CSRFiles Edition 6 by ThistlePraxis Consulting Journals

‘ AFRICAS NEXT BLACK GOLD?

Contents Source:technoserve.org

COVER STORY

09 FAQs Remembering Maputo

Feature Agri-what?

37 EVENTS ISO 26000: NAP

SURVEY Estimate of Annual CSR Spending in Nigeria

The Nigerian Youth & Agriculture

14 Agricultural Innovation In In Africa

22 Going Digital…

REPORT 44 SPECIAL AR-CSR™ 2012: The Common Future

18 VerbAtim

What is the BIGGEST challenge to Agricultural Development in Africa?

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION Agricultural Management

ONLINE RESOURCES

Harambe Portal, Small Holders Foundation etc.

Publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note we are looking at billions of dollars needing to be invested into their production.â&#x20AC;?

DIGGING FOR GOLD... With food expected to become the "new oil" of the 21st century, Africa's agricultural output is set for explosive growth in coming decades. As the continent's largely untapped potential gains elevated attention, it is obvious that a resilient, sustainable mid-century agricultural system will also require an open, trust-based trading system to move surpluses to places of food deficit. Today, only about 15 percent of all the food produced in the world crosses international borders. That percentage will increase. Global population growth is skewing toward areas that are not blessed with the natural resources required to produce food. Growing crops where the soils and climate are best suited for them and allowing open trade will provide the food that is needed, while minimizing overall environmental impacts by reducing the resources and inputs required.

There are about 870 million undernourished people in the world today. There will be two billion more people on the planet by mid-century. Most believe feeding this more urban and more affluent population will require increasing food production by an estimated 70 percent. Such production increase is not out of reach, this is reason for optimism. Producing enough food to feed the world starts with honouring the principle of comparative advantage. The alternative, the pursuit of food selfsufficiency at a national or regional level undermines the increases in output a growing global population will require, inefficiently uses scarce natural resources and can cause significant environmental harm. We must continue to improve productivity and importantly bring best practices and technologies to those areas of the world, such as Africa, that currently are not fulfilling their agricultural potential.

African smallholder farmers are some of the most impoverished people in the world (43 percent are women) and they account for 80 percent of food production in sub-Saharan Africa. Some people argue the future of these small farmers will be driven by the private sector. Giant food retailers are also starting to realize that they need to look after African smallholders to safeguard their future.

To feed 9 billion people by 2050, we will need another strong food producer like Brazil, as well as open trade so the surpluses flow readily to areas of food deficit. Open and trust-based trade is also a primary means to help offset inevitable but unpredictable crop failures. A third cornerstone will be efficient, transparent and wellregulated markets. The combination of open trade and efficient markets results in prices that signal farmers about what and how much to produce. A price that adequately rewards farmers for their efforts and provides enough money to motivate them to produce again next year is the fundamental ingredient of sustainable agriculture arguably more important than any other crop input. Despite these facts, food insecurity persists. The calories the world's fa r m e r s p ro d u c e a re u n e ve n l y distributed. Rising food prices are primarily the results of issues of supply and demand and due to shortages caused by droughts in key grainproducing areas, which threaten to undermine recent reductions in hunger.

David Hughes, professor of food markets at Imperial College London, says "there has been a sea change in the last 18 months" at a senior level in companies including Unilever, NestlĂŠ, Kraft and Mars. "This is nothing to do with fuzzy CSR [corporate social responsibility]; this is that if they don't have profitable farmers then they won't have the raw materials they need to make their products. If there are 5 million cocoa producers in Africa, then

Producing enough food to feed the world starts with honouring the principle of comparative advantage. Midcentury agriculture will produce the most food in the most economical and environmentally sustainable way if all farmers plant the crops best suited for their growing conditions. This recognizes a simple fact: fertile soil, abundant rain and plentiful sunshine are not equally available across the planet. Rather, nature has endowed

certain geographies with the natural resources necessary to produce a surplus for example, wheat from the plains of North America, rice from paddies in Southeast Asia or soybeans from Brazil. There is a growing momentum more t h a n e v e r, t o t a c k l e p o l i c y, infrastructure, crop input and property rights issues in Africa. With the support and involvement of the G8's New Alliance for Food and Nutrition Security and the Grow Africa partnership, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and African governments are working to develop sustainable markets for food grown on the continent. The collective intent is to work with governments and nongovernmental organizations to develop public/private partnerships to make change happen. A resilient, sustainable agricultural system that produces enough food for all at a price that can be borne by all is within reach. There is no room for complacency. This remains essential that organizations, both public and private, continue to work together to provide the structure, support and investment that will contribute to agricultural development that can meet the challenge of feeding a world on its way to 9 billion people. Amongst other aims, the idea for this edition was inspired by our Thought Leadership Series on Sustainable Agricultural systems. Organized in April 2012, the outcomes of the discussions proved that the sector, beyond the practice and/or profession provides immense benefits to livelihoods as well as substantial contributions to the economies of Africa. Recently, whilst participating at the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Summit where the Council on Africa also met, the importance and far-reaching impact of Agriculture as a sustainable development opportunity was greatly emphasized. Across the value chain, the potential remain enormous and what we have attempted to capture in this edition are more futuristic. In the next few years, we envisage a more competitive environment with o rg a n i z a t i o n s e m b ra c i n g m o re innovative practices with each passing phase. Innovation will distinguish corporate performance and we look forward to playing in this space. Beyond the current output, statistics and mere postulation of the potential of agriculture; in our opinion agriculture should become Africa's Next Black Gold . Sustainably yours,

Ini Onuk

At BCB Resources our commitment is sacrosanct: Bringing the Best Results Rapidly.

info@bcbresources.com I www.bcbresources.com

PUBLISHER Ini Onuk

…an open, unending conversation

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emilia Asim–Ita CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Anwuli Ojogwu COPY EDITOR Amarachukwu Iwuala CONTRIBUTORS

Prof. Calestous Juma Engr. Shedrack Madlion Isabella C. Akinseye RESEARCH Amarachukwu Iwuala Lucky Igbomor Ngozi Joy Ugorji DESIGN

Taiye David Mukoro PRE-PRESS ‘Dare Onadeinde ADMINISTRATION Ifeoluwa Aderoju Emeka Uwanna EDITORIAL CONSULTANCY A’Lime Media Limited PUBLISHED BY:

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October, 2012 Published in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. ........................................................................................................................... Cover Image: shutter stock library.

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EDITORIAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTUREâ&#x20AC;Ś It is expedient for me to state that this edition has in no way exhaustively explored the potential of Agriculture to transform Africa. 'Africa's Next Black Gold' is perhaps a modest headline to communicate the reason we dedicated this edition to the sector. Agriculture remains a fundamental sector for Africa's sustained future economic growth because of the unique role it plays in human life: food for survival, employment and development, in that order. We are grateful to Prof. Calestous Juma for contributing the cover story. His book, The New Harvest, also reviewed in the INPRINT column, is apt and referred to as one of the most authoritative titles, which communicate the huge influence agriculture has in Africa and around the world. Our second edition of Sustainable Conversationsâ&#x201E;˘, a Thought Leadership initiative designed to take issues of Sustainable Development mainstream was aimed at discussing how Agriculture carried out with sustainable practices and operations can develop any African economy. That event, albeit only two hours long, was a mind-changing experience. We also feature 'Remembering Maputo', where we reviewed the 2003 declaration by African Union Member Countries to examine how relevant this vision is till date. The article on 'Going Digital' showcases the innovative products for the sector backed by information and communication technology (and in others, new media). Engr. Shedrack Madillon treats us to his experience and insight on food production, while Isabella explains why the sector is yet to attract the zest and innovation of the African Youth population in 'Agri-What?' Included are in-depth details on the ISO 26000 Guidance on Social Responsibility Nigeria Adoption Process (ISO 26000: NAP) workshop. Most importantly, this edition emphasizes the growing momentum to tackle policy, infrastructure and other structural challenges to the development of Agriculture in Africa; In addition to Africa's potential to contribute to feeding the world. I would love to read from you on your thoughts, reviews and contributions. Remember for us, it's an open, unending conversation. Sustainably yours,

Emilia emilia@thistlepraxisconsulting.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR I was in Abuja last week and I found your magazine on the couch of my host. I must commend your great work as I was quite impressed by what your organisation is doing on CSR. Ayodeji Oyinloye Just read your CSR files weekly article in The Guardian on Addressing Environmental and Social Risks in Financial Institutions and I really liked the article because sustainable business risk management is an area which I am really interested in, even planning on applying for an M.Sc in Sustainable Business Risk Management in the University of Glamorgan. My only fear has been the very little exposure and uncertainty in this field especially in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. So I have been very skeptical in following up on the M.Sc choice and was leaning more towards M.Sc Process Safety Management/Loss prevention, but on seeing your article it made me have a rethink knowing that there is more exposure in this field. Essien, Nsidibe Essien HSE Officer

FAQS

'Remembering Maputo'

griculture is an important tool of economic development in African society and as such must receive proper attention and support from all the necessary bodies. Key stakeholders in the agriculture sector have endorsed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) as a framework for contributing to the reduction of food insecurity and poverty in Africa and to contribute to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing poverty and hunger by 2015. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) of the New Partnership for A f r i c a's D e ve l o p m e n t ( N E PA D ) provides a framework for restoring agricultural growth, rural development and food security in the African region. The programme was first endorsed at Ministerial level by African Ministers assembled under a special session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa in Rome on 9 June 2002; it has since then been officially adopted by NEPAD organs as the framework for the sector's development in Africa. Since CAADP was adopted, focus has been on implementation, and several avenues have been used to review progress, among the key ones such as the Ministerial meeting on Agriculture, jointly organised in Maputo by the Government of Mozambique, the African Union (AU) and FAO on 1-2 July 2003. That meeting stressed the need for strong engagement by African governments

in CAADP implementation and prepared the draft Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa that was later adopted by the Second Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held from 10-12 July 2003, also in Maputo. The Declaration known as The Maputo Declaration was introduced which provided strong political support to the CAADP and its evolving Plan of Action. The contents of the Maputo declaration are as follows:

ŸRevitalize

the agricultural sector including livestock, forestry and fisheries through special policies and strategies targeted at small scale and traditional farmers in rural areas and the creation of enabling conditions for private sector participation, with e m ph a s i s o n h u m a n c a pa c i ty development and the removal of constraints to agricultural production and marketing, including loss of soil fertility, poor water management, inadequate infrastructure, and pests and diseases;

ŸImplement, as a matter of urgency, the CAADP and evolving Action Plans for agricultural development, at the national, regional and continental levels. To this end, the Heads of State and Government agreed to adopt sound policies for agricultural and rural development, and committed themselves to allocating at least 10 percent of national budgetary resources for their implementation within five years;

ŸCall upon the African Union Commission, the Steering Committee of NEPAD, the FAO and other partners to continue their co-operation, providing effective support to African countries and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in the implementation of the CAADP; ŸEnsure, through collaborative efforts at the national and regional levels, the preparation of bankable projects under CAADP for the mobilization of resources for investment in a g r i c u l t u ra l g row t h a n d r u ra l development; ŸEnsure the establishment of regional food reserve systems, including food stocks, linked to Africa's own production, and the development of policies and strategies under the African Union and the RECs, to fight hunger and poverty in Africa.

