Access to Knowledge and Technologies

Rationale

Achieving the rapid and widespread agricultural development required to meet the CAADP target of 6% annual growth in agricultural production will depend on the products of formal and informal research being out-scaled locally and up-scaled across the continent.  Because it minimises the duplication of research and shortens the time taken for adoption to occur, improving the exchange of technology-based innovations between sub-regions improves returns to investment in innovation and the impact that such investment has.  However, achieving this requires better advisory services and dissemination channels that are accessible and efficient.  It also requires better knowledge of how to get information to those that need it (such as the advisory services) in efficient and effective ways.  In addition to developing and communicating information products, there is also a need to identify why the demand for information is not being met and what mechanisms can be used to overcome these constraints.

Linkages are required between different knowledge resources from diverse disciplines, in order to empower researchers and end users by providing them with new information technologies and access to new information, and learning and decision-making tools.  This allows them to develop new knowledge for innovation.  In addition, it is also necessary to identify the most effective technology dissemination pathways for existing African resources.  The capacity of stakeholders to upscale localised successful technologies derived from formal research and farmer innovation across countries and sub-regions must therefore also be strengthened.  A major constraint of African ARD is weak capacity among extension and advisory services, as this undermines the impact of research.  The Secretariat is working to correcting this in a number of ways.  In addition to improving information exchange, strengthening capacity and promoting innovation platforms, for example, it is also collaborating with the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Service (AFAAS).  This is a regional initiative that was established to improve the institutional arrangements of agricultural extension programmes, as this will (i) increase the effectiveness of agricultural advisory services and (ii) build the capacity of African professionals and practitioners involved in designing and implementing such services.

The Secretariat’s comparative advantages are derived from its work to link (both to each other and to the rest of the world) the information and learning systems and the technology dissemination pathways of the four sub-regions.  As a result, Africans gain access to world-wide sources of agricultural information and technologies.  And, in addition, Africans and non-Africans are provided with information from Africa, as well as with opportunities for interactions with others all over the world

Essential continuing function

The Secretariat builds on the strengths of the SROs and the NARS and their investments in agricultural information and knowledge systems by providing a continental platform and linkages within and outside Africa.  It catalyzes synergies, including those with international initiatives, to achieve economies of scale in developing the appropriate information and the learning tools required by its stakeholders to effectively and efficiently access and use knowledge for innovation.  Specific Objective of NSF 2

Knowledge and technologies for sustainably improving broad-based agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets available.

Specific Objective

Knowledge and technologies for sustainably improving broad-based agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets available

Complementary time-bound activities

Currently time-bound activities fall into two groups.  Those organised under three projects:

• Regional Agricultural Information and Learning System (RAILS)
• Dissemination of New Agricultural Technologies in Africa (DONATA)
• and activities of the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS);

and those that contribute to relevant international initiatives.  Examples of such initiatives include collaboration with the Système d’Information Scientifique et Technique (SIST): Réseau Biotechnologies Végétales et Biosécurité (BVB); and the Agricultural Innovations for Dryland Africa (AIDA) project. Further information about the projects can be obtained from their documentation.