Addressing Africans food crisis through CAADP.

AFRICANS SOLVE THEIR FOOD PROBLEMS THROUGH CAADP

 

African Green Revolution is geared towards making every African hunger free, following a balanced diet and with enough resources to take care of other needs. This objective is in line with AU/NEPAD CAADP objectives. The CAADP Round Table process initiative is an evidence-based and outcome-based policy and implementation framework that encourages collaboration and peer review and learning across countries. It forms an important opportunity platform for exchanging ideas and information between stakeholders, development partners, donors and researchers to map out ways to an increased agricultural productivity in Africa. The food crises coupled with the problem of climate change all have significant implications for our ability to improve and increase agricultural growth. These crises came at a time when Africans had already taken their own destiny into their own hands by their governments committing 10% of their GDP to agricultural development.

Agriculture is often neglected as one of the major factors that have contributed to Africa’s economic growth over the last decade. There is no doubt that the sector has underperformed over the last decade as a consequence of its neglect by governments and development agencies that provide virtually all the funding to the sector.  Public investment in the sector fell from 6.4% in 1980 to 4.5% in 2002 (IFPRI). Donor interest in the sector also fell remarkably from 26% of annual development assistance to 4% presently.  There is a further speculation of donor disengagement.

The cuts in funding to agriculture have adversely affected the level of innovation in the sector in spite of the very high returns on investment in agricultural innovation. An evaluation of 700 agricultural research and development projects in developing countries across the world shows that investment in these projects generated an internal rate of return of 43%. Furthermore, an IFPRI study (Fan, 2008) shows that agricultural research, extension and rural infrastructure are the three most effective public spending items in promoting agricultural growth and poverty reduction. Of these three, agricultural research has the greatest overall impact on poverty in developing countries. What is more, it has been estimated that a 1% increase in crop yield reduces the number of poor people by 0.72 percent in Africa (approximately 2 million people). Thirtle et al. (2003) (see Table 1) show that increases in crop yield have greatest impact in Africa. 

The decision making process regarding investment in agricultural research and development, and innovation has not been informed by evidence. This is perhaps a consequence of weaknesses in the architecture of institutions responsible for the sector’s advocacy at various levels—national, sub regional and continental.  The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is responsible for continental level advocacy in support of agricultural innovation, dissemination and adoption in particular CAADP Pillar IV: (a) increased and better harmonized investment,  (b) human and institutional capacity strengthening, (c) policies and markets(for example, trade, Biosafety and biotechnology), (d) tested innovation practices, access to knowledge, information and technologies; and (e) partnerships to promote innovation.   FARA’s experiences in advocating and facilitating agricultural research on the continent in order to meet the agricultural output targets set by African leaders is critical. CAADP pillar IV together with the other pillars is the response to an increase in productivity, reducing hunger and raising income of Africa’s poor.

 

 

why some countries are tactling their food crisis better than others

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While some countries in Africa
have improved, others regressed

* Report by Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)

In another 12 years, 16 million more children could be malnourished at a time when even fewer people will be able to afford staple cereals like maize, rice and wheat, which would cost between 13 percent and 27 percent more. This is the bleak scenario of a world in recessionary mode, with declining investment in food production, painted by a food policy think-tank.

The US-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) released its analysis of the double impact of the food price and financial crises on agriculture and the poor in the Mozambican capital, Maputo, at the annual general meeting of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which works to achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through scientific research.

Not only financial markets but also agricultural commodity markets must be part of reformed regulatory systems, so as to move out of the crisis and prevent future turmoil, said the analysis.

"Reduced volatility is essential for avoiding extreme price bubbles and ensuring that the world can respond to emergencies generated by price crises."

IFPRI has suggested the creation of a "virtual reserve" to avoid the next price bubble.

"The virtual reserve could be implemented by the Group of Eight [developed economies] Plus Five [leading emerging economies] and some other large grain-exporting countries.


published: 2010-09-28