Since CAADP was adopted, focus has been on implementation, and several avenues have been used to review progress

FAQS WILL 2013 BE THE YEAR IN WHICH AFRICA'S 'GREEN REVOLUTION' FINALLY TAKES ROOT? From the high emphasis on agriculture, 2013 can be the year of the green revolution CAN GOVERNMENTS AND DONORS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR PAST COMMITMENTS ON AGRICULTURE? Yes they can by ensuring that the US$50 billion committed by the G20 to low income countries in response to the global economic crisis flows quickly, without harmful conditions, and addresses vulnerable areas by enhancing social protection to reduce hunger, improve food security and sustain the productivity of agriculture. These funds should be additional and separate from the extra US$50 billion that G8 leaders had promised to allocate to ODA every year by 2010. HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE I M P LE M E N T E D T H E P O L I C I E S TARGETED AT THE SMALL SCALE FARMERS? Using the Nigerian example by financially supporting improved approaches to food security monitoring at national, regional and global levels which promote consensus between stakeholders, according to a common analytical approach. Commitment to a renewed global partnership on food and agriculture, building upon existing global and regional mechanisms, and including in decision making all relevant stakeholders: southern and northern governments, farmers' organisations, members of the High Level Task Force and NGOs.

HAVE GOVERNMENTS COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO ALLOCATING AT LEAST 10 PERCENT OF NATIONAL BUDGETARY RESOURCES FOR THEIR IMPLEMENTATION WITHIN FIVE YEARS? Yes with reforms in agriculture and trade policies which permit dumping, restrict policy space, and hinder growth in developing countries. WILL THE EMPHASIS ON MANUFACTURING RATHER THAN AGRICULTURE NOT HINDER THE MAPUTO DECLARATION FROM BEING ACHIEVED? With serious consideration to a legally binding international convention that aims to eradicate hunger by 2025, it would raise the bar for governments to be committed to agriculture in recognition of the fact that previous commitments have failed to bring about reductions in world hunger. WILL THERE BE A UNITED EFFORT TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH AFRICA'S FARMERS CAN FLOURISH? By ensuring that a future global partnership on agriculture and food security has not only a political and technical pillar, but a financial pillar as well. Whilst this does not require a new global fund, there is a need for a mechanism which can monitor the financing requirements of national governments and ensure donor funds coherently support national food and agriculture plans and can monitor extent to which all governments honour their commitments.

HOW HAVE THE CONSTRAINTS ON AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES BEEN MANAGED TO BETTER SUIT FARMING PURPOSES? Providing longer term (minimum of five years) and predictable financial and technical support to the poorest countries, respecting their previous financial commitments and make new ones to increase ODA to agriculture and rural development. IS THERE ANY STRUCTURED FR AMEWORK FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FOOD RESERVE SYSTEMS? Supporting the design and implementation of effective national and regional agricultural policies, for example ECOWAS/ECOWAP in West Africa, not just CAADP. HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE BEGUN BANKABLE PROJECTS TO M O B I L I S E I N V E S TM E N T S FO R AGRICULTURE? Most countries in Africa like Nigeria has commenced with its Committee on Food Security (CFS) in order to promote its radical reform so that it can become the central political pillar within a Global Partnership on Agriculture and Food Security. CAN WE ATTAIN THE DESIRED MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL OF REDUCING HUNGER BEFORE 2015? If the Maputo declaration can be followed appropriately, there is nothing stopping us from achieving the millennium development goal of reducing hunger by 2015.

FEATURE

Agri-what? The Nigerian Youth & Agriculture By Isabella E. C. Akinseye

gri-what?’ was my friend’s response to my suggestion of making a career in the sector. She is not alone in her thinking. When you have a country spilling with black gold, it is every youth corper’s1 dream to work for a big multinational oil company even if they have no clue about oil and gas. ‘Your future is secure with a plum oil company job even if you are just sweeping the floor,’ she tells me.

We are no longer content to see the comedy of errors where a nation flowing with the proverbial milk and honey still has its people going hungry daily. It is estimated that 70 percent of people in Nigeria live below $1 each day.2 Despite 84 million hectares of arable land and opportunities in agriculture, 60 to 70 percent of our youths are roaming the streets (CV in hand) in search of invisible civil service and white collar city jobs.3

with almost everything from rice to cassava becomes a luxury as prices double or triple. Just imagine if every youth cultivates a backyard or window sill garden growing tomatoes, peppers, vegetables and herbs. Not only will it be fresh, nutritious and readily available, it could also save some money on the food bill which has significantly increased for many households due to the partial removal of subsidy on PMS products in 2012.

But the wind is changing and very fast and whether or not we care or have a slight interest in agriculture – it affects us each day in more ways than not. Nigeria was built on agriculture; the green in the flag is testament to our rich history. And sadly, for a long time, agriculture has remained history. With the advent of social networking, the internet and news on the go, agriculture is staging a gradual come back. And it is not just the journalists and agro-enthusiasts that are singing the green song; the youths too are forming a significant part of the choir.

Unfortunately, for many youths, agriculture is only about farming in a rural village that is cut off from civilisation. They fail to see that the sector is very much diversified and keeps evolving as we continue to experience scientific and technological breakthrough. How many times have we sat down to think about where our food comes from? It only takes a strike by delivery drivers coming from the North to make a statement. All of a sudden, the common tomato and peppers, key ingredients for stew which is eaten

Harambe Incubator for Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development (HISARD), Nigeria HISARD which was set up by a young person, Tola Sunmonu, comprises a two-year scholarship programme in which selected students engage in extensive training and research which they use to develop and implement innovative solutions to the agricultural problems facing the local communities they work in. The pilot HISARD was launched in March 2009 at Obafemi Awolowo University and

1. A Youth Corper or corper is a member of the National Youth Service Corps which is a mandatory one year service for all Nigerians who graduated from university under the age of 30. 2. United Nations MDG Information 2006 3. The National Planning Commission of Nigeria puts youth unemployment in Nigeria is 60 to 70 percent and the labour market can only absorb 10 percent of new job entrants.

FEATURE

consists of ten carefully selected students who are working to increase agricultural development in two local communities near their university; Wakajaiye and Orile-Owu. In addition, HISARD targets secondary school students and its annual Harambe conference is well attended by youths and professionals alike in the sector. A macro approach to agriculture, food security and employment creation In the past, successive governments have only paid partial lip service to agriculture, but the President Goodluck Jonathan regime means business and agriculture is regaining its pride in Transformation Agenda. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina has already taken some decisive steps under the Agricultural Transformation Action Plan (ATAP) to ban rice importation and make the country self sufficient in rice production by 2015. According to the minister, Nigeria currently spends a whopping N365 billion on rice annually. Already, the Federal Government has expanded the capacities of three rice mills to 90 000 tonnes each to facilitate rice processing and ensure competiveness. An additional fourteen rice mills with a total capacity of 440 000 tonnes would be established under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) by April 2012. President Jonathan in his budget speech announced that in order to promote local production and consumption of rice, a levy of 40 percent would be placed on imported polished rice leading to an effective duty rate of 50 percent which will further increase to 100 percent in 2012.

Unfortunately, for many youths, agriculture is only about farming in a rural village that is cut off from civilisation.

Another initiative directly targeted at employment creation for the youths especially in the areas of agriculture is the reform of the posting of corps members which takes effect from March 2012 for the 2012 Batch A set. The new directive will now see corps members posted to four sectors; agriculture, rural health, education and industry. In addition, agricultural loans are currently available for serving corpers. The move is aimed at developing the entrepreneurial skills of graduates, making them self employed and eventually employers of labour, while they contribute their quota to national development. The role of the private sector: Nestlé /International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Partnership Finally, the private sector has a great role to play in stimulating growth in the sector. One example worthy of e m u l a t i o n i s t h e N e s t l e / I I TA partnership on cassava production. Nigeria is currently the largest producer of cassava in the world. The partnership involves bringing farmers to g e th e r a n d g i v i n g p ra c t i c a l workshops through the Nestle/IITA demonstration farm on best practises and how to maximise their output. In addition, farmers are given high yielding and disease resistant cassava stems to plant free of charge. After harvest, the farmers will be able to sell their value added products at competitive prices to food processing companies. My ideas and recommendations: education and communal engagement The best place to start is by preaching the agriculture gospel in school. A quick win is to make Agricultural Sciences compulsory for all secondary students. In addition, all schools should have a piece of land dedicated to agricultural demonstrations and each classroom should have some plants to visually stimulate the interest of the students. Also, more competitions should be organised with an agricultural theme to create awareness. The government could also allot public plots of land for each local government area to serve as communal farms for residents. To further support this initiative, more centres should be established for research, agricultural advisory services and retailing of seeds, fertiliser, books and other related resources.

Conclusion All hands must be put on deck in making the agricultural revolution a reality. We must all remember that our (in) actions have future and global consequences. It is up to the Nigerian youth to embrace agriculture in his or her own little way to ensure that the legacy we leave behind for our children is better than the one we met. Bibliography Nigeria Home Page UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/nigeria/ (accessed 17/02/2012)

Youth Unemployment a Major Challenge for African Countries http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL /COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:2215 7069~menuPK:258657~pagePK:2865106~piPK: 2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html (accessed 17/02/2012)

Harambe Incubator for Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development (HISARD), Nigeria http://www.harambefarmland.com/?page_id=2 35 (accessed 17/02/2012)

FG expands capacity of 3 rice mills Daily Trust http://dailytrust.com.ng/index.php?option=co m_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=151175:f g-expands-capacity-of-3-ricem i l l s & a m p ; c a t i d =1 : n e w s & a m p ; It e m i d = 2 (accessed 17/02/2012)

We’ve stopped fertiliser cabal –FG National Mirror http://nationalmirroronline.net/news/31001.ht ml (accessed 17/02/2012)

Nigeria: 2012 Budget - Representatives to Increase Allocation to Agricultural Sector http://allafrica.com/stories/201112290667.html (accessed 17/02/2012)

‘How we are faring with cassava starch production’ Business Day http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index. php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15 285:how-we-are-faring-with-cassava-starchproduction&catid=81:entrepreneurnews&Itemi d=599(accessed 17/02/2012)

Cassava Market Opportunity and sub Sector Analysis http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5548e/y5548 e0d.htm (accessed 17/02/2012)

FG to stop deploying corpers to urban areas Daily Times http://dailytimes.com.ng/article/fg-stopdeploying-corpers-urban-areas (Accessed17/02/2012)

Future Agricultures Consortium www.future-agricultures.org Journalism competition 2012: Young People, Farming and Food Runner Up (print)

FEATURE

AGRICULTURal INNOVATION IN AFRICA INNOVATION

IDEA EXPANSION

Electronic Wallet The e-Wallet is an electronic device that would put an end to past shortcomings, by supplying agricultural inputs to the end-user farmers and bypass corrupt middlemen and â&#x20AC;&#x153;political farmersâ&#x20AC;?. e-Wallet is a timely idea because its geared towards ending decades of corruption in the distribution of agricultural inputs. And with cheaper inputs, devoid of the usual bureaucracy of the past, it is hoped that it could enhance accessibility and affordability of farm produce for millions of Nigerians.

Agricultural Biotechnology 11 percent in developed countries have adopted the method compared to 5 percent in developed countries. 16.7 million people grew bio-tech crop in 2011. 15 million people or 90 percent were small resource farmers in developed countries. Only South-Africa, Burkina Faso and Egypt grow bio-tech crops on a commercial scale. Over the 1996-2000 period, the global farm income gain was $78.4 billion; half of which went developing countries. In 2010 alone, the net farm level economic gain was $14 billion equal to an average rise in income of $100.

Small Holders Farming Initiative in Rwanda The aim was to increase agricultural productivity and output in the country. The initiative insulated Rwanda from food price spikes in East Africa and led to a general food availability increasing in the country.

