranya Sanginga (IITA) and Yemi Akinbamijo by stakeholders in Africa‘s agricultural (FARA)share warm greetings. research and innovation who converge at this event every three years to network including ministers of state and and strike up partnerships, share policymakers, experts in agriculture as knowledge and experiences, and also well as stakeholders engaged in African identify key collective actions they should agricultural research and development. pursue jointly to achieve their common The theme of this year’s event Apply goals. The 7th AASW provided an Science, Impact livelihoods focused opportunity for stakeholders to work out on the implementation of the science how they could align their work with the agenda for agriculture in Africa at country various strategic frameworks signed and level. The triennial event took stock of adopted by African Heads of State and achievements in Africa’s agricultural Governments on accelerating African research and also reflected on how to improve its contribution to the continental agricultural growth and transformation. agenda for accelerated economic and The four-day forum and exhibition social transformation. Plenary sessions attracted over 1500 participants, were held to highlight the science agenda

The General Assembly was held on the fourth and last day of the event. All through the four days, an exhibition of innovations (products and services) was open to interested participants. The chairperson of FARA, Charity Kruger, called upon the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, and development partners to ensure increased financing for agricultural research and development along the value chains to promote sustainability in the sector. One of the high points of the opening ceremony was the conferment of the first FARA Honors Laureate on Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB President, in recognition of his visionary leadership in driving exemplary success in African agriculture and unlocking its potential.

SARD-SC side event highlights contributions to food and nutrition security

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n consonance with the theme of this year’s FARA event, Apply Science, Impact livelihoods, the SARD-SC project, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) held a side event on the topic, SARD-SC contributing to food and nutrition security in Africa.

The purpose of the side event was to highlight the achievements of the project in its four mandate crops― maize, rice, cassava, and wheat, and to show how the development of their value chains is contributing to food and nutrition security in Africa and improving livelihoods.

In attendance were participants of the FARA event including Nteranya Sanginga, Director General, IITA; and Chiji Ojukwu, Director of Agriculture, AfDB; and other key personalities.

Kenton Dashiell, IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, gave

SARD-SC officials highlight the achievements of the project in its four mandate crops.

the introductory remarks, saying that the amazing performance of the SARDSC project in precise implementation and recording laudable achievements within three years of its existence was not expected at the inception of the project.

Roy Harold–Macaulay, Director-General of AfricaRice, commended the SARD-SC

Special bulletin: 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW)

project for its achievements and said it was one of the few projects funded by donor money that has recorded some laudable deliverables, made impact, and achieved impressive outcomes.

The SARD-SC project is an excellent project concerned with achieving deliverables and outcome and has done page 4

very well. The project has given rise to something much bigger than itself, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), a new initiative of the AfDB to enable Africa to feed itself

SARD-SC Communication Officer Interviewing a guest.

and foster economic development and social transformation. The project won an award and it is a good example of how four CGIAR centers can work together and achieve deliverables, outcomes, and impact.”

benefits of innovation platforms (IPs) in fostering strategic alliances within the IPs, provision of improved quality of planting materials to farmers, reduction in postharvest losses, and mushroom production using cassava waste. The other three Commodity Specialists, Sam Chrys Akem, the Project Coordinator, Ajala, Sidi Sanyang, and Solomon Assefa gave a brief overview of achievements also presented the achievements on their and outcomes of the project such respective crops. as new crop varieties developed, establishment of processing centers, AfDB’s Chiji Ojukwu said that project capacity development, engagement of activities should be demand driven. “We women in all aspects of crop value chain, should be concerned about moving and commercial banks getting involved agriculture from on-farm to off-farm in the maize commodity value chain production; this is one of the issues we activities. More importantly, he said, need to tackle to meet food security the achievements of the project have in Africa. We need to reengineer our engendered shifts in some countries’ research technology to achieve food and nutrition security in Africa.” agricultural policies in Africa.

Each of the commodity specialists made presentations on achievements of the commodities. Marie Yomeni, Cassava Commodity Specialist, talked about the

The project showcased technological innovations, products, and achievements of the four commodity value chains during the two-day exhibition at the FARA event.

Adesina, AfDB president and IITA alumni, feted at FARA’s Science Week

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kinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), became the first laureate of the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA) award for leadership in advancing the agriculture agenda in Africa.

“Africa must feed Africa. And the African Development Bank stands ready to fully support Africa to do so.

Africa must develop itself with pride.

