CARIBBEAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE. Monday 26 th March, 2018 Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

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1 CARIBBEAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE 72 nd MEETING OF THE RESTRICTED BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF CARDI Monday 26 th March, 2018 Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago BOD/72/18/11 THE CARDI CORE ORGANISATION Introduction CARDI was established in 1974 to provide the Member States with services and products derived from agricultural research and development activities, undertaken to bolster regional food and nutrition security. The guiding model at that time was based on Technology Transfer, which included Technology Generation, Testing, Adoption and Validation. This linear model of creating and moving new knowledge from its source to the end users through extension intermediaries was the predominant approach used to improve production and productivity in the agri-food sector. At that time, the principal sources of new knowledge were universities and research organisations. In the larger territories, ministries of agriculture were also part of this knowledge generation domain. This model continued to find favour with CARDI over the ensuing decades, interspersed with farming systems methods, participatory approaches using multi-disciplinary teams and in recent years, farmers field schools have been used to bring new knowledge to producers. In 2009, CARDI in association with the CTA piloted what is known as the Agricultural Science, Technology and Innovation (ASTI) systems methodology to analyse regional agriculture, starting from the perspective of commodity systems. Accordingly, the banana industry in St Vincent and the Grenadines was subject to this analysis, as was the nutmeg industry in Grenada, the mango and ginger industries in Jamaica and the small ruminants industry in six CARICOM countries. The work done on small ruminants has been the most extensive and has led to the elaboration of a robust analytical and intervention model for Caribbean agriculture. This model, as the name suggests, is embedded in the modern theory of innovation systems, and uses this approach as the basis for synthesising a new understanding about the way agriculture systems work in the developing world. Accordingly, this is the model which provides the architecture for CARDI s new thinking and operations in regard to the delivery of its regional mandate for the transformation of the agri-food sector. It is within this context that the concept of a Core organisation has been developed.

2 Elements of the CARDI Core The thinking that has given rise to the concept of a Core organisation finds its genesis in the need to have a stable internal structure that rests upon a small number of highly trained and dedicated professionals. The credentials of this Core will reflect the long-term strategic direction of the institute, thus providing a mechanism which ensures that CARDI is not dislodged from its moorings and that it remains faithful to its original mandate. At the same time, the continuous training (also part of the new CARDI infrastructure) which everyone will be exposed to, will ensure malleability to the demands of the external environment. In this regard there are a number of imperatives shaping the new CARDI: 1. Historical and relevant mandates (e.g. CARICOM priority commodities) 2. Climate change and disaster risk management 3. The regional Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) epidemic 4. Regional food and nutrition security 5. The regional food trade deficit 6. The ubiquity and power of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to fuel innovation At present, CARDI is represented in 13 of the 15 full Member States of CARICOM with only Suriname and Haiti absent. There are plans to begin discussions with Suriname and it is expected that in the short to Medium Term, all 15 Member States will be part of the CARDI family. Talks with Haiti have not yet started but that nation is increasingly visible on the regional agriculture development radar. It should also be noted that the Cayman Islands is also a member of CARDI, which clearly opens the door for Associate Members of CARICOM to join CARDI. It is clear that the organisation is growing (Bahamas joined in 2016) and at least for the foreseeable future, CARDI will likely have at least one scientist assigned to each country. In terms of staffing therefore, what then are the key skills needed for the successful deployment of staff among the representations? The restructured CARDI now includes a differentiated strategy for the countries it serves. The larger countries have been placed in Group I (Belize, Guyana and Jamaica), Bahamas, Barbados, the Cayman Islands and Trinidad and Tobago have been placed in Group II and the OECS countries have been placed in Group III. The development requirements of these groupings are different and will therefore determine the level of human resource deployment. Fundamentally, the key skills defining the scientific Core will therefore include the following: 1. Livestock production science, including nutrition, health and housing 2. Livestock genomics, including reproductive physiology, breeding management, AI and ET 3. Forage agronomy 4. Agronomy, including organic and ecological approaches 2

