Situational Analysis on the Involvement of Young Professionals in Agricultural Research for Development
A Report of a Survey carried out under the “Young Farmers Strengthening Project”
A Collaborative Project of East African Wild Life Society, Kijabe Environment Volunteers and Kenya Small-Scale Farmers Forum
Project funded by YPARD
Attached resources
[.pdf] Situational Analysis on the Involvement of Young Professionals in ARD_Survey report
The CGIAR Strategy and Results Framework Team have released Progress Report No. 4 on 17 September 2009
The draft strategy described in this report is based on the CGIAR’s Vision to reduce poverty and hunger, improve human health and nutrition and enhance ecosystem resilience through high quality international agricultural research, partnership and leadership. It pursues a results oriented basis, not only at the system level but also at the level of identified “mega-programs” – major research efforts reaching across CGIAR centres and their partners that promise to make a major difference to achievement of global development goals.
Strategy and Results Framework
The process of developing the Strategy and Results Framework has been:
• to consult broadly with research communities inside and outside the CGIAR and use related systematic surveys (trust in science);
• to draw on comprehensive modelling and mapping, employing the best tools on hand (trust in modelling); and
• to communicate with leaders in related professions and noted visionaries (trust in wisdom).
The Strategy and Results Framework is designed for the system as a whole, not as a partial program.
The results-oriented indicators at the system level are the following:
1. Lift annual agricultural productivity by an additional 0.5 percentage points to meet the food needs of a future world population and to help reduce poverty by 15 percent by 2020, as part of an overall global agricultural R&D strategy.
2. Contribute to reduction of hunger and improved nutrition in line with MDG1 targets, cutting in half by 2015 (or soon thereafter) the number of rural poor who are undernourished, with a focus on child under-nutrition.
3. Deliver these outcomes in more sustainable ways by using less water (through greater water productivity), halting or reducing the rate of further deforestation and soil degradation (through improved land management practices, including use of paid ecosystem services), and contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Photo Credit: IRRI Images (Creative Commons)
Proposed Mega-programs and Platforms: The Seven Mega-programs
The building blocks of the Strategy and Results Framework are a set of seven interlinked Mega-programs (MPs) and two platforms—gender and capacity strengthening—that serve cross-cutting purposes for all MPs. Using the analysis tools already described, the Strategy Team went through a process that began with long-listing of MPs (as reported in Progress Report No. 3 available here http://sites.google.com/a/cgxchange.org/alliance/strategy-and-results-framework-team-reports) and moved toward assessments and short-listing, as reported in this progress report.
The seven MPs are indeed “mega” , large and while they are clearly distinct, they form clusters of results-oriented innovation activities whose impact is greater than the sum of their parts because of synergies and system-wide cooperation.
Four of the MPs address the delivery of international public goods of importance to all agricultural systems (MPs 1–4). The other three MPs, which also provide global public goods, have more of a systems focus, addressing resources (agro-ecosystems, water systems, and forests) that need urgent attention in high-priority regions (MPs 5–7).The proposed MPs will not be of equal size; rather, their proposed size relates to what it takes to get the job done.
The identified MPs are the following:
1. Crop Germplasm Conservation, Enhancement, and Use—Genetic improvement of the world’s leading food crops’ productivity and resiliency, building on the success of the CGIAR with commodity research, including its crucial role in conservation of genetic resources.
2. Diets, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health—Research to improve nutritional value of food and diets, enhance targeted nutrition and food safety programs, and change agricultural commodities and systems in the medium term to enhance health outcomes.
3. Institutional Innovations, ICTs, and Markets—Knowledge to inform institutional changes needed for a well-functioning local, national, and global food system that connects small farmers to agricultural value chains through information and communications technologies and facilitates policy and institutional reforms.
4. Climate Change and Agriculture—Diagnosis of the directions and potential impacts of climate change for agriculture and identification of adaptation and mitigation options for agricultural, food, and environmental systems.
5. Agricultural Systems for the Poor and Vulnerable—Research integrating promising crop, animal, fish, and forest combinations with policy and natural resource issues, in the domains where high concentrations of the world’s poor live and which offer agricultural potential.
6. Water, Soils, and Ecosystems—Harmonization of agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability goals through policies, methods, and technologies to improve water and soil management.