And there is no pride for Africa without being able to feed itself. The African Development Bank plans to invest about $24 billion (or $2.4 billion per year) over 10 years to help drive the agricultural transformation of Africa. This is a big deal for the Bank – and a big deal for Africa. It will represent a 400% increase in financing to the agricultural sector by the Bank,” he said.

The award aimed at recognizing an individual who had made significant personal achievement in efforts towards creating a more food secure continent.

Adesina received the award during the Africa Agriculture Science Week organized

by FARA in Kigali, Rwanda 13–16 June.

He was cited as an accomplished agricultural economist with over 25 years of experience at national, regional, and international levels. His achievements in reforming the agriculture sector in Nigeria while he was the Agriculture Minister were highlighted including reforming the fertilizer industry.

A clearly moved Adesina said he was humbled by the award which he dedicated to all smallholder farmers in Africa for whom he poured all his efforts towards improving their livelihoods.

Adesina had earlier on given the keynote speech of the opening session of the

Akinwumi Adesina receives the FARA award in recognition of his visionary leadership.

science week where he noted that current underinvestment in agriculture has left millions of people in poverty in the continent.

“Today, Africa spends $35 billion on importing food. This is projected to grow to $110 billion by 2025. Africa is importing what it should be producing, creating poverty within Africa and exporting jobs outside of Africa,” he said as he further went ahead to make a case for investing in agriculture and pledged AfDB’s support.

Special bulletin: 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW)

Also feted at the event was Paul Kagame, the Rwandan President who received the President’s award for his efforts in developing Rwanda’s agricultural sector. It was received on his behalf by the country’s Prime Minister Hon. Anastase Murekezi, who said that it was a well-deserved award for the president.

Adesina is also an alumnus of IITA where he served as a program leader in the IITA Resource and Crop Management Division based in Cameroon from 1992 to 1998.

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CGIAR/IITA and SARD-SC project showcases innovations and commodity value chain products

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ITA and the SARD-SC project participated in the exhibition of agricultural goods and services during the recently held Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW) and FARA General Assembly, held in Kigali, Rwanda.

Project posters detailing commodity value chain achievements of rice, cassava, maize, and wheat were on display at the booth. The rice value chain commodity showed its various technological innovations and developments.

The flagship of the innovations, the GEM rice parboiler, attracted a lot of interest; so did the cassava confectionery—cakes, chin-chin, tidbits, cookies, “sneh” balls—rice products and other sundry products.

one of the visitors. She commended the project for the creativity in the cassava products. She was especially interested in the confectionary made from cassava flour. “It is amazing to see these snacks made from cassava flour. These are good,” she commented.

The high point of the event was when Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB President, and his entourage and organizers of the FARA event stopped at the SARD-SC booth. Chrys Akem gave a brief talk on the SARD-SC project and its achievements. The AFDB president commended the project for its

achievements and inspected the cassava products on display. While tasting one of the products, Adesina remarked “I know these are tasty; I had a couple of these snacks during one of my visits to IITA, Ibadan.”

The three-day exhibition attracted hordes of people. The exhibition was convened by three CGIAR Centers; IITA, AfricaRice, and ICARDA. These centers are implementing an African Development Bank (AfDB)-funded multinational CGIAR-led project, Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC).

Project publications on the four commodities also attracted interest.

Visitors thronged the stands to read and learn about the achievements of the project in all areas innovations.

People who visited the stands liked the cassava snacks on display; they were amazed at the new cassava products. Some of the visitors who tasted the products were totally surprised to know that such products could be made from cassava flour. Nsanzabaganwa Emile, General Manager, Kinaazi Cassava Plant, asked if IITA could train his staff in preparing cassava confectionery.

Hilda Vasanthakaalam, Dean, School of Food Science and Technology, Nyarugenge Campus, Rwanda, was

Akinwumi Adesina (center) samples SARD-SC cassava products.

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Announcements Africa RISING ESA project review and planning meeting, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, 30 June -2 July Africa RISING - NAFAKA scaling project review and planning meeting, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, 4-5 July Second Aflatoxin Biocontrol Workers’ Network Workshop, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, 11-14 July 3rd All Africa Horticultural Congress, Theme: “Horticultural for Improved Livelihoods”, Conference Center, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, 7-12 August.

• 7th International Nitrogen Initiative Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 4–8 December.

More details on the conference are available here.

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Special bulletin: 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW)

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