Farmers Rural Radio through Interactive Mobile in Imo State, Nigeria.

The farmers' rural radio through interactive mobile in Imo State is run by the Smallholders Foundation. The interactive mobiles are called AIR Devices i.e. small solar powered machines which allow listeners to send voice messages free of charge for farmers. The initiative has helped 250, 000 farmers in Eastern Nigeria. It provides information on modern day farm practices. 65 percent of farmers have increased their farm production owing to the information. Most earn $1.50 a day as against under $1.

Technology is having a high impact in aquaculture and organic farming in Uganda, and in Kenya technology is shared within enterprises that produce cut flower, auto-parts, handcrafts, and other industrial products.

FEATURE INNOVATIONS

IDEA EXPANSION

Farmers Field Schools

Established in 1989 by Food & Agriculture of the UN (FAO) to fight rice crop destroying insects. Farmer Field Schools became a success in East Africa and Asia. Annual incomes of a sample farmer participating in the school rose by 150 percent. Network supports 2, 000 Farmer Field Schools in East Africa, and nearly 50, 000 people benefit directly. Farmers are using the schools to increase the flow of relevant information among groups a n d s p e e d i n g t h e t ra n s fe r o f i n n o v a t i o n s , i n d i g e n o u s knowledge and technology advances. The Far mer Field Schools are being introduced to the West Africa Region.

Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme by NEPAD

CAADP aims to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty through agriculture. It was established as part of NEPAD in July 2003 and focuses on improving and promoting agriculture across Africa. Countries are encouraged to incorporate the CAADP objectives into their agricultural and rural development strategies. As part of the implementation process, countries are subjected to an independent review process to ensure the goals of the CAADP and the needs of the country are both met, increasing agricultural investment. In 2003 African heads of state met in Mozambique and pledged to allocate 10 per cent of their national budget to agriculture by 2 0 0 8 . To d a t e , B u r k i n a F a s o , E t h i o p i a , G h a n a , Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Niger and Senegal have exceeded this target and most countries have made significant progress towards this goal. CAADP also has an agricultural growth target of 6 percent. To date nine countries have exceeded this target (Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Republic of the Congo, G ambia, G uinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania) and another four have achieved growth of between 5 and 6 per cent.

Grameen AppLab

Grameen Foundation's Community Knowledge Worker (CKW) program is helping smallholder farmers get accurate, timely information to improve their businesses - and lives. Grameen Foundation identifies recruits and trains rural community members as CKWs who act as "trusted intermediaries" in their communities, using basic smartphones loaded with an application that helps them provide information services to their fellow farmers. The CKW team has built a growing database of actionable agricultural information, contributed by agriculture research organizations and other experts, and reviewed by an Expert Review Board. By accessing this database, which contains more than 35,000 real-time tips on 35 crops, seven livestock animals, weather, market prices, transport directories, input locations and mobile-money agent locations, CKWs can help farmers make important decisions and improve their practices, enabling them to increase their yields and earnings. By partnering with local organizations, we ensure that the information is actionable, timely and tailored to local farmer needs.

The Water Efficient Maize for Africa project

Coordinated by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation i n c ol l a b o ra t i o n w i th th e I n te r n a t i o n a l C e n t re fo r th e Improvement of Maize and Wheat (CIMMYT) and Monsanto and support from the Howard Buffett Foundation and the Bill and M e l i n d a G a te s F o u n d a t i o n to a d d re s s th e c o n c e r n s o f resource-poor farmers, a subtheme in the larger concern over the contributions of low-income consumers. 25 other traits that improve the efficiency of nitrogen uptake by crops will also be of great interest to resource-poor farmers. Other areas that will attract interest in developing new GM crops will include the recruitment of more tree crops into agriculture and the need to turn some of the current grains into perennials.

FEATURE INNOVATIONS Rice Cluster in Benin

IDEA EXPANSION The dissemination of New Rices for Africa (NERICA) in Benin illustrates what can be considered a “self-organizing innovation system.” Through the unique approach combining the innovation systems approach and entrepreneurship theory, the NERICA-based system of innovation emerged. NERICA is the brand name of a family of improved rice varieties specially adapted to the agro-ecological conditions of Africa. It is a hybrid that combines the best traits of two rice species: the African Oryza glaberrima and the Asian Oryza sativa. It has certain advantages over other species such as high yields, quick maturity, and resistance to local biotic and abiotic stresses such as droughts and iron toxicity. It also has 25 percent higher protein content than international standard varieties. Coordinated by government of Benin, the Banque Régionale de Solidarité (BRS), agro-industrial firms such as Tunde Group and BSSSociété Industrielle pour la Production du Riz (BSS-SIPRi), as well as nongovernmental entities such as Songhaï, Projet d'Appui au Développement Rural de l'Ouémé (PADRO), and Vredeseilanden (VECO).

One Acre Fund

One Acre Fund, a nonprofit organization based in Bungoma (western Kenya) that provides farmers with the tools they need to improve their harvests and feed their families. Life-changing agricultural technologies already exist in the world; One Acre Fund's primary focus is on how to distribute these technologies in a “farmer-usable” way, and how to get farmers to permanently adopt these technologies. One Acre Fund currently serves 55,000 farm families (with 275,000 children in those families) in Kenya and Rwanda. Before joining One Acre Fund, many farmers in Kenya were harvesting five bags of maize from half an acre of land. After joining One Acre Fund, their harvests typically increase to 12 to 15 bags of maize from the same half acre of land. This represents a doubling in farm profit per planted acre twice as much income from the same amount of land.

Governing Innovation The COMESA region is home to some of Africa's most important fisheries resources. These include, among others, marine systems in the western Indian Ocean, the southeastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the vast freshwater systems of the Nile, Congo, and Zambezi Basins and the Great Lakes found within them.

VERBATIM

What is the BIGGEST challenge to Agricultural Development in Africa? Delegates from 20 African countries to the Food and Agriculture Organisation Conference on Plant Genetic Resources, 1998

Dr. Judith Rodin The President, Rockefeller Foundation

T h e M o n t p e l l i e r Pa n e l (Leading experts in the fields of Agriculture, Trade and Sustainable Development)

“We strongly object that the image of the poor and hungry from our countries is being used by giant multinational cor porations to push a technology that is not safe, environmentally friendly and economically beneficial to us. On the contrary, we think it will destroy the diversity, the local knowledge and the s u s t a i n a b l e a g r i c u l t u ra l systems that our farmers have developed for millennia and that it will thus undermine our capacity to feed ourselves."

“We are here because we believe that Nigeria can take the lead in agriculture in job creation, production, p r o c e s s i n g , a n d diversification of the economy and overall contribution of the economy. The opportunities here are extraordinary. It is possible if the right things are done and we can see evidence they are being done.”

“The panel recommends that governments work with the private sector to achieve resilience and sustainability in markets, agriculture and people across Africa by reducing price volatility, building "climate-smart" agriculture, scaling up nutrition and focusing on rural women and youth.”

Hanlie Delport, E x h i b i t i o n M a n a g e r, Undercover Farming Expo

Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Mohammed Santuraki, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Bank of Agriculture (BoA) Nigeria “The current administration is moving agriculture from merely being a development program to being a business and that is why we are engaging the private sector in the things that we are doing,”

“This form of production offers the ideal solution to p ro d u c e r s i n v e s t i g a t i n g alternative methods of farming because of the increasing dryer climate. Our expo covers all the elements involved in this production method, from tunnel construction, growth enhancements and climate conditions to seedlings, packaging and export opportunities.”

“The country needs catalytic finance to improve the value chain in agriculture.The world believes in what Nigeria is doing."

Professor Sir Gordon Conway “Free trade is important, but if you don't have an enabling environment within Africa such as strong inter-African food trade, access to markets, technology, and a resilient population then it's not going to work long-term."

GLOSSARY

HORTICULTURE The science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers.

HYDROPONICS The growing of plants in nutrient solutions with or without an inert medium to provide mechanical support. The growing of plants in water containing dissolved nutrients, rather than in soil. This process is being used in greenhouses for intensive off-season production of vegetables. HYBRID The offspring of two animals or plants of different breeds, varieties, species, or genera (especially as produced through human manipulation for specific genetic characteristics).

INOCULATION Using a needle to give a plant or an animal a substance which can aide in the prevention or curing of disease.

INTEGRATED MULTI -TROPHIC AQUACULTURE (IMTA) Provides the by-products, including waste, from one aquatic species as inputs (fertilizers, food) for another. Farmers combine fed aquaculture (e.g., fish, shrimp) with inorganic extractive (e.g., seaweed) and organic extractive (e.g., shellfish) aquaculture to create balanced systems for environment remediation (biomitigation), economic stability (improved output, lower cost, product diversification and risk reduction) and social acceptability (better management practices)

j k 19

JUVENILE WOOD Inner core of xylem surrounding the pith, the cells are smaller and less structurally developed than those of the outer xylem. The time during which juvenile wood is formed is termed the juvenile phase.

KIN RECOGNITION The discrimination behavior exhibited by animals towards other animals which are genetically related, often relying on chemical signals.

GLOSSARY

KNOWLEDGE BASED APPROACH Organic management is a knowledge-based approach requiring understanding of agro-ecological processes. Access to knowledge is the major bottleneck when converting to organic management. Inexperience and lack of adequate extension and training for knowledge-intensive management systems and location specific science require long-term investments in capacity building. With the objective of creating a critical mass and the necessity to strive in settings with limited opportunities, many organic communities have responded by establishing collective learning mechanisms and have become innovators or ecological entrepreneurs. KNOWLEDGE-INTENSIVE FARMING Knowledge-intensive farming systems, such as organic agriculture replace external inputs with farmer's knowledge and thus require a greatly improved availability of ecological information to farmers, as well as support services concerned with new technologies and market information.

LACTATION PERIOD IN COWS Lactation period in cows is the time from when a cow calves to the time when it is dried off to calve again; the period during which the cow is milked (approximately 305 days).

LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISM (LMO) Any organism that is the result of biotechnology and is capable of metabolizing and reproducing.

LARGE-SCALE FARMING Large-scale farming takes advantage of economies of scale to produce safe, wholesome food at relatively low cost to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. At the same time, large-scale farming can present challenges to the long-term viability of social, agronomic, and environmental systems. Given these well-documented challenges, actively involved citizens discuss best approaches to ensuring future food security while protecting environmental, agronomic, and social systems. Such widespread participation and active debate is as it should be in a democratic society.

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MILKING MACHINE An apparatus that attaches to a cow's or goat's teats and by vacuum draws the milk into a holding tank.

GLOSSARY MECHANIZED AGRICULTURE Mechanized Agriculture is the process of using agricultural machinery to mechanize the work of agriculture, greatly increasing farm worker productivity. In Mechanization was one of the factors responsible for urbanization and industrial economies. Besides improving production efficiency, mechanization encourages large scale production and improves the quality of farm produce. On the other hand, it displaces unskilled farm labor, causes environmental pollution, deforestation and erosion.

MONOCULTURE Monoculture is the agricultural practice of producing or growing a single crop or plant species over a wide area and for a large number of consecutive years. It is widely used in modern industrial agriculture and its implementation has allowed for large harvests from minimal labor. Monocultures can lead to the quicker spread of diseases, where a uniform crop is susceptible to a pathogen.It describes the practice of planting crops with the same patterns of growth resulting from genetic similarity. Examples include wheat fields or apple orchards or grape vineyards.