7. Forests and Biomass—Technical, institutional, and policy changes to help conserve forests for humanity and harness forestry and biomass production potentials for sustainable development and the poor.
Photo Credit: Rice feilds in Bay, Calabarzon. IRRI Images (Creative Commons)
Brief preliminary descriptions of the MPs also appear in this report.
These MPs and the Strategy and Results Framework-driven CGIAR would reach billions of people. A reformed and more efficient CGIAR, working with partners, will not only help increase productivity, improve the natural resource base, and strengthen policy and institutions through its own research, but also be better able to link with private sector innovation and to end users, incl. farming communities. The result will yield high payoffs to development investments.
The Two Platforms
The two platforms will work toward system synergy and effectiveness in two key areas, cutting across all MPs and also focusing on tangible results:
The gender platform will facilitate strong attention to gender issues and research cooperation on these issues across MPs. The expected results are increased involvement and income of women in agriculture in terms of production, marketing, and processing and reduced disparities in their access to productive resources and control of income. The agenda draws on a wide consultation process conducted a few months ago.
The capacity-strengthening platform will help national agricultural research systems and other research partners—both public and private—through research networks, innovative information and communication and knowledge management methods and resources. A focused program will help strengthen capacities in national agricultural research systems, including university capacity in research and training. The expected results are enhanced participation of national scientists in global research networks, strengthening of national agricultural research systems to be more effective, independent research partners, widespread use of valuable new knowledge management tools and resources, and strengthened universities producing skilled researchers for national agricultural research systems.
Implementation of these system-wide activities will be a task of the Consortium Board. The Strategy Team will propose a set of principles for business plans to be followed for each MP once lead Centers are identified for the task.
This report is available here: http://sites.google.com/a/cgxchange.org/alliance/strategy-and-results-framework-team-reports
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Photo Credit: IRRI Images (Creative Commons)
GCARD and GFAR
The GCARD Task Force and GFAR Steering Committee are now considering this progress report and examining how best to incorporate this perspective into the GCARD consultations and the strengthening and reform of agricultural research for development systems around the world.
To read Progress Report No. 4, please visit the following link: http://sites.google.com/a/cgxchange.org/alliance/strategy-and-results-framework-team-reports, or click on the link below.
Transforming agricultural knowledge into development impact
European regional electronic consultation that will contribute to the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development GCARD, Montpellier, France, 28-31 March 2010.
Background
The Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) is organizing the Global Conferences on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARDs) every two years, starting in 2010. The Conferences will be an open and inclusive process for consultation and change to reshape agricultural research and innovation, to improve resources for research and increase its impact on development.
Each GCARD Conference will be preceded by a series of electronic and face-to-face consultations conducted at regional and global levels to capture the contributions and perspectives of all stakeholders in the agricultural research, education and development systems. This will reshape the global agricultural research for development agenda and centre it on the needs of the poor in developing countries.
In carrying out this major undertaking, GFAR is reaching out to all stakeholders in AR4D, working through its constituent agencies and networks, which include: the six Regional Research Fora (FARA, EFARD, AARINENA, FORAGRO, APAARI, CACAARI), who represent National Agricultural Research Systems; the Alliance of CGIAR centres (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research); FAO, IFAD; and representatives from: farmers associations (IFAP); civil society; the private sector; and donor agencies.
In order to provide a baseline for discussion, regional reviews have been commissioned to provide a synthesis of existing national and regional studies, policies and reports on how agricultural research priorities currently match development aims and needs. The outcome of these reviews will be used to frame questions for the e-consultations and the face-to-face meetings at regional and global levels.
The consultations will also contribute to the formulation of the new research strategy and programmes of the CGIAR and provide perspectives from intended partners, end users and beneficiaries on possible strategic themes and their operational implications. To that effect, the CGIAR is currently examining key priority areas for international research.
Objectives of the Electronic Consultation in Europe.
The two week facilitated e-consultation will provide an opportunity for you to share experiences and learn from others who are involved with agricultural research for development. The consultation is open to all and starts from your own experiences and lessons learnt about what has enabled agricultural technologies to achieve development impact. The consultation will refer to the issues raised by the regional review (GCARD-Europe review) and focus on questions like:
· To what extent do the issues identified in the regional review and the CGIAR analysis capture the key regional research needs for delivering the greatest development impact?
