TECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Week 9a – presented on Oct 24th

ObjectivesDiscuss the concept of agricultural technology

Explain the importance of agricultural technology to development

Discuss some Science and Technology Institutes in some African countries

Discuss some benefits of crop and livestock technologies in Africa

Introduction

The increasing scarcity of land and water,

Productivity gains will be the main source of growth in agriculture and the primary means to satisfy increased demand for food and agricultural products.

What is causing the increased demand for land and food?

Are our previous discussions have revealed that 70 % of people in developing countries derives their livelihood from agriculture and related activities

Introduction…(2)Improving the productivity, profitability, and sustainability

of smallholder farming

is the main pathway out of poverty in using agriculture for development.

What will this take?

A broad array of policy instruments, many of which apply differently to commercial smallholders and to those in subsistence farming.

With globalization requires that farmers innovate

Introduction…(3)• After a decade of stagnation during the 1990s,

• Investments and human resource capacity in public agricultural research and development (R&D) increased

• It averaged more than 20 percent growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) during 2001–2008.

• In 2008, the region spent $1.7 billion on agricultural R&D or $0.8 billion (in 2005 constant US dollars)

The Rationale for Monitoring the Allocation of Agricultural R&D ResourcesExtensive empirical evidence demonstrates that

agricultural research and development (R&D) investments have greatly contributed

to economic growth,

agricultural development, and

poverty reduction in developing regions over the past five decades (World Bank 2008).

The Rationale for Monitoring the Allocation of Agricultural R&D Resources….(2)• Effectively disseminated new technologies and crop

varieties resulting from R&D investments have

enhanced the quantity and quality of agricultural produce, at the same time;

Increasing sustainability, reducing consumer food prices, providing rural producers with access to markets, and improving gender-based allocations and accumulations of physical and human capital within households.

The Rationale for Monitoring the Allocation of Agricultural R&D Resources…(3)Given important challenges, such as

• rapid population growth, • adaptation to climate change, • increasing weather variability, • water scarcity, and • the volatility of prices in global markets,

Policymakers are increasingly recognizing the value of greater investment in agricultural R&D

This is seen as an essential element in increasing agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Technology Initiatives in AfricaThe 2003 Maputo Declaration directed all member

countries of the African Union (AU) to increase agricultural investments to at least 10 percent of their

national budgets.

To gauge progress toward this target, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) under the AU’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) agreed to monitor agricultural expenditures, setting a 6 percent yearly target for growth in agricultural gross

domestic product (AgGDP) in countries where agriculture plays a dominant economic role.

Technology Initiatives in Africa…(2)During 2000–2008, the region’s GDP grew by an average

of more than 5 percent per year More than twice as fast as in the two preceding decades but AgGDP grew by only 3 percent per year on average

(Montpellier Panel 2010).One of CAADP’s four foundational pillars focuses on

increasing investments in agriculturalresearch, extension, education, and training as a means of promoting growth in agricultural productivity

(NEPAD–CAADP 2010).

Technology initiative in Africa…(3)NEPAD’s African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology

established and adopted a Consolidated Plan of Action for developing regional science and technology (S&T).

This plan calls for substantial increases in national R&D budgets,

Each country taking concrete measures to allocate at least 1 percent of its GDP to R&D (NEPAD 2006).

Quantitative data is essential to measure, monitor, and benchmark the inputs, outputs, and performance of agricultural S&T systems at the

national and regional levels and to assess progress toward the successful implementation of CAADP targets related to

S&T.

Technology initiatives in AfricaS&T indicators are an essential tool

when assessing the contribution of agricultural S&T to agricultural growth and, more generally, to economic growth.

They assist research managers and policymakers in formulating policy and making decisions about strategic planning, priority setting, monitoring, and evaluation.

They also provide information to governments and others involved in the public debate on the state of agricultural S&T at national, regional, and international levels.