NATIONAL ROOT CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE National Root Crops Research Institute; The institute conducts research into genetic improvement of economically important root and tuber crops such as cassava, yam, cocoyam, sweet potato, Irish potato, ginger, rizga, Hausa potato, sugar beets and Turmeric. It also researches subjects such as crop cultivation techniques, storage, processing and utilization of the crops, concentrating on requirements of farmers in the south-east zone of Nigeria and provides training of middle level agricultural workers, awarding National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas and providing specialized vocational training to farmers. NEUTERING The removal of testicles from male animals; done for many reasons such as to prevent fighting and increase weight gain.

ORGANIC FARMING Organic farming is a production system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. Organic farming systems rely on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manure, off-farm organic wastes, mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks, and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilt; to supply plant nutrients; and to control weeds, insects, and other pests. ORGANIC AGRICULTURE Crops produced without the use of synthetic or industrially produced pesticides or fertilizers. OR Organic agriculture refers to the concept and practice of agricultural farming which is an ecologically sustainable system focused on production using biological processes.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Industrial-agriculture http://gov.ns.ca/agri/agaware/teacher/122-131glossary.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoculture 21

FEATURE

GOING DIGITAL... M

o b i l e A g r i c u l t u re ( a l s o shortened to mAgri) supports performers along the agriculture value chain through the use of mobile technology, which cuts across a broad array of devices and sub-categories include voice, data, network and connectivity technologies. mAgri may be referred to as a subset of e-agriculture. In developed countries where mechanization is more advanced and the agricultural labour force is meaningfully less than that of many developing countries, mobile agriculture applications tend to be employed further up the value chain. However, in developing countries where large fractions of the labour force are employed in agriculture, mobile technology is more commonly used to deliver services for producers and traders . Consequently, many farmers still lack access to these somewhat new mobile opportunities. There is an expectation of a rapid change in the next few years as mobile costs will be driven down, as governments are making efforts to create agricultural frameworks, which will enable private business to recognize the great opportunity at hand. This list was designed to ascertain how African developers, governments, and organizations operating in Africa are connecting mobile technology to improve agricultural practices. Private companies, budding IT entrepreneurs, NGOs, as well as governments are also involved in a variety of mobile phonebased products, ser vices, and applications aimed at boosting smallscale agriculture. Perhaps the apps out of Kenya (iCow and M-Farm) earn the most global recognition, but dozens of other projects are serving a similar need. KENYA: ŸiCow, the winning application in the Apps for Africa Competition 2010 allows small-scale dairy farmers to manage and trade livestock. The platform has allowed users to increase milk production by over 50 percent and income by 42 percent

ŸM-Farm, 22

a real-time group buying

and selling market for farmers launched in 2010.

GHANA:

ŸThe

ŸKilimoSalama

Esoko service allows farmers access to market prices and allows them to place buy/sell orders.

ŸKUZA Doctor, 'a farmer's mobile toolkit from farm to fork', provides knowledge to farmers using SMS.

ŸCocoaLink, launched by the Ghana Cocoa Board, Hershey, and World Cocoa Foundation, connects cocoa farmers with information about good farming practices. The free service uses SMS and voice.

enables smallholder farmers to insure their agricultural inputs against adverse weather conditions.

ŸSALI (Sustainable Agricultural Livelihood Innovation) done in Mbeere, Embu by Christian Aid, uses mobile phone technology to notify farmers of weather updates. BURKINA FASO: ŸThe 2012 'Week of the Internet' focused on the theme of “ICT and rural areas”. The Minister of Agriculture highlighted the benefits of ICT for agriculture, but implementation is still lacking. CAMEROON: ŸAgro-Hub uses mobile technology to drive demand for farmers' products, attract better prices, and increase farmers' income. EAST AFRICA: ŸSANGONeT is involved with an application that allows small-scale dairy farmers in East Africa to record the lactation history of their cows.

ŸFarmers in the in the Eastern Corridor of the Northern Region are able to get better prices for their crops by using text messages thanks to the ECAMIC project. ŸMinistry

of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) launched a website in Accra to serve as a reference source for agricultural data and information. INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS: launch of the online Indian Ocean Biodiversity & Agriculture portal hopes to improve environmental practices by agricultural communities.

ŸThe

MALAWI:

ŸThrough

an ICT program, the government will issue e-vouchers to smallholder farmers in the hope of improving efficiency and effectiveness in the distribution of farm input. The vouchers will be electronically linked to a beneficiary and can only be used after verifying through Airtel network by an agro-dealer.

FEATURE NIGER:

ŸGrain traders with mobile application usage report 29% income growth. Demand for mobile grain price information has grown mostly organically. (World Bank 'Maximising Mobile 2012) RWANDA:

ŸMinistry

of Agriculture recently presented new mobile technology which informs Rwandans about price statuses. SENEGAL:

ŸManobi

has a suite of mobile applications focused on agricultural market information. {HersheyCocoaSustainability.com}

SOMALIA: ŸHumanitarian organization World Concern is piloting a new mobile phone app in the Horn of Africa, aiming to streamline the process of tracking food distributed to hungry families and payment to local merchants. TANZANIA:

ŸSEACOM

has provided funding towards the development and piloting of a new Swahili and English language application for farmers in Tanzania.

ŸIBM, in a presentation to the government, has detailed a more a u to m a te d a n d i n s t a n t a n e o u s framework in which farmers could use mobile phones to request and receive critical information via voice calls or text messages whenever needed ŸTanzanian farmers have started using smartphones to improve farming techniques through visual learning. (World Bank 'Maximising Mobile 2012') UGANDA: ŸThe micro-finance organization G rameen Foundation leases smartphones to local farmers so they can receive agricultural information. The information, in turn, is provided by Grameen to various organizations and food programs.

ŸInfotrade

is a platform built to integrate collection, analysis and dissemination of agricultural and other market information.

ŸWo m e n o f U g a n d a N e t w o r k (WOUGNET) aims at promoting and supporting the use of ICTs by women in Uganda. One of their projects known as “Enhancing Access to Agricultural Information (EAAI)” targets rural women farmers in 23

Northern Uganda.

ŸThe Mayuge Farmers Exchange provides farmers with access to email communication and information for learning best practice farming. WEST AFRICA: ŸIn Senegal and Mali, the E-TIC portal and a series of training sessions destined for young people, women, and community radio journalists aims at sharing knowledge relevant for effective farm management. ZAMBIA: ŸThe Southern Africa Telecentre Network (SATNET) aims to give rural communities access to and training in how to use communication and information services. More than 30 telecentres are currently operational in the country.

ŸZambia National Farmers Union promotes and protects the interest of members as farmers. Their website is very robust. ŸLimaLinks

is a market linkages system that links market agents and smallholder horticultural farmers across the Zambian Copper Belt. The program is operated by IDE Zambia and developed by SangoNet. ZIMBABWE:

ŸZimbabweans can buy and sell cattle online thanks to the Remote Livestock Marketing System. Africa-Wide: ŸC o u n t r y S TAT, a w e b - b a s e d information technology system for food and agriculture statistics at the national and subnational levels has launched in at least 16 African nations. ŸCoders4Africa,

a non-profit, is

developing partnerships with universities and organizations to develop SMS tools to address agriculture, among other needs.

ŸNext2's SMS service in Kenya and Nigeria enables farmers share local knowledge, expertise and experiences with each other, and with agricultural researchers. The aim, therefore, was to provide small-scale farmers with the information they would need to improve crop yield, product marketing and income. Setting up and operating a two-way SMS service can be a complex and costly task, but this system provides a simple and efficient method of distributing timely, customized content without the need for special equipment, or expertise, and it is available at a fraction of the cost of other SMS short code and keyword services. Next2 designed the service to be as easy to use as possible.

There is an expectation of a rapid change in the next few years as mobile costs will be driven down, as governments are making efforts

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Agricultural Management

Management is a resource in agriculture, and is paramount for the success of any farming or Agro-Allied b u s i n e s s . T h e s e p r o g ra m m e s therefore provide opportunities for managers of Agro-Allied businesses to be well equipped to effectively and efficiently manage such businesses in a fast changing environment such as we have in Nigeria and Africa. However, some of the most pressing global concerns involve the future provision of food, the impact of climate change and the management of rural land and environments across the Africa continent. Below are some Executive Education offerings across Africa that can make vital contributions by producing graduates with the capacity to address these issues, helping develop those already in work who need to acquire new skills and by creating knowledge that will help the sector, its businesses and its communities to flourish. The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) U K Z N b e l i e v e s t h a t R e s e a rc h innovation is a cornerstone of the University and as an institute of higher learning; research excellence is recognized and supported as part of its essential identity. They offer a wide list of agricultural related courses as stated below:

Master of Agricultural Management Masters Degrees in Agriculture, Food Security, Agricultural Extension & Rural Resource Management. For General information regarding the university, visit the UKZN's website at: www.ukzn.ac.za www.facebook.com/ukzn1 For further information on applying for any of the above courses, see below: Tel: +27 (0)33 260 6243 Fax: +27 (0)33 260 6335 Email: higherdegrees@ukzn.ac.za A Special 2-Month Summer Internship: 2013 Ecology Action will be offering a twomonth summer internship program that will teach small-scale, low-input farming methods. The program will take place at several locations in Northern California from June 14, 2013 through August 13, 2013. Application Deadline: March 4, 2013 Program interns will learn practical skills that address issues of food insecurity though a combination of hands-on fieldwork and classroom teaching. The techniques taught will be a closed system, soil building, and organic approach to food production. In addition, interns will learn about positive social solutions to food security issues. The program will run simultaneously with Ecology Action's standard 6-

month intern programme, which hosts farmers and activists from the U.S. and abroad. Applicants should note that this is an unpaid, fee-based internship program, and that internship program fees are non-refundable. Program interns will be placed at four different project sites in Northern California. Housing/accommodations will be provided at each site; however, other expenses will need to be provided by intern. For more information about this p r o g r a m m e , v i s i t : http://www.growbiointensive.org/Su mmerInternship/index.html or send an email to: Marielaure@growbiointensive.org DAAD Scholarship in Germany DAAD Scholarship Programmes have benefited hundreds of African students since inception. The scholarships are awarded each year to postgraduate students wishing to study for a Master's or PhD degree. The DAAD scholarships can support students who want to study in their country (In Country Scholarships) or abroad. Application deadline: 15 October each year. Read more on the scholarship webpage:http://www.afterschoolafric a.com/2972/top-study-abroads c h o l a r s h i p s - a f r i c a developing#ixzz2BSaiVQuM

COVER STORY

GROWING PROSPERITY: AGRICULTURE AS AFRICA'S NEXT OIL Professor Calestous Juma

he foundation for Africa's prosperity is Agriculture. It is the continent's new oil. However, unlike oil, much of Agriculture can be processed locally and serve as the basis for new industries. If managed sustainably, Agriculture is renewable whereas oil is exhaustible. Agriculture plays an extensive role in African economies. Nearly 70% of the continent's employment and a third of its foreign exchange income are based on Agriculture. However, Agriculture needs to be viewed as a knowledge-based entrepreneurial activity on the continent. This is premised on the fact that outstanding investments in Agriculture will have multiplier effects in many sectors of the economy. In other words, sustaining African economic prosperity requires significant efforts to modernize the continent's economy through the application of science and technology in Agriculture and the stimulation of entrepreneurship.