3 5. Plant breeding and PGR management, including seed technology 6. Soil and water, including irrigation engineering 7. Food science 8. Protected agriculture, including hydroponics and aquaponics 9. Integrated pest management 10. Climate science, including agro-meteorology and crop modelling The key skills defining the administrative support system will include: 1. Executive Leadership a. Executive and Admin functions b. Technical support/legal office c. Office of Protocol and Public relations d. Internal Audit 2. Science, Technology and Innovation Management a. Research and Project management b. Knowledge Management c. IT and ICT Services d. Biometrics e. Agribusiness/Economics f. Marketing g. Communication h. Administrative support i. Technical support 3. Corporate Services management a. Project Accounting Officers b. Finance and Management Accounting Officers c. Human Resource Officers d. Administrative support e. Technical support 3

4 The Country units and staffing (minimum numbers) 1. CR/Scientist (13) 2. Scientists (4) 1 3. Technical support (68) 2 4. Administrative support (13) 5. Field staff (60) 3 The plan proposes to have at least four technical staff members assigned to each scientist, two at the BSc level and two at the Diploma level. This 1:4 ratio is important in the context of critical mass to deliver the institute s scientific programme. The Technical Co-operation Agenda and Partnerships CARDI has always posited that delivery on its mandate to provide the Member States with the requisite products and services from its R&D outputs to meet the requirements for food security in the context of climate change, will require a massive technical co-operation and partnerships agenda. Accordingly, we define Technical Cooperation as the high level, strategic relationships with key organisations to facilitate: 1. Institutional strengthening 2. The promotion of scientific exchanges 3. Strategic internship arrangements 4. The Mobilisation of resources for R&D 5. Research priority setting 6. Access and participation in the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and its affiliates the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system. a. Access and participation in FORAGRO, the Forum for the Americas on Agricultural Research and Technology Development. It is the latter issue that we focus upon in this paper. GFAR is the unique multi-stakeholder global forum on agricultural research and innovation. It is an open, voluntary forum and a movement for change. It is a networked organization, made up of Partners working together, through collective advocacy and actions, to shape the future of agriculture and food and their role in achieving sustainable development. CARDI is a GFAR partner. 1 At least two in Group 1 countries 2 At least four in Group 1 countries 3 At least six in Group 1 countries 4

5 GCARD is a biennial global conference that was created by GFAR to promote effective, targeted investment and build partnership, capacities and mutual accountabilities at all levels of the agricultural system to ensure that today s agricultural research will meet the needs of the resourcepoor end user. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. Its research is carried out by 15 CGIAR centres in close collaboration with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations and the private sector. There are no research centres in the Caribbean. However, CGIAR does have centres in Columbia (CIAT), Mexico (CIMYTT) and Peru (CIP). FORAGRO was established in 1997 as a mechanism to facilitate dialogue among stakeholders of the agricultural innovation systems of countries in the Americas. IICA provides secretariat services to FORAGRO. In accordance with the above, CARDI will continue to participate in the GFAR and GCARD arrangements so that we are constantly abreast of cutting-edge developments in the field of agricultural research for development (AR4D). In this regard, the institute will find resources to ensure that senior scientists and young researchers join this forum and contribute to the meetings. With respect to the CGIAR Consortium, CARDI has had strong links in the past with CIAT, CIP and CIMMYT and we anticipate continued building on this platform. As an example, the successful introduction of Mulato grass to the region is a credit to the collaboration between CARDI and CIAT. CARDI also regularly participates in the testing of new corn varieties put out by CIMMYT. In the coming medium term, CARDI will strengthen ties with these organisations by continuing to work with them to bring new technologies to the region but we will also seek to develop staff and student exchanges and pursue opportunities for institutional strengthening. To this end, we will restart the process by focusing on establishing MOUs for specific projects jointly implemented. By establishing ourselves as a reliable partner, we anticipate that we will be able to participate more fully in the CGIAR Consortium process. CARDI also plans continued collaboration with the FORAGRO mechanism as we strengthen our ties with the Americas. The institute has invested in bilingual staff and this is expected to be a continuing trend, as well as a deliberate strategy of language learning, as we strengthen our ties with Latin America to improve agricultural production and trade in the hemisphere. Accordingly, the institute will position itself in this period as the natural interlocutor/innovations broker to facilitate information and technology interchange between the global agricultural research system and the Caribbean. Our distinct regional mandate and national architecture makes us ideally suited to this role. 5

