Africa to feed Africa?

The 1,500 participants at the 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW) and Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA) General Assembly thought so, but they also concluded that science will have a key role to play.

Under the theme “Apply Science, Impact Livelihoods,” the 7th AASW and FARA General Assembly, held on June 13-16, 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, brought together stakeholders from all areas of African agriculture, research and development. They discussed how research can be used to improve agriculture throughout the continent and contribute to achieving the food security targets set as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It will be no easy feat. Achieving food security will require strong commitments, well-established regulatory frameworks, and uptake of improved practices and technologies that can increase productivity, yield and incomes of smallholders. Participants also agreed that improved policies and greater equity in access to land and water solutions will be essential.

Unlocking the continent’s agricultural potential

The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems and its partners, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), hosted a side event focused on how improved water and land management will be key to unlocking Africa’s agricultural potential.

“Africa aspires to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land over the next 15 years,” said Dr. Dennis Garrity, UN Drylands Ambassador and former Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre, affirming Africa’s strong commitment to scaling up land restoration activities.

Garrity’s keynote speech emphasized how natural resources could be best managed to ensure the productivity, equity and sustainability of agriculture in Africa.  

Key recommendations made at the WLE side event:

• Better planning which focuses on social contexts is required
• Making a business case for sustainability can create the incentives needed to make agriculture productive, equitable and sustainable in the future
• We must provide the right information at the right time for the right audience
• Involving next users of research in the research process is a good way to gain buy-in and ensure the effectiveness and longevity of the evidence-based recommendations that are produced
• To meet the food demands, holistic approaches are highly needed

As part of the side event, poster presentations, group sessions, and panel discussions took place that were closely related to WLE’s aim to utilize research for development and work in partnerships to provide sustainable solutions for people and societies.

Booths organized as part of the 7th AASW & FARA General Assembly forum included one from CGIAR, which displaued emerging solutions and evidence on land restoration and agricultural water management efforts that can transform Africa’s agriculture. VIPs and other people working closely with the CGIAR programs visited the booths and shared their views on CGIAR’s work in Africa.

Themes of the poster presentations included:

• Institutional support mechanisms and incentives for scaling up agriculture as well as land and water management solutions
• Mechanisms for restoring degraded lands through small-scale land restoration efforts
• Multi-stakeholder governance to improve decision making around the simultaneous development of multiple ecosystem services (soil, water, biodiversity)
• Ensuring gender equality within planning and decision making at different levels.
• Enhanced capacity of local stakeholders to make informed decisions on the provision of services and goods related to adopting effective agricultural water management solutions

Improved understanding of what’s needed for African agriculture

The forum participants came away with a good understanding of WLE’s initiatives ton livelihood development and resilience in African communities. Keeping the forum theme of “Apply Science, Impact Livelihoods” in mind, the group discussion focused on significant impacts and findings, potential scale-up strategies, and challenges in implementing policies and tools. 

Participants concluded that to ensure food security the African continent needs to employ strong policies and practices at all levels of government. In addition, the needs and incentives of non-governmental stakeholders, namely farming communities and private companies, need to be considered in order to maintain the sustainable and equitable use of water and land resources. 

The lessons learned and conclusions made at the 7th AASW & FARA General Assembly point the way to a new, committed, science-based approach to achieving food security throughout the African continent. These strong statements call for a paradigm shift in agricultural research in Africa. As Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of FARA said, “Let’s change the way we do business in agriculture.”