COVER STORY Agriculture fosters growth in the nonagricultural sectors and supports o v e ra l l e c o n o m i c w e l l - b e i n g . Economic growth, originating in Agriculture, can significantly contribute to reductions in poverty and hunger. Increasing employment and incomes in Agriculture stimulate the demand for non-agricultural goods and services, thereby boosting non-farm rural incomes too. There are three major avenues through which Africa can transform its Agriculture, making it a force for economic growth. First, advances in science, technology and engineering, worldwide, offer new tools; which the continent requires to promote Sustainable Agriculture. Furthermore, efforts to create regional markets will provide new incentives for agricultural production and trade. Lastly, a new generation of African leaders is helping the continent to focus on long-term economic transformation.

leaders have emulated Malawi and started to focus on increasing investment in Agriculture. In Nigeria, for example, President Goodluck Jonathan's efforts to promote cassava break demonstrate such leadership. Other countries such as Burtina Faso, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa and Uganda have substantially increased their allocation to rural infrastructure aimed at stimulating Agriculture. In 2005, over half of the population in Malawi lived on less than a dollar a day, a quarter of the population lacked sufficient food daily and a third lacked access to clean water. During that time, Malawi's agricultural sector employed 78% of the labour force, over half of whom operated below subsistence. Maize is Malawi's principal crop and source of nutrition, but for decades, low rainfall, nutrient-depleted soil, i n a d e q u a te i nve s t m e n t , fa i l e d privatization policies and deficient technology led to low productivity and high prices. Mutharika's ambitious programme required considerable financial, political and public support. The president engaged in debates and consultations with Malawi's parliament, private sector and civil society while countering criticism from influential institutions. For example, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had fundamentally disagreed with the subsidy approach; claiming that it would distort private sector activities.

Mutharika and Malawi Planted a Growing Seed Malawi's exceptional efforts a few years ago to tackle the challenges of food security (sufficiency, reliability, quality, safety, timeliness and other aspects of food necessary for healthy and thriving populations) were implemented against the rulebook of economic dogma, which is clearly against agricultural subsidies to farmers. The late Malawian President, Bingu wa Mutharika, defied these teachings, setting in motion a series of policies that addressed agricultural cum overall economic development. He served as an example for other African leaders of how aggressive agricultural investment (16% of government spending) could yield increased production and results. Today more than a dozen African

Other organizations such as the South Africa-based Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme questioned the ability of the programme to benefit poor farmers. On the other hand, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Union (EU), Norway, Ireland and later the World Bank, supported the programme. Additional support came from China, Egypt and the Grain Traders and Processors Association. The President leveraged this support and several platforms to explain the programme and its intended benefits to the public and their role in the system. With support increasing and the ranks of the hungry swelling, he devoted approximately US$50 million in discretionary funds and some international sources to forge ahead with the programme. Mutharika's strategy attempted to motivate the

particularly poor farmers to make a difference not only in their families, but also in their communities and the country as a whole. Recognizing the benefits of the programme, people formally and informally enforced the coupon s y s te m to p re ve n t f ra u d a n d corruption. The strategy sought to target smallholder farmers, who face the biggest challenges, but whose productivity is essential for improving nutrition and livelihoods. In 2005 to 2006, the project, coupled with increased rainfall, contributed towards a doubling of maize production and in 2006 - 07, the country recorded its highest surplus ever. Prices fell by half and Malawi began exporting maize to its food insecure neighbours. Learning from experience, the government made a number of adjustments and improvements to the programme in its first few years, including stepped-up enforcement of coupon distribution, more effective targeting of subsidies, private sector involvement, training of farmers, irrigation investments and postharvest support. Science, Technology and Engineering The Green Revolution played a critical role in helping to overcome chronic food shortages in Latin America and Asia. The Green Revolution mainly resulted from the creation of new institutional arrangements aimed at using existing technology to improve agricultural productivity. African countries are faced with enormous technological challenges. Yet, they also have access to a much larger pool of scientific and technical knowledge than was available, when the Green Revolution was launched in the 1950's. Nanotechnology Biotechnology, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plus Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are four innovative technological platforms, through which Africa can promote its agenda given the advances made in th e i n d u s t r i a l i ze d wo rl d . T h i s opportunity is superior to the traditional catching-up model, which has led to slower development and kept African countries from reaching their full potential. These technologies are able to enhance technological advances and scientific research while expanding storage, collection and transmission of global knowledge.

COVER STORY ICTs Developing nations can benefit immensely from ICTs, owing to the wealth of knowledge and research available in online databases and fora. ICTs equally provide agricultural applications through the mapping of different layers of local landscapes. Access to mobile phones boost microeconomic performance in five ways, which include: reducing search costs and improving overall market efficiency; improving productive efficiency of firms; creating new jobs in telecommunications-based industries; increasing social networking capacity and allowing for mobile development projects to enter the market. Mobile phones have replaced several hours of travel with two-minute phone calls and also allow people to get up-to-date information on demand. The current and potential uses of mobile technology in the agricultural sector has led to the demand for useful and convenient mobile phone-based services and applications: â&#x20AC;&#x153;New services such as AppLab; run by the Grameen Foundation in partnership with Google and the provider MTN Uganda; are allowing farmers to get tailored, speedy answers to their questions. The initiative includes platforms such as Farmer's Friend, a searchable database of agricultural information; Google SMS, a question/answer texting service and G o o g l e Tr a d e r, a S M S - b a s e d 'marketplace' application that helps buyers and sellers find each otherâ&#x20AC;?. Applications such as these, coupled with the increased usage of mobile phones, have reduced the inefficiencies and unnecessary expenses of travel and transportation. transportation. Biotechnology Biotechnology, just as the name goes, denotes the application of technology to biological systems. This field of study is capable of leading to increased food security and sustainable forestry practices as well as improving health in developing countries by enhancing nutrition. In Agriculture, Biotechnology has enabled the genetic alteration of crops, improved soil productivity and enhanced weed/pest control. Unfortunately, such potential has largely remained untapped by African countries. About 250 million children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, which weakens their immune systems - the

biggest contributor to blindness among children. 20 Other vitamins, minerals and amino acids are necessary to maintain healthy bodies and a deficiency will lead to infections, complications during pregnancy and childbirth and/or impaired child development. Since Biotechnology can improve the nutritional value of crops, undoubtedly, it will lead both to lower health care costs and higher economic performance (due to improved worker health).

Access to mobile phones boost microeconomic performance in five ways, which include: reducing search costs and improving overall market efficiency; Nanotechnology Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of materials and devices on a scale measured by the billionths of a meter. The results of research in nanotechnology have produced substances of unique properties that can be targeted and controlled at a level unseen previously. Thus far, applications of Nanotechnology to Agriculture have largely been theoretical though it is the least explored and most uncertain of the four platforms under consideration. However, a few practical projects have already been explored by both the private and public sectors in developed, emerging and developing countries. For example , research has

Been done on chemicals that could target one diseased plant in a whole crop. Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize Agriculture with new tools such as the molecular treatment of diseases, rapid disease detection and enhancing the ability of plants to absorb nutrients. Innovation Government, the private sector, universities and research institutions are important parts of a larger system of knowledge and interactions that allow diverse actors with varied strengths to come together to pursue broad common goals in agricultural innovation. In many African countries, the state still plays a key role in directing productive activities. However, the private sector is becoming an increasingly important player in adapting existing knowledge and applying it to new areas. The innovation systems concept is derived from direct observations of countries and sectors with strong records of innovation. Its use in Agriculture in developing countries is quite recently, but it appears to offer exciting opportunities for understanding how a country's agricultural sector can make better use of new knowledge for designing alternative interventions that go beyond research system investments. The agricultural innovation system framework presents a demand-driven approach to agricultural Research and Development. This transcends the perception of the role of public research institutions as technology producers and farmers as passive users by viewing the public laboratoryfarmer relationships as an interactive p r o c e s s g o v e r n e d b y s e v e ra l institutional players that determine the generation and use of agricultural innovation. This suggests the need to focus far less on the supply of information and more on systemic practices and behaviours that affect organizational learning and change. The approach essentially unpacks systemic structures into processes as a m e a n s o f s t re n g th e n i n g th e i r development and evolution. Understanding the network re l a t i o n s h i p s a n d i n s t i t u t i o n a l mechanisms that affect the generation and use of innovation in the traditional sector is critical for enhancing the welfare of the poor and overall economic development.

COVER STORY Theory, evidence, and practice confirm that clusters are important sources of innovation. Local, national and regional authorities must carefully assess, where clusters may prove most successful and lay out clear plans for cluster development, which can very long periods to accomplish. Local authorities should focus on identifying potential areas and industries for successful clusters. National governments should focus on providing the knowledge, Personnel, capital and regulatory support necessary for cluster formation and growth. Further more, regional authorities should focus on linking national clusters to one another and to key related global institutions. Groups that are closer physically, culturally and socially are more likely to trust one another, exchange information and assets whilst entering into complex cooperative production, processing, financing, marketing and export arrangements. To promote innovation, the public sector should also support interactions, collective action and broader Public-Private Partnerships. Contrary to scholars, who argue that the Internet and other information technology tools have erased most barriers to knowledge transfer, proponents of cluster argue that geography continues to dominate knowledge development and transfer. A key intuition in this argument is that informal social interactions and institutions play a central role in building trust and interpersonal relationships, which in turn increase the speed and frequency of knowledge and resource sharing. Infrastructure Infrastructure promotes agricultural trade and helps integrate economies into world markets. Roads, linking rural areas to markets, also serve to improve agricultural productivity, increasing non-farm employment opportunities and rural wages. Reliable transportation is absolutely critical for growth and innovation in African A g r i c u l t u re a n d a g r i b u s i n e s s . Sufficient roads, rail, seaports and airports are essential for regional trade, international exports and the crossborder investments. Investing in water management is a crucial element of successful agricultural development and can be broken into two principal areas: policy plus institutional reforms on the one

hand and investment, technology cum management practices on the other. To enhance agricultural development and to make progress in value-added agro-processing, Africa needs better and more consistent sources of e n e r g y. i n v a l u e - a d d e d a g r o processing, Africa needs better and more consistent sources of energy. H u m a n C a p a c i t y a n d Entrepreneurship Schools should consider Agriculture as an important area for investment so as to develop students' agricultural and technical knowledge at the primary and secondary levels. Universities should also consider Agriculture an important research domain, devoting staff and resources to develop new agricultural techniques for their populations and ecosystems. University research needs to stay connected to the farmers and their lifestyles to productively foster agricultural growth. Decision-makers should equally look for ways to foster human capacity in order to make agricultural innovations outside the traditional classroom. Rural radio programmes that reach out to farming communities and networks of farmers' associations spread new agricultural knowledge. Governments and schools should treat Agriculture as a valuable discipline from early childhood through adult careers instead of as a last resort for people, who cannot find the resources to move to a city and get an industrial job. Valuing the agricultural system/lifestyle and trying to improve it takes advantage of Africa's existing systems and capacities. In this way, many nations could provide significant benefits for their citizens, economies, and societies. The opportunity to build human capacities should be hugely explored for African women in Agriculture. It is well acknowledged that the majority of farmers in Africa are women, who provide 70 - 80% of the labour for food crops grown in Africa. Female farmers make up 48% of the African labor force. This work by women is a crucial effort in nations, where the economy is Agro-based. Although nearly 80% of agricultural producers in Africa are women, only 69% of female farmers receive visits from Agricultural Extension agents compared to 97% of male farmers. Of the Agricultural Extension - agents, only 7% are female. In many places, it is either culturally inappropriate or

simply uncommon for male extension agents to work with female farmers, so existing extension systems miss the majority of farmers. Having extension wo rke r s , w h o u n d e r s ta n d th e experience of local farmers, is central to promoting adoption as is the experience in Central America. An important component of successful adoption is the inclusion of female extension workers and educators in formal and informal settings.