6 Partnerships This is the preferred mechanism for project development and implementation and it will be pursued as a significant strategic process that is expected to yield benefits that are more than the sum of the constituent parts. In promoting the innovation systems approach, CARDI recognises that forging strategic linkages among system actors is a key determinant of innovation potential and activity. Accordingly, partnerships will be pursued not at all in the context of project outputs, important as that is, but more so in the context of creating an environment that fosters innovation. CARDI will also adopt community based approaches to agricultural innovation, having regard to climate change, foreign exchange restrictions and the need for rural and urban renewal. In this regard, the institute is mindful of at-risks youths, increasing levels of crime, unemployment and limited economic opportunities for young people, particularly those now leaving our school and universities. In this regard, it is anticipated that there will be significant changes in the types of partnership arrangements that the institute will pursue. This is indicated below under traditional and non-traditional partners. The new CARDI will give more attention to non-traditional partners than it has done in the past: Traditional Partners Non-traditional Partners FAO Farmers and Farmers Organisations, including Organic Farmers Associations IICA Schools Universities NGOs National Research Organisations CBOs MOAs ICT Providers IDB Youth Groups CDB Social Media Practitioners EU Environmental Groups Bee Keepers Renewable Energy Companies The new partnership arrangements which we need to forge, represent our new thinking with respect to agricultural development and trade in the current socio-economic-environmental-health context that now defines the Caribbean. Innovation Platforms CARDI recognises and has deliberately built a seamless flow process from that which defines the Core organisation to the mechanisms needed to develop and implement its strategic programmes. The space where that will take place can be defined as the innovation platform. What are innovation platforms? An innovation platform is defined as 'a space for learning and change. It is a group of individuals (who often represent organizations) with different backgrounds and interests: farmers, 6

7 traders, food processors, researchers, government officials etc. The members come together to diagnose problems, identify opportunities and find ways to achieve their goals. They may design and implement activities as a platform, or coordinate activities by individual members. Innovation platforms are particularly useful in agriculture because agricultural issues tend to be complex. They involve different biophysical, socioeconomic and political factors, and concern various formal and informal institutions. By bringing together stakeholders in various sectors and from different levels, innovation platforms may be able to identify and address common concerns more effectively. Innovation platforms can be used to explore strategies that can boost productivity, manage natural resources, improve value chains, and adapt to climate change. Some innovation platforms focus on single issues; others deal with multiple topics. In this regard, as a deliberate strategy built upon a strong innovation systems framework, CARDI will facilitate the establishment of innovation platforms for key stakeholders to arrive at implementable solutions for the complex and myriad problems facing Caribbean agriculture. This has already started with the establishment of sweet potato innovation platform in nine Member States in Another example of this approach that has started to take shape is the CARICOM Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Cluster. The transformation of this entity into a functioning innovation platform has started and it is expected that in this medium term, the fruits from that endeavour will start to form. Undergirding this approach is evidence from developing world agriculture that working together from the perspective of innovation systems approaches will lead to sustainable improvements in production and productivity. Establishing the Core Organisation is estimated at EC$46.45M and annual financing is estimated at EC$16.45M. 7

8 Financing the core organisation CORE STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS ANNUAL COSTS (EC$) Unit Cost Units TOTAL 1. Executive Leadership a. Executive and Admin functions b. Technical support/legal office c Office of Protocol and Public relations d. Internal Audit Science, Technology and Innovation Management a. Research and Project management b. Knowledge Management c. IT and ICT Services d. Biometrics e. Agribusiness/Economics f. Marketing g. Communication h. Administrative support i. Technical support Corporate Services management a. Project Accounting Officers b. Finance and Management Accounting Officers c. Human Resource Officers d. Administrative support e. Technical support The Country units and staffing (minimum numbers) a. CR/Scientist (1) b. Scientists (4) c. Graduate Assistants (34) d. Technicians d. Administrative support (14) e. Field staff (14) Fixed Costs a. Regional Germplasm Centre b. Regional IPM Centre c. Regional Small Ruminants Centre d. Buildings and Plant Upgrade Maintenance TOTAL 46,456,