OrganizationsOver the past 40 years, a public breeding program -

International agricultural research centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR),

Have released more than 8,000 improved crop varieties

Private seed companies have also become significant sources of improved hybrid varieties for smallholders for some crops, especially maize.

CIMMYT – the international Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, for 30 years conducting research to produce drought tolerant maize hybrids

See page 171 (assets of public and private sectors in agri-biotechnology research (WorldBank report, 2008)

Research and development in some countries in SSA.In 2005 Mozambique established The Agricultural Research Institute

of Mozambique,

the objective of centralizing agronomic, veterinary, animal production, and forestry research (Flaherty, Mazuze, and Mahanzule 2010).

Tanzania consolidated national research activities under the Department of Research and Development (DRD) and agency for R&D activities related to livestock (Flaherty and Lwezaura 2010).

R&D systems in some other countries also underwent important structural changes.

Research and development in some countries in SSA….(2)Uganda = The National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO),

For instance, was transformed from an agency to a consortium in efforts

to improve its response to client needs and its ability to oversee and guide agricultural R&D service provision (Flaherty, Kitone, and Beintema 2010).

In Nigeria = The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) was created

to improve coordination and linkages across research agencies and between research providers and clients, and to redress overlaps in mandates within the

institutes (Flaherty et al. 2010a).

In most of the smaller countries, agricultural research is undertaken by a handful of government agencies and university faculties;

systems in the large countries like Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Sudan are, understandably, far more complex.

Research and development in some countries in SSA….(3)The majority of SSA countries have a single national agricultural research agency that

accounts for the bulk of agricultural R&D capacity and investments.

Examples include the National Agricultural Research Institute of Niger (INRAN), the Togolese Agricultural Research Institute, and the National Agricultural Research Institute in Eritrea.

In some countries, an umbrella organization like Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) or South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council (ARC)

oversees and coordinates the R&D activities of a large number of commodity or thematic centers,

In Mauritania, the national crop, livestock, and fisheries research agencies operate independently of each other without a coordinating body.

Overall, the government sector dominates agricultural research in the region, but its relative share has declined over time.

Biotechnology• Public-private partnerships offer much potential and

booming• Biotechnology products available to farmers in rural areas

• Biotechnology partnerships can link global and local actors (see page 171, Worldbank Development Report, 2008)

Crop varieties• Maize – high yielding varieties (HYV) were adopted by

small farmers, mostly in Southern Africa

• Cassava – disease resistant strains of cassava were adopted – West Africa

• Rice - high yielding varieties (HYV) were adopted by small farmers

• Beans – new bean varieties

• Pearl Millet – early maturing• Sorghum – disease resistant varieties

Livestock and fish• Pigs and poultry have been adopted

• Cross breeding of dairy cows with exotic breeds has improved the livelihoods of small farmers in high potential areas

• Fish- genetically improved tilapia is changing aquaculture in Namibia, Kenya and South Africa.

How do we judge an intervention is appropriate?

Before we think of any intervention or technology, we should rationalize on the following questions:

Does it work?Does it add significant value?Is it equitable?Is it resilient?Are there downsides?What is the counterfactual?

In SummaryResearch & Development be more responsible to the

farmers and the market

Formal R&D partnerships with farmers’ organizations aim to enhance the demand for innovation by bringing farmers’ voices into decision making

Collective action of this sort can identify constraints, pool indigenous knowledge, and aggregate technological demands.

Quiz Questions….80 points1. Name three areas to which research and development contributes

positively. [5 points]

2. How important is improving profitability, productivity and sustainability of agricultural technology? [5 points]

3. What are the rationale for monitoring the allocation of agricultural R&D resources? [10 points]

4. What are the challenges for R&D resource allocation for agriculture?[10 points]

5. What is does AGGDP stands for? [5 points]

6. What are the foundational pillars on CAADP focuses on? [10 points]

7. How does science and technology helps managers and policymakers in agriculture development? [10 points]

8. Name any African countries and state the research council or institute in that country and the objective of that institute. [5 points]

9. Why the limited green revolution in Sub-Saharan Africa? [5 points]