AGRA Transforming African Agriculture USAID Feed the Future

Innovation Labs Meeting –

Tanzania

March, 2013.

Fred Muhhuku

AGRA Country Officer,

AGRA is catalyzing a Green Revolution

• AGRA is a dynamic partnership working in 16 countries

across Africa to help smallholder farmers achieve food

security and higher incomes

• Catalyzing the transformation involves

– Focusing on smallholder farmers – especially women

– Targeting Africa’s staple food crops

– Investing across the commodity value chain

– Creative partnerships with public and private sector

– Paying attention to the challenges of climate change

African Agriculture, Structural challenges

Poor access to seeds, fertilizer and other

technologies

Smallholder farming Poor farmer education

Poor access to finance

Inefficient markets Infrastructure gaps

Policy Environment

1

7

4

2

3

5

6

What needs to be done?

• Strategic, Sustainable, Practical partnerships, with the smallholder farmer at the heart of it!

• Address the barriers across the integrated value chain.

Strong Political

Leadership

Food Security and Prosperity

Investing in people and institutions

Investing in Innovation

& technology

Building Strong

markets

AGRA focus: The most Urgent Barriers

Core Focus Areas

Complementary Focus Areas

Water Management

Other factors driving sustainable yield growth, food

security and farmer income,

Crop Protection

Mechanization

Livestock Management Institutional

building Farmer

Organization Agricultural

Policy

Operate across impact

pathway

Adaptive Research

Training & Education

Extension

Access to Knowledge

Market Access

Access to

Markets

Financing for smallholder

Farmers

Access to

Financing

Seed supply

Fertilizer Supply

Access to Inputs

Investing in youth and

women

Production Post-harvest

and

Aggregation

Processing Wholesale

and Retail Consumption Inputs

Policy Program

AGRA’s comprehensive approach

Program for Africa’s Seed

Systems (PASS)

Soil Health Program

(SHP)

Market Access Program

Cross-cutting initiatives: finance, gender, FOs

16 Countries and Counting …

South

Sudan

Post Conflict

Countries:

Liberia

Sierra Leone

South Sudan

Growing List of Partners African governments Funding partners

Implementing partners

Farmers

Neema Agricole du Faso

(seed company)

Sweden Private sector

Farmer Organizations

Regional Economic

Communities

Example: Investment in Tanzania

Mtwara

Lindi

Ruvuma

Pwani

Dar Es Salaam Morogoro

Mbeya

Rukwa

Zanzibar

Tabora

Kigoma

Kagera

Singida

Dodoma

Kilimanjaro

Tanga

Arusha

Mara

Mwanza

Shinyanga

Njombe

Iringa

Seed value chain - $12.4 m

Soil health - $8.7 m

Market access - $7.9 m

Policy - $0.7 m

35% of total investment is in the breadbasket

Other investments: • FOSCA • Innovative Finance • AECF

Participatory Breeding Session with Farmers

In Mulange, Malawi

Ibrahim Benesi and the Cassava Breeding

Team at Chitedze Station, Malawi

Rose Mwangi Describes her New Bean Varieties

At Uyole Station, Tanzania

Rice Breeder Sophia Kilenge Describes her Rice

Breeding Nursery at Mombo, Tanzania

Groundnut Breeder in South Sudan Describes

A Variety Trial in Palotaka, South Sudan

Launch of Seed For Development Program, near Juba, South Sudan

Centre is the Minister for Agriculture – Anne Itto.

Thank You. ASANTENI