Leading Agricultural Innovation in West and Central Africa

Transcription

1 Leading Agricultural Innovation in West and Central Africa 1

2 «Africa needs the best and brightest to embrace agriculture as a career,» former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo. CORAF has set an ambitious policy intended to systematically mainstream gender issues in its interventions. CORAF and partners have now developed many gender-sensitive technologies. Upscaling them can considerably improve the economic and social well-being of women and girls in West and Central Africa. 2

3 CORAF is composed of : The General Assembly (GA) The Board of Directors (BD) The Executive Secretariat (ES) The Scientific and Technical Committee (STC). The Executive Secretariat based in Dakar is responsible for coordinating regional research activities. Core functions of the Secretariat include : Coordination and Facilitation Scaling technologies and innovation Advocacy, knowledge management, capacity development Creating enabling environment Public investments in research and technology generation and diffusion are needed to encourage broad-based adoption of available technologies and to strengthen indigenous capacities to develop and adapt and diffuse the kinds of technologies needed to compete effectively in domestic, regional and global markets. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 3

4 Overview of Our Work Since 2008: About USD $ 30 million invested 47 projects 23 countries involved 178 institutions involved 400 technologies developed Africa south of the Sahara must invest in research and development (R&D) without delay if it wants to reduce poverty and food insecurity and meet the challenges of rapid population growth, climate change, and food price volatility International Food Policy Research Institute 4

5 After a lot brainstorming with actors in the West and Central African region, we concluded that what is needed now is the transformation of the agriculture sector. Jobs for youths, climate change, nutrition, and migration are the current challenges facing governments in the region and will be the case even in the next thirty years. So, going forward, the new West Africa Agricultural Transformation Program will focus on these issues including other central priorities such as markets, competition, the private sector and reducing post-harvest losses. Dr. Abdoulaye Toure, Lead Agricultural Economist and Task Team Leader of the World Bank sponsored West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) 5

6 National Centers of Specialization Working on priority commodity; Comparative advantage; Convergence Centers for: Global experts; Mobility; Capacity building. Failure to make the investments that would develop and nurture the capacity for technology dissemination and adoption has plagued the development of agriculture in Africa. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 6

7 More Women in Research 7

8 Some of our Flagship Programs West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme West Africa Seed Program 54 Million ha under Cereal & Legumes Certified Seed Supplied (tons) by Crop in West Africa from 2011/12 to 2015/16. 11,4 Maize 16,5 15 Rice 9,3 Sorghum Millet 22,1 22,1 Cowpea Groundnut / / / / 16 In 2016, WAAPP was rated 2 nd best World Bank Project in Africa 8

9 Recognized at the Highest State Level Investments in agriculture will transform the lives of many people in rural areas... His Excellence Dr Ernest Bai KOROMA, President of Sierra Leone speaking at WAAPP Wrap-up Meeting in Freetown The work of CORAF and partners has also been recognized by other African Heads of State including the Presidents of Burkina Faso, H.E Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Liberia, H.E Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Niger, H.E Mahamadou Issoufou. 9

10 Our Vision: Prosperity, food and Nutrition Security CORAF s strategy and operational plan are not only aligned to global and regional agricultural policies (SDGs, CAADP, ECOWAS/ECOWAP, ECCASC/PAC, UEMOA/PAU), but they also seek to contribute to an Africa that can feed itself sustainably. Our collective responsibility is to support CORAF to renew and reorganize itself to execute better its mandate to the people of West Africa, Alex Deprez, USAID Mission Director for West Africa 10

11 They trust in us We need... to raise the level of investments for agriculture research in Africa, Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank 11

12 We don t say it often, but one of CORAF s main successes during the past 30 years has been to pull researchers from English, French, and Portuguese-speaking countries to work together to solve common regional challenges Abdou TENKOUANO, CORAF s Executive Director. CONTACT : CONTACT: 7, Avenue Bourguiba B.P.48 Dakar RP - CP Tél. (221) secoraf@coraf.org WEBSITE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR : Dr Abdou TENKOUANO 12