No new agricultural technology, however cutting-edge and effective, can improve the situation if people are unable to access it and use it. Since most of the farmers in Africa are women, an important component of these systems will be including women in all parts of the process: education, capacity building, and technology innovation. Governments can use the peer educator or farmer-to-farmer method to help spread information and new agricultural innovations across their entire rural populations. By funding a few formal extension workers, who train and help support a large network of peer educators, a government can reach most or all of the rural population even if the groups are segregated by language, ethnicity, geography or traditional farming techniques. Thus, a relatively small investment can have huge impacts on a country's agricultural processes, food security and national economy. The challenges facing African Agriculture will require fundamental changes in the way universities train their students. It is notable that most

COVER STORY African universities do not specifically train Agriculture students to work on

COVER STORY

This can be done through regional exchanges that involve the sharing of research facilities and other infrastructure. Providing tangible rewards and incentives to teachers for exemplary teaching raises the profile of teaching and improves education. In addition, establishing closer connections and mutually beneficial relationships among all stakeholders (academia, industry, government and civil society) would generate further opportunities for everyone. The establishment of agricultural enterprises represents one of the most effective ways to stimulate rural development. The creation and spread of value-added food processing enterprises would help African farmers retain a higher portion of the profits from the materials they produce. Food processing would also help reduce the threat of hunger by increasing the number of protein and vitamin-rich products provided by the local market as well as improve local incomes by tapping into international markets to get the much needed export revenues from Agriculture. The key factor required to drive growth in food processing is capital. So, it is easier for individuals and companies to invest in the infrastructure, equipment and training necessary to enter the food processing industr y. Infrastructure, equipment and training are necessary to enter the food processing industry.

Conclusion At least, three key factors contributed to the rapid economic transformation of emerging economies. First, these countries invested heavily in basic infrastructure, including roads, schools, water, sanitation, irrigation, clinics, telecommunications and energy. The investments served as a foundation for technological learning. Second, they nurtured the development of Small and Mediumsize Enterprises (SMEs). Building these enterprises requires developing local operational, repair and maintenance expertise, including a pool of local technicians. Third, government supported, funded and nurtured higher education institutions as well as academies of engineering /technological sciences, professional engineering and technological associations plus industrial and trade associations. The emphasis on knowledge should be guided by the view that economic transformation is a process of improvement of productive activities, advanced through business enterprises. In other words, government policy should focus on continuous upgrading to enhance performance, starting with critical fields such as Agriculture for local consumption and extending to international trade. In effect, Africa's sustained growth will come from growing crops. Agriculture is the trunk from which new industries will branchout.

First, these countries invested heavily in basic infrastructure, including roads, schools, water, sanitation, irrigation, clinics, telecommunications and energy. Calestous Juma is an internationally recognized authority in the application of science and technology to Sustainable Development worldwide. He has been elected to numerous prestigious scientific academies such as the UK Royal Academy, the US Academy of Sciences, the World Academy of Sciences, the African Academy of Sciences and the UK Royal Academy of Engineering. He is Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project. He also directs the Agricultural Innovation in Africa Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and serves as Faculty Chair of Innovation for Economic Development executive programme at Harvard. He is also cochair of the African Union's High-Level Panel on Science, Technology and Innovation. His latest book, The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa was published by Oxford University Press in 2011. The full text of the book can be downloaded here. He is currently working on books on Engineering for development and resistance to new technologies. Follow @Calestous on Twitter.

COLUMN

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PRODUCTION Engr. Shedrack Madlion

Agriculture was, and remains, the mainstay of our economy and its social viability. It is therefore, the art and science of crop and livestock production. In its broadest sense, agriculture comprises the entire range of technologies associated with the production of useful products from plants and animals, including soil cultivation, crop and livestock management, and the activities of processing and marketing. The term agribusiness includes all the technologies that mesh into the total inputs and outputs of the farming sector. In other words, agriculture encompasses the whole range of economic activities involved in manufacturing and distributing the industrial inputs used in farming; the production of crops, animals, and animal products; the processing of these farm produce into finished products; and making available these products at a time and place demanded by consumers. Many different factors influence the kind of agriculture practiced in a particular area namely climate, soil, water availability, topography, nearness to markets, transportation facilities, land costs, and general economic level, among others. Climate, soil, water availability, and topography vary widely throughout the world. This variation brings about a w i d e ra n g e o f d i f fe re n c e s i n

agricultural production enterprises. Certain areas tend toward a specialized type of agriculture, whereas other areas engage in a more diversified agriculture. As new technologies are introduced and adopted, environmental factors become less important in influencing agricultural production patterns. Continued growth in the world's population makes the continuing ability of agriculture to provide the needed food and fiber for people, critical.

months;

ŸPrecocity of bulls: 6 years as against 2 years; ŸAverage yield per hectare: 1.2 tonnes as against world's average of 12 tonnes per hectare; Groundnut:

ŸAverage yield per hectare is 300kg as against 2,700kg of a Turkish, Spanish or Egyptian farmer; Onions:

Without equivocation, it is imperative to stress that Nigeria's agriculture is still in its primitive stage as portrayed by the yield and quality of product of virtually all Nigerian agricultural produce be it plants, livestock, among others. Below are the average yields of our agricultural units: Cattle data:

ŸCow

milk: average yield 200 litres/lactation as against 8,000 litres i.e. 2½ percent of average world standards;

ŸFirst calving: 4 5 years as against 2223 months; Carcass weight at 3 years: 100kg as against 1,000kg of other exotic stocks; Rate of calving: 2 years interval as against annually; ŸFirst

heat: 3-4years as against 8

ŸAverage yield per hectare is 4 metric tonnes as against 120 tonnes of a Yemeni farmer i.e. 3 ½ percent. Our onions are of much poorer quality than the Texas variety onions. Financial returns from a hectare not compatible; Tomatoes:

ŸAverage yield per hectare is 5 tonnes as against 100 tonnes for an Israeli farmer. Our tomatoes are of much poorer quality than the farmer's Cherry tomatoes. The financial profit from a hectare in Nigeria is less than N50,000 compared with $100,000 (N14million) of his counterpart; Potatoes:

ŸAverage yield is 4 tonnes per hectare as against 60-80 tonnes of that of US, or the Irish unit;

COLUMN Rice:

타Average yield is 1.5tonne per hectare as against 20 tonnes of that of a Thai farmer annually from the same unit through multiple cultivation; Cocoa:

타Average yield per hectare is 150kg as against 2,000kg of that of Ivory Coast, Ghana, Malaysia, Brazil, among others; Cocoa butter:

타50 percent at best as against 65 percent of other farmers in the world. The price of our best quality is about 70 percent of other farmers. The financial returns from a hectare are less than 5 percent of those of other cocoa farmers; Fish:

타We are still engaged in peasant fishing instead of fish farming/aquaculture. There have been numerous efforts in the past to make Nigerian agriculture modern enough to provide adequate food security and earn foreign exchange. As early as 1893, a Botanical Research unit was set up in Lagos with emphasis on cotton growth. The need for palm products and rubber worldwide was due to the interruption of production from Malaysia caused by the effects of the Japanese war, which gave rise to Oil Palm Research Institute in Benin. Cocoa plantations sprang up in the Ondo region. Cotton and wheat cultivation became prevalent in the North. Post independence period saw intensive planning for agriculture with the marketing boards set up and regional competition stimulated. Livestock production started as early as 1914 with a Veterinary Department set up in Zaria, Kaduna State; this was later transferred to Vom, Plateau State in 1924. The Veterinary School was set up in Vom in 1940. A fisheries unit in the Agricultural Department was set up in Onikan, Lagos in 1941. Fisheries Research Units were later established in Lake Chad, Buguma and Kanji. These efforts were followed by numerous programmes such as the Operation Feed the Nation, the Green Revolution and all the Back-to-Land programmes in time past. As clearly seen above, the agriculture sector is still in the wood. Nigeria spends over $3billion to import basic foodstuff, which can be produced by indigenous farmers.

This article aims to arouse all stakeholders to realize that agriculture is a science and operates in a system. The soil, which is the first line of agricultural production, should be of correct chemical composition i.e. the PH (measure of the acidity or alkalinity in the ground) ought to be right, the minerals and trace elements must be sufficiently present, and the soil mixture of gravels, sand, clay, and loam all these elements should aid the growth of the farm produce, whether a crop, tree, pasture, etc. The Nigerian farmer is today faced with huge challenges of substantially improving his/ her productivity and quality of his product, also in harvesting, preservation, processing and storage of the finished products, its transportation and presentation to the customers. All these cover a whole gamut of technological activities which we must proffer solutions, followed by judicious implementation.

The government should provide the following: 1. Basic infrastructure for farmers especially those in the rural areas; 2. Locally developed learning tools; 3. Learning networks; 4. Interactive and collaborative extension information networks among farmer organizations, government extension services, rural media networks (e.g. Rural radio, Newsletters); 5. Research bodies and educational institutions; 6. Farmer field schools similar to those created by rural radio, and non-formal education initiatives such as farm radio forums and radio listening groups;

7. Market information networks (regional, national, local); 8 Distance learning programmes and networks; 9. Participatory research and action networks; 10. Disease and pest monitoring action networks (plant and animal); 11. Water management information networks; 12. Agricultural product and service trading networks (regional, national, local); 13. Agricultural development support centers where farmers can be further trained as well as provide extension services. With the information technology, GIS, toll free lines, farmers can communicate with extension officers on issues like markets, distribution of drugs, fertilizers among others. With the right policies and infrastructure in place, the Nigerian agriculture industry can move from its primitive state to a more modern and advance technological stage where every farmer's productivity will be high to sustain the country. Engr. Shedrack Madlion is the Executive Director of Admiral Agricultural and Environmental Care, a leading organization in education, training in ecological and agricultural research, and the first of its kind in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. With its head office in Kaduna, the organization aims at utilizing its skills in innovative process development for the reduction of poverty, stimulation of commerce by establishing relationship with private entrepreneurs, developmental organizations and agencies in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, livestock as well as eco-tourism. He can be reached via email: admiralenvironmentalcare@yahoo.com

EVENT

ISO 26000 GUIDANCE ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, NIGERIA ADOPTION PROCESS (ISO 26000: NAP)

Mrs. Tola Oduyemi, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Robert Okiyi, Starndard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mrs Ini Onuk, Thistle Praxis Limited

FIRS Participant

2nd Technical Meeting of ISO 2600 Nigerian adoption Process

The ISO 26000 Guidance on Social Responsibility, Nigeria Adoption Process National Workshop and First Technical Meeting held on two occasions: on July 31, 2012 and October 16, 2012, respectively. In attendance were Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Federal Minister of Trade & Investment represented by Mr. Oladele Jaiyeoba, Deputy Director, Industrial Development Department, Federal Ministry of Trade & Investment; Dr. Joseph Odumodu, MFR, Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria; Martin Neureiter, Lead Expert/CEO, The CSR Company, Austria & Chairperson, ISO 26000 Working Group and Dr. Ify Umenyi, D irector G eneral, Consumer Protection Council & Chairperson, ISO 26000 National Mirror Committee. ISO 26000 is an International Standard (by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) elaborated to guide organisations on Social Responsibility. It is a consensus guidance document that provides support or a reference for all kinds of organisations in both private and public sectors both in developed and

2nd Technical Meeting of ISO 2600 Nigerian adoption Process

developing countries, as well as those who may be referred to as 'being in transition'. Nigeria commenced the adoption process of the ISO 26000 with the successful completion of the first phase, where the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has through its national member body, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) invited corporate organisations to express interest as technical partners. In the message delivered by Ini Onuk, Lead Consultant/CEO of ThistlePraxis Consulting, knowledge partner of the ISO 26000 Nigeria adoption process, she stated that the active participation of Technical Partners in the process and subsequent use of the guide for their Social Responsibility or Sustainability Reports were encouraged. Furthermore, the need to p ra c t i c e t h e p i l l a r s o f S o c i a l Responsibility in their respective organisations, by integrating them into their business models as contained in the ISO 26000 guide, was implored. After this address, the Chief Convener & Head, International Standards & SMEs, Robert Okiyi explained the

adoption process. There were also remarks from the Chairperson, National Mirror Committee & Director General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs. Ify Umenyi, as well as Martin Neureiter, Chairperson, ISO 26000 Working Group & CEO, The CSR Company International. The Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu, MFR, delivered the Welcome Address. The representative of the Honourable Minister of Trade & Investment, Mr. Oladele Jaiyeoba; Deputy Director, Industrial Development Department, Federal Ministry of Trade & Investment delivered the Ministerial Address, and pledged the commitment of the Federal Government in line with her transformation agenda to support the efforts of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). ISO 26000 is an International Standard (by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) elaborated to guide organisations on Social Responsibility.