· What are the mechanisms and partnerships that are required for turning research into development impact?
· What are the key blockages, barriers and bottlenecks that prevent agricultural innovation from benefiting the poor?
· How best should these be resolved and what enabling investments, policies, and capacities are most needed?
In view of Europes role both as a donor and recipient of ARD funding, the Europe e-consultation will have two dimensions: European ARD for Europe and European ARD for the developing World. Attendees will be challenged with complementary questions to address the uniqueness of the region.
Your input will contribute to shape the future of agriculture: it will inform the regional face-to-face meeting planned for 29th September in Brussels that will contribute to action plans for agricultural research around the world and in Europe. Your input will also be acknowledged in the proceedings and might lead to an invitation to attend the GCARD Conference in Montpellier in March 2010.
Outline of the 2 Week events
· Pre-event activity we invite you to browse through the regional review key findings. Three documents are appended to this notice. An Executive Summary of the review (5pages) which should be read by all before the meeting; the complete report (ca 60 pages); and an Annex on Poverty in Europe (22pages). These are still draft documents but provide objective background material for the e-consultation; the event provides an opportunity for attendees to add value particularly of a contemporary nature to the review, and/or contradict some of the conclusions drawn by the authors.
· Week 1 Participants introduce themselves and share their experiences and views from the region, relating agricultural innovation to development impact.
· Week 2 Participants reflect on the issues raised in the preceding week and put their experiences in perspective of the regional review findings. Participants are invited to suggest and discuss reforms to make innovations help to have greater impact on major development needs of poor European farmers and rural/urban communities and those in the developing world.
· Week 3 (3 days) Participants receive a summary of the discussions and make closing remarks.
Language
English and French.
Participation
This event is open to all those who are interested in agricultural research for development and innovation and have a specific interest in the European region. The consultations are based on electronic dialogues with the possibility to consult and participate via a public Web site. Summaries are posted twice a week on the Web site (www.egfar.org) for comments and further discussion.
Schedule of the Regional Consultations
The facilitated consultation will take place between the first and third week of September 2009. The exact dates will be communicated to you upon registration.
Registration
Please go to the following site to register:
Europe: http://www.egfar.org/egfar/website/gcard/regional-consultations/eu/participate
List of documents from GCARD Europe Review (these will be available soon at the following link: http://www.egfar.org/egfar/website/gcard/regional-consultations/eu)
1. Executive Summary
2. Full GCARD-Europe Report (final draft)
3. Poverty in Europe.
- IFPRI discussion paper 00873, July 2009
Attached resources
[.pdf] IFPRI discussion paper 00873 July 2009
08.09.09YPARD IS PROJECT COLLABORATOR OF THE MACE CONFERENCEYPARD COORDINATOR VISITED IAMO.On September 8, Dr. Balasubramanian Ramani, Coordinator of YPARD, vi si ted IAMO. YPARD is the Young Pro fes sio nal's Plat form for Agri cultu ral Re se arch for De ve lop ment and was foun ded at the end of 2006. Young pro fes sio nals from uni ver si tys, re se arch or ga ni sa ti ons, NGOs, govern ments, ex ten si ons, far mer or ga ni sa ti ons and de ve lop ment agen cies are mem bers of the net work. YPARD wants to ser ve as a glo bal platform th rough which tho se young pro fes sio nals can ex press their ideas and rea li se their full po ten ti al towards a dy na mic agri cul tu ral re se arch for de ve lop ment. The plat form of fers for ex amp le dis cus sion fo ra, a news let ter and in for ma ti on on trai ning, jobs and con fe ren ces. Pro fes sio nals youn ger than 40 years are wel co me to join the net work. To re gis ter, see he re. At the MACE Con fe rence, IAMO is or ga ni sing to ge ther with HU Ber lin and AT S AF on Ja nu a ry 13 and 14, 2010 in the run-?up to the In ter na tio nal Green Week in Ber lin, a joi ned pa nel dis cus sion with YPARD is plan ned.http://www.iamo.de/en/iamo-links/news-detail/datum/2009/09/08/ypard-ist-...
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