High level planning meeting on scaling agricultural Innovations in Africa

Front row from left, Dr Yemi Akinbamijo (ED of FARA), 

Dr. Osman Badiane (IFPRI Africa Regional Director), 

HE Mrs Tumusime Rhoda Peace (Commissioner for rural Economy 

and Agriculture of the Africa Union) Dr. Stefan Schmitz (Deputy 

Director general, Special Unit “One World- No Hunger” BMZ)

and Dr Adugna W. Gemelal. (DDG EIAR, Ethiopia)

23-24 February 2015. Nairobi, Kenya. This 2-day workshop generated the framework for the implementation of the Program of Accompanying Research with Innovation (PARI), that is proposed to be implemented in 12 African countries and supported by the Government of the republic of Germany.

Policy makers, and technocrats from twelve countries in Africa and development partners from Germany discussed ways of scaling agricultural innovations in Africa within the framework of the One World No Hunger initiative spearheaded by the government of Germany in partnership with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa.

One of the key aims of the meeting was to discuss ways of addressing issues that affects food security, agrarian livelihood as well as sustainable value chain development through scaling of agricultural innovations.

Background:

During Germany's G7 Presidency the BMZ will hold the chair of the G7 Food Security Working Group. The BMZ has suggested that the G7 develop an "expanded food security agenda" that goes beyond merely increasing production and promoting investment in agriculture to underline the wide-ranging significance of
food security. Initial ideas are currently being discussed.

• Agricultural Research for Development – Creating Opportunities
• Rural development and its contribution to food security BMZ Strategy Paper
• Promoting Sustainable Agriculture 

23 Feb 2015 :  Interview of CNBC Africa with Yemi Akinbamijo - executive director at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa. The role of agriculture in a country's economy can never be overstated, yet this vital sector has suffered from a myriad of challenges among them being insufficient budgetary allocation, however the use of technology and innovation remains key in unlocking Africa's potential through scaling of agriculture,

24 Feb 2015 : CNBC Africa continues to put a spotlight at the role of Agriculture in African economies, with special interest in how innovation can help transform the sector. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, the commissioner for rural economy and agriculture at the African Union sheds more light on this.

Related:
Published on 12 Feb 2015
“Within one generation it is realistic to get rid of hunger completely and to reduce malnutrition considerably”, said Stefan Schmitz of BMZ’s ‘One World no Hunger’ initiative. In this interview with the Platform secretariat he emphasised that a world without hunger was indeed realistic and doable -- if only we all focused on it, donors and partner countries together. "That is our goal, and that is the key message,” he said.

Related:

28 August 2014. Berlin, Germany. Expert Roundtable and Public Discussion:A Green Revolution for Africa? - How to boost the productivity of African agriculture?

German Development Cooperation intends, according to the new Africa Policy, to contribute to the strengthening of agricultural value chains in Africa.

Which role can the 10 „Green Centres“, to be financed by the BMZ and implemented in cooperation with German Agro Business, play in this regard? How can the planned 10 vocational training centres for rural development contribute towards this end and how will the cooperation with the German private sector look like? 

Initiative Südliches Afrika (INISA) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung brought together experts and the interested public in order to enhance the debate on key preconditions and challenges for sustainable development of the agro-sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Panel Discussion How to boost the productivity of African agriculture? 

• Chair: Prof. Awudu Abdulai , Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel 
• Prof. Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Bonn University 
• Michael Brander, Senior Policy Expert, Biovision Foundation 
• Dr. Susanne Neubert, SLE, Humboldt University, Berlin 
• Prof. Keijiro Otsuka, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo 
• Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Technical Advisor to the Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) 
• Dr. Stefan Schmitz, Head of Division, Special Initiative “For a world without hunger”, Germ

See programme

Presentations:

• Stefan Schmitz: „One World – No Hunger“ Initiative BMZ
• Aggrey Agumya: The right Framework for African Agricultural Productivity"
• Keijiro Otsuka: Finding Ways to Boost Productivity on Small Farms