EVENTS ended.

Technical Partners at the ISO 26000 NAP During the workshop, the Lead Expert, Martin Neureiter, lead the first session. He gave a thorough clarification of the need for a standard guide like ISO 26000. While reviewing the context for a global standard on Social Responsibility, he examined the case studies of China and India as the world's largest users of resources, and explained the various definitions of Sustainable Development, especially the ones espoused by the Brundtland Report and ISO 26000 Guide, stressing the importance of the triple bottom line as well as getting the language of Social Responsibility right. Ini Onuk, Lead Consultant/CEO, ThistlePraxis Consulting, facilitated a session and took the participants through the previous stages of the adoption process. She urged them to reflect industry-wide reviews on the guide in order to ensure a comprehensive process. Following that session, Robert Okiyi of SON took participants through the ISO 26000: NAP Guidance Notes before it was unanimously adopted by all participants. Emilia Asim-Ita of ThistlePraxis Consulting also led the review of the work plan for adoption and expressed gratitude to participants for their rapt attention and active participation, after which the workshop for the day came to an end. On the second day of the workshop, Lead Expert, Martin Neureiter, reviewed the concept of Social Responsibility as one that is to be integrated rather than implemented. He advocated that Social Responsibility should be integrated into the organisation's business model and driven by the CEO or a c-suite professional, who reports directly to the CEO and/or Board.

In restating the difference between Philanthropy and CSR, Neureiter explained that philanthropy is a laudable concept and initiative, which has a positive impact on the society, but must not be used by an organisation as CSR. He further explained that philanthropy is external and does not change the core of the business, noting that Social Responsibility is not about what you do with your profits. Rather, it is about how you make your profits. He addressed the SRO Concept and its link to economic growth, environmental integrity and social equity; adding that ISO 26000 is the broad standard that covers all activities of organisations. It is the umbrella standard of all ISO standards whilst others are specialised standards for special areas. The lead expert went further to explain that in commencing the process of integrating ISO 26000, an organisation should seek the services of professionals or experts to conduct a GAP Analysis. After this exercise, review and prepare a GAP analysis report to be forwarded to the CEO. Then, the company can decide whether they want to bridge these gaps or not. After the lunch break, the ISO 26000 review commenced. Neureiter took participants through the various sections of the guide. The overview of the guide was also discussed as well as its scope. He further explained why ISO 26000 is not a management system standard as it does not list requirements for certification, but content; which organisations should pay specific attention to. There was an interactive session that offered opportunity for a question and answer session, after which the workshop

At the second technical meeting for the Nigeria Adoption process of ISO 26000 Guidance on Social Responsibility held at Protea Ikoyi Westwood, Lagos. Mr. Eugene Itua was nominated as Chairperson of the committee and Ms. Abosede Alimi as Vice Chairperson. Following the nomination, participant proceeded to review the comments in order to deliberate on the clauses by technical partners led by Ms. Asim-Ita. Most of the comments were submitted by The Federal Ministry for the Environment and Multiple Development Services. The clauses covered areas such as protection of the environment, biodiversity and restoration of natural habitats; organizations and the environment; the environment and social responsibility, among others. After exhaustive deliberations on the clauses, the participants reached a consensus and a motion for adoption was moved by Ehi Iden, CEO, and O ccupational He alth & Safe ty Managers and supported by Jumoke Awoola of Lambell and Goldmark. In conclusion, Mr. Okiyi and Mrs. Onuk expressed gratitude to the technical partners and assured that the secretariat will maintain close liaison between the final review periods in order to communicate developments, leading to the adoption by the National Council on Standards. Tentative arrangements for the adoption ceremony in Abuja have been made and slated for the first quarter of 2013. The meeting was rounded off with group photographs at 4.30 p.m.

ISO 26000 is the broad standard that covers all activities of organisations. It is the umbrella standard of all ISO standards whilst others are specialised standards for special areas.

ThistlePraxis

EVENT REPORT

'Saving One Million Lives' Initiative panacea to perennial health Challenges

Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Minister of State for Health, has revealed that the 'Saving One Million Lives' Initiative, which has been described as an a m b i t i o u s a n d c o m p re h e n s ive scheme, is aimed at overturning Nigeria's grim health indices. Dr. Pate stated this recently as the Lead Discussant during the third edition of Sustainable Conversations, a Thought L e a d e r s h i p b re a k fa s t m e e t i n g captioned: Public Health Tackling the Challenges for Effective Service Delivery, which was hosted by ThistlePraxis Consulting Limited in partnership with Friends of the Global Fund, Africa and Insight Health Consulting Limited. He noted that the initiative, which was launched by President Goodluck Jonathan in October, 2012 comprises four key elements: provision of basic ser vices (logistics and human resources), prevention of non communicable diseases; clinical governance (improving the quality of care) and unlocking the private sector market potential. He emphasized that the fourth factor is the most transformational factor. Expatiating on this, the minister reminded participants that when people go to places like India for medicare, they go

to private facilities,; hence the importance of developing Nigeria's health care in order to become a medical tourism destination. Other discussants at the forum were: D r. J i d e I d r i s , L a g o s S t a t e Commissioner of Health; Mrs. Fola Laoye of Hygeia Group; Dr. Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, Regional Coordinator, South West, DFID; and Dr. Angela Oyo-Ita. Dr. Ike Anya, Coeditor, Nigeria Health Watch gave a background presentation at the gathering moderated by Dr. Akudo Ikemba of Friends Africa. Speaking on improving the Health of the People of Nigeria Challenges and Opportunities, Dr. Anya observed that growth in GDP does not necessarily translate in better health outcomes as concrete steps must be taken to improve health care even with increasing GDP. He enumerated actions that will result in better outcomes, which include: implementing existing policies like the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHOP) and the National Health Bill conscientiously; improving health insurance coverage; identifying and supporting change agents within the health system;

learning from bets practice elsewhere; promoting accountability by involving communities in the running of health facilities; providing complaint systems; strengthening education and regulation of professionals plus using Information Technology e.g. mobile phones to improve data collection, accountability, supply chain, etc. he illustrated the last two points by telling the story of a Local Government Chairman in India, who directed that everyone, who uses the council's health facilities should drop his/her phone number. Each week, he chooses a number of individuals at random; asking them their assessment of the services they received. This has made the staff more dutiful since they do not know who the chairman would choose to call. Dr. Jide Idris remarked that the Lagos State Government has significally improved the leadership quality of individuals in Primary Health Care Facilities. He further stated that the government pays attention to health promotion through waste and water management plus sanitation. Dr. Oyo Ita declared that health is not all about drugs; but includes food, shelter and lifestyle. She advocated an

EVENT REPORT Integrated Management System (IMS) to tackle inadequate Human

mentioned that four visits per individual provides sufficient data for several analysis, which Hygeia group carries out, she likened the exploits of her organisation to the GTBank revolution or the difference between NITEL and GSM. It will be recollected that prior to the establishment of GT Bank, people spent their whole day in Banks, trying to access their accounts. However, the GTBank came into the industry and customers concluded transactions less than ten minutes after walking into the banking halls. The moderator emphasized the need for proper oversight. Participants raised questions on how mental health assessments can be differentiated f ro m p s y c h i a t r i c c a re ; p u b l i c enlightenment and some of the programmes of the Federal and State governments.

Therefore, planning must be built around the common man. In other words, the weakest link should be strengthened by making the common man the index of planning.

Dr. Akudo Ikemba, Moderator

Dr. Ike Anya

Lead Discussant

Convener and Discussants

SURVEY

Estimate of Annual CSR Spending in Nigeria corporate activities (both internal and external) but CSR is still considered an external activity with very little or no returns on investments.

CSR is the commitment of a business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life. To clearly ascertain what and how much organizations are currently spending and (or) receiving for their CSR Strategy plans, activities/ initiatives, this document details the rationale behind ThistlePraxis' (Assessment and Business Strategy Consultants) survey entitled, 'Estimate of Annual CSR Spending in Nigeria'. The survey was conducted online and aimed at identifying an estimate of annual spend on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and initiatives in corporate establishments of all sizes and structures in various aspects of the Private, Public and NonProfit sectors in Nigeria. At least a total of 350 questionnaires were uploaded online via the Survey Monkey portal to various corporate, non-governmental and faith-based organizations and only 77 organizations with data which were collated and analyzed accordingly.

As a result, this assessment is a thorough review of current trends in budgetary allocations on CSR activities and initiatives embarked upon, with a view to identifying emphasized investment areas as well as those overlooked in corporate interventions across Nigeria. From the responses, it was deduced that 79% of the organizations that participated are in the private sector and expend an average of 1 million - 50 million NGN which is a far cry in comparison to corporate net worth. Whilst some organizations have no b u d g e t a r y a l l o c a t i o n fo r C S R initiatives, others have this allocation embedded into their marketing and advertising budgets. However, a sizeable number indicated the existence of a clear â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cut policy and annual work plan for CSR. At the same time, a few organizations affirmed the non-existence of allocations of profit towards CSR. Nevertheless, it is worrisome to know that most organizations are not only yet to mainstream CSR as a business strategy which is integrated in

The need to have an efficient monitoring and evaluation mechanism cannot be overemphasized as it ensures a seamless check and balance in managing CSR activities. Also, periodic reporting promotes transparency, encourages innovation and motivates stakeholder participation. At the same time, the process of allocation of funds and reporting should be made transparent. In addition to the impact assessment report, a 'fund utilization statement' may be expedient to show investments and future plans in order to ensure strategic alignments, stakeholder feedback and productive engagement across board.

From the responses, it was deduced that 79% of the organizations that participated are in the private sector and expend an average of 1 million - 50 million NGN

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: To obtain a copy of the report, send an email to: csrfiles@thistlepraxisconsulting.com

SURVEY summary of results Q1. What is the size of your organization?

37% of the total respondents are Micro SME's whose employees range from 0-25 employees. However, following closely with 33% are large corporations with employees ranging from 500 and above.

Q2. What is your organization type?

Most (79%) of the organizations that participated in the survey are in the Private Sector

Q3. What average amount (in Nigerian Naira or its equivalent) is spent on or received as CSR every year?

Q4. How does your organization implement her CSR activities?

N 1 million naira - 50 million is the average annual spend on or received as CSR in most organizations as shown from the Survey result.

60% of the organizations have their CSR implementation process carried out internally

Q5. Does your organization have a clear- cut policy, annual work plan or programme of activities for CSR?

Q6. Does your organization report her CSR initiatives and/or activities?

60% of organizations indicated that they have a clear cut policy, annual work plan /programme for CSR activities

60% of the organizations specified that they have report CSR initiatives /activities

Q7. How CSR initiatives /activities are reported in organizations

Most organizations (67%) report CSR initiatives / activities as Annual Report and CSR/ Sustainability report.

SPECIAL REPORT

AR-CSR 2012: the common future

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Gro Brundtland and Humphery Harrisson, Speaker at the AR-CSRTM The second edition of the Africa CEO Round-table and Conference on C o r p o ra te S u s ta i n a b i l i ty a n d Responsibility, AR-CSRâ&#x201E;˘, held on the 28th and 29th of June, 2012 at the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Tagged - Sustainable Development: Expanding Economic Opportunities for Public-Private Synergy, the keynote speaker was Dr. Gro Harlem Bruntland, Two-time Prime Minister of Norway, Former Director General of the World Health Organization, the UN Special Envoy on Climate Change and Chairman, World Commission on the Environment and Development (a.k.a the Brundtland Commission). The Lead Discussant was Graham Sinclair; Principal, SinCo, South Africa and the President of the Africa Sustainable Investment Forum. According to the convener, Lead Consultant/CEO of ThistlePraxis

Consulting, 'The vision behind the CEO Round-table is to elevate the discourse on Sustainability, CSR, business strategy and modelling to the boardroom. It is aimed at engaging business leaders, C-suite professionals as well as captains of industry to discuss and grasp the business case for CSR.' There were two panels at the CEO Round-table. The first panel considered how to drive economic growth and Sustainable Development while the second one discussed good governance and ways in which corruption could be curbed. In her keynote address, Dr. Gro Brundtland noted that 'as the global population grows from 7 to 9 billion in 2040 with the emergence of 3 billion new middle class consumers over the next 20 years, the demand for resources will rise exponentially. By 2030, she stated, these middle class consumers will need 50 percent more

food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water all at a time when e n v i ro n m e n t a l t h re s h o l d s a re throwing up new limits to supply. Therefore, there is no better time to measure and price what really matters.' For her, 'women are a force. The equal rights and empowerment of women must be pursued within the family and society. They must decide on their own reproductive lives, including family planning choices and access to it. Girl-child education; which means greater empowerment for a half of humanity and increased opportunity for prosperity across all climes; cannot be dispensed with.'Today', she concluded, 'it is without doubt that Africa is rising; her economies, growing faster than those of most other regions of the world; clearly becoming the preferred investment destination and the pull of global growth. FDIs have multiplied about six times in the past ten years. Private

SPECIAL REPORT enterprises have become a dynamic force for change, inspiring innovations and moving outside obsolete business models. Systematic efforts must be made by African countries to create broad-based, inclusive and shared roles that will be beneficial to all. Indeed, PPPs are crucial to identify, promote and collaborate for stable cum sustainable progress.' ThistlePraxis Consulting partnered with the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI), for the Sustainable Solutions Showcase (SSS) as part of the 2012 ARCSR. The initiative sought to promote, e x p o s e a n d c o n n e c t innovations/inventions of social entrepreneurs with potential sponsors, partners, clients, customers and collaborators. It was aimed at goods and services that are ecologically friendly, capable of meeting specific socio-economic needs as well as those with potential for enterprise and Return On Investment. The best three were chosen from several entries after the challenge was published in newspapers and the organizations' websites for a couple of weeks. couple of weeks. There were five sessions in the conference and one of the most profound positions from the 2012 summit was the need for government and its agencies to embark on risk sharing, that is channelling public funds into the development of the private sector. In other words, a strong case was made for venture capital/private equity, which involves providing long-term collateral and interest-free funds for entrepreneurs. According to proponents of the idea, unless this is done, the development of the private sector will be limited. Venture capital is one type of capital capable of creating jobs more than other sources because it targets growth and high growth companies. According to the European Venture Capital Association, which measures the economic impact of private equity in Asia, Europe and USA, private equity-backed companies contribute approximately 20 percent of the US GDP while private equity in the United Kingdom, employs 1 in 5 people. According to Wikipedia, Silicon Valley, in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, USA, remains the leading hub for high-tech innovation and development accounting for a third of all the venture capital investments in the United States.

it is without doubt that Africa is rising; her economies, growing faster than those of most other regions of the world;

Approximately 20 percent of the US GDP while private equity in the United Kingdom, employs 1 in 5 people. According to Wikipedia, Silicon Valley, in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, USA, remains the leading hub for high-tech innovation and development accounting for a third of all the venture capital investments in the United States.

Cross-section of Discussants at the 2012 AR-CSRTM

Delegates at the 2012 AR-CSRTM

ONLINE RESOURCES

Development (HISARD) trains young university students in Nigeria, equipping them with the skills they need to grow and sustain viable a g r i c u l t u ra l b u s i n e s s e s u p o n graduation. In addition, Harambe Nigeria engages Nigerian youths through conferences, excursions and other networking events.

Symposium. The association has over 600 registered active members working in agricultural and resource economics as well as in other social sciences around the world. AAAE's key role is to further the agricultural economics profession as well as develop relevant policy options th a t s h ow th e t ra d e - o f fs o f productivity and income growth, and the sustenance of the natural resource base.

Small Holders The Smallholders Farmers Rural Radio (FARM 98.0 FM) designs broadcasts daily agricultural, environmental management and market information in the local Igbo Language, reaching an estimated 250,000 small farmer listeners living in Imo State, Nigeria for 10 hours broadcast each day. The educational radio program enables, smallholders acquire: contemporar y agricultural and environmental management techniques, receive daily market information, advertise their farm products and learn critical business skills. Smallholders utilizes daily broadcast information to decide what to produce when to produce how to produce for whom to produce In the short and long term they boost, their yields and income. Agriculture education radio programmes, Environmental education programmes, market information.

Harambe Portal Harambe Nigeria is an emerging youth-led organisation which seeks to revolutionize the way Nigerian youths engage with agriculture. One of its programme, the Harambe Incubator for Sustainable Agricultural and Rural

Over the past few months, through the Farmland, Harambe Nigeria brought the unfolding agricultural revolution to the doorsteps and computers of young and old Nigerians, by providing the latest agricultural news, sharing trends and important statistics in the field, featuring young emerging entrepreneurs, sharing information about various opportunities and much more. And nowâ&#x20AC;ŚThe Farmland has been selected as one of the top youth and agricultural websites on the African continent and the West African subcontinent!

AAAE's broad objectives are to make a d i f fe re n c e t h ro u g h i m p ro v i n g engagement among agricultural economists in Africa and the global community of practice for promoting sustainable agricultural development; Promoting training, policy research, and outreach within the African continent, to enhance agricultural

African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) The African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) is a not-for-profit organization and a continent wide network of Agricultural economists working in agriculture and broadly related fields of applied economics on issues related to improving the productivity of African agriculture. AAAE was established in 2004 in Na i rob i d u r i n g i t s I n a u g u ra l

productivity and farm incomes and competitiveness along the commodity value chains; Contributing to broadbased rural development, poverty re d u c t i o n , fo o d s e c u r i t y a n d sustainable use of natural resources in the continent of Africa.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Co m pr eh en siv e A fr i ca Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) CAADP is the agricultural programme of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which in turn is a programme of the African Union (AU). Established by the AU assembly in 2003, CAADP focuses on improving food security, nutrition, and increasing incomes in Africa's largely farming based economies. It aims to do this by raising agricultural productivity by at least 6 percent per year and increasing public investment in agriculture to 10 percent of national budgets per year. In essence, CAADP is about bringing together diverse key players - at the continental, regional and national levels - to improve co-ordination, to share knowledge, successes and failures, to encourage one another, and to promote joint and separate efforts to achieve the CAADP goals. CAADP aims to help African countries reach a higher path of economic growth through agriculture-led development.

African leaders' collective vision for agriculture in Africa. This ambitious and comprehensive vision for agricultural reform in Africa aims for an average annual growth rate of 6 percent in agriculture by 2015.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is one of the world's leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. The award-winning research for development (R4D) addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture.

Through NEPAD, CAADP addresses policy and capacity issues across the entire agricultural sector and African continent. CAADP is entirely Africanled and African-owned and represents

It is a nonprofit organization founded in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported by several countries. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava and maize.

This ambitious and comprehensive vision for agricultural reform in Africa aims for an average annual growth rate of 6 percent in agriculture by 2015.

IN PRINT

Title: The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa Author: Calestous Juma Published by: Oxford University Press path(s) to follow in attaining this

In addition, the author says, "In sub-

seeming holy grail.

Saharan Africa, agriculture directly

For economies to attain development

64 percent of employment. Growth in

contributes to 34 percent of GDP and through agriculture, case studies such

agriculture is at least two to four times

Agriculture can, should and will be

as Malawi and Ghana, where

more effective in reducing poverty

Africa's next Black Gold. This much is

agriculture has been given a priority

than growth in other sectors...it is no

c a p t u re d i n o u r C o v e r S t o r y

status in investment and policy; must

surprise that agricultural and extension

Contributor's impressive book.

be replicated. Malawi's 16 per cent

services can yield a 35 percent rate of

Published by Oxford University Press, it

investment in agriculture reaped the

return in sub-Saharan Africa." And he

highlights the potential of a continent

highest surplus production ever

goes on to say that a financial incentive

capable of feeding itself despite many

between 2006 and 2007. In the same

will be the projected growth in the

challenges, mainly a growing yet

vein, Ghana nearly halved its poverty

African food market from US$50 billion

young population and the impact of

rate from 51 to 28 per cent between

in 2010 to US$150 billion by 2030.

sustainability especially climate

1991 and 2006. Till date, these

However, turning optimism into

change.

countries seem to be the only ones to

success demands commitment and

have attained drastic reduction by

Juma acknowledges that "Improving

Not only does this book show the

more than 50 per cent according to

Africa's agricultural performance will

continent's potential, like a true

Global Hunger Index.

require significant political leadership, investment and deliberate policy

scientist; the author backs his concept According to the Oxford University

efforts." There is much at stake but the

recommendations for achieving

Press Review, 'a historic lack of

very positive personal response to the

innovation in the agricultural sector.

investment has resulted in inadequate

new harvest of over 20 African Heads

Juma's work not only espouses the

roads connecting rural areas to

of State is significant in itself.

future outlook of the industry, he pays

markets, a mere 4 per cent of Africa's

and construct with evidence-based

attention to the various roles each

cropland irrigated compared to 39 per

aspect of the entire value chain has to

cent in Asia, ineffective extension

play and the needed interventions

services, lack of credit facilities and,

required for elevation from mere

overall, poor morale among those who

potential to big business. Beyond big

work the land, mainly women.

business, the capacity of the

Together with insecure land tenure,

agricultural space, when fully

soil nutrient loss, erosion, and huge

harnessed; to transform the GDP of

post harvest crop losses, there has

any economy is clearly articulated.

been widespread despair. Calestous

Hence, the experiments of the past

Juma and his fellow contributing

mainly indicting leadership

authors - 20 eminent agriculturists and

incompetence, technological know-

economists from around the world -

how and miserly investments in the

seek to dispel past gloom and hold out

sector; are highlighted and at the same

the realistic prospect of Africa

time, recent improvements (although

adequately feeding its entire people

mostly political) which must be

within a generation'.

encouraged are put forward as the

Not only does this book show the continent's potential, like a true scientist; the author backs his concept and construct with evidence-based recommendations for achieving innovation in the agricultural sector.

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