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Africa
A selection of S&T organisations in Africa.

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International
A selection of international S&T organizations.

The Caribbean
A selection of S&T organisations in the Caribbean.

The Pacific
A selection of S&T organisations in the Pacific.

ACP S&T dialogue

Demanding Innovation
Researchers in ACP countries are facing a growing range of challenges. They are required to respond effectively to the demands of policy makers, private sector investors and donor agencies, farmers and other stakeholders in the agri-food chain. They are being asked to deliver research outputs that will improve agricultural productivity, food quality and food safety, in order to increase their countries competitiveness in global markets, and contribute to food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable development. At the same time, researchers must be socially and ethically responsible and contribute to the advancement of science and technology. As the demands for accountability increase and the levels of funding diminish, researchers need to prioritize and strategize their responses.

Differentiated S&T strategies for improving productivity of ACP farming systems
ACP farming systems are very diverse and the scientific community must be able to provide adequate responses to meet the varied needs of small subsistence farmers who make up the majority of the ACP farming community while simultaneously addressing the needs of the medium to large-scale farming enterprises to compete on price, quality, responsiveness to changing consumer demands and reliability in supply in all markets. Therein lies the challenge as there is no one-size fits all approach that will enable researchers to respond to the needs of small scale farmers who are primarily concerned with sustainable livelihoods or medium to large-scale farms who wish to remain competitive and take advantage of any opportunities despite deteriorating environmental conditions and trade and economic restrictions. Within the last few years, the ACP region has seen a resurgence of emphasis on family farms which are being valued not only for their contribution to maintaining social order but to environmental sustainability. This dossier provides guidance and lessons learned on the need for the ACP region to apply a differentiated strategic approach for using science to enhance the performance of ACP agricultural sector.

Early dialogues on S&T policy
Some of the most relevant briefs, notes and documents related to the pre-2007 ACP Agricultural S&T policy discussions.
EU S&T dialogue
Ethics
Financing ARD
Foresighting
ICKM / MIS / ICT

ICT for transforming research for agricultural and rural development
...
Innovation systems
Intellectual property
Measuring the impact of agricultural research
Participatory R&D
Tertiary agricultural education

Biofuels
Cassava
Fisheries
Fruits
Herbs and medicinal plants
Livestock

Enhancing competitiveness in the ACP poultry value chain
The poultry value chain in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) countries involves both large-scale integrated enterprises and small-scale production systems. The former have benefited from capital investments, access to information and scientific research, whereas the latter remain isolated despite their significance. Family poultry comprises approximately 80% of the world's total poultry stock and plays a key role in many households in ACP countries for food and nutrition security, livelihoods and conservation of indigenous breeds. An analysis of the family poultry value chain, including its poor productivity and low financial and technical inputs, shows that it contrasts markedly with conditions in large-scale commercial poultry enterprises. Governments and researchers would be well advised to thoroughly review the family poultry value chains to identify priorities for science and innovation that can contribute to improved efficiency for the provision of eggs, live birds, fresh-chilled, frozen and other value-added poultry products. This summary is provided by CABI and CTA, July 2012.
Other commodities

Bananas
The ACP Group of States need to adjust the approach to agricultural production, marketing and distribution to be able to compete in national, regional and international markets. Traditional commodities such as banana are no longer assured of guaranteed prices and ready access to international markets. How then should the ACP region respond? Commodities, traditionally considered as food security crops are now being looked at in a different light. Can scientists assist the countries in making informed decisions to improve efficiency, cost effectiveness, quality and competitiveness?

Coffee
The ACP Group of States need to adjust the approach to agricultural production, marketing and distribution to be able to compete in national, regional and international markets. Traditional commodities such as coffee are no longer assured of guaranteed prices and ready access to international markets. How then should the ACP region respond? Commodities, traditionally considered as food security crops are now being looked at in a different light. Can scientists assist the countries in making informed decisions to improve efficiency, cost effectiveness, quality and competitiveness?
Rice value chain
Sugarcane
Vegetables

Developments

News items relevant to the policy dialogue on S&T for Development.

6th Africa Science Week and FARA General Assembly Side Event: Programme for Finals of 3rd Africa-wide Science competitions

The programme for the Finals of the 3rd CTA/FARA/IFS/ANAFE/NPCA/RUFORUM/AGRA Africa-wide Women and Young Professionals in Science competitions is available.

22/05/2013

CTA as partner – EU FP 7 CAAST-Net Plus project

CTA is a member of a consortium of 25 partners involved in the EU 7th Framework Programme CAAST-Net Plus project ‘Advancing SSA-EU cooperation in research and innovation for global challenges’. The project focuses on food security, climate change and health. In collaboration with several partners, CTA is working on the food security global challenge. Their first task is the ‘Analysis of the impact of research cooperation on food security between Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa’.CTA and partners are expected determine to what extent research cooperation in food security supported by the EU´s framework programme, bilateral MS programmes and by private research funds has impacted on joint food security priorities. The outcomes will provide a knowledge base for the elaboration of a food security platform to address Europe-Africa joint food security priorities. The climate change and health teams are undertaking similar tasks. The CAAST-Net project is coordinated by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, UK and the kick off meeting for the project was held in Brussels in February 2013. The first annual project meeting is planned for June in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Visit www.caast-net.org.

22/05/2013

Are we losing sight of the true value of research ‘impact’?

Andrew Clappison tracks the impact of public-goods research related to international development. Relating the debates from the Future of Impact Conference (UK Higher Ed), he senses the risk of bureaucratising institutional approaches to the Research Excellence Framework that could stall innovation. (Research to Action, 11/04/2013)

22/05/2013

Agricultural Data Interest Group founded within Research Data Alliance

The group‘s task is daunting: it must tackle the problem of interoperability of different data types on each of the major crops (germplasm data, genetic and phenotype data, statistical data, text). (Voa3r, 12/04/2013)

22/05/2013

Opportunities and limitations for functional agrobiodiversity (FAB) in the European context

Planned reforms in European agricultural policy could facilitate the implementation of functional agrobiodiversity (FAB) concepts in the sector. However, impediments to the adoption of FAB approaches still exist, mainly (i) translation of general knowledge to tailored, ready-to-use management practices, (ii) limited information on the effectiveness of FAB measures in terms of crop yield and quality, profitability, and reduction of agrochemical inputs, (iii) lack of appropriate financial accounting systems that allow fair accounting of the private investments and public benefits, and (iv) the implementation of FAB measures at the right spatial scales, which requires coordination among the various actors in a region. This paper explores the current and new legislation that may provide incentives to address these limitations. (via ELN-FAB Newsletter, April 2013)

22/05/2013

Agro-ecosystems: reservoirs of biodiversity to be promoted

Biodiversity conservation policy and scientific choices made over the past 20 years have led to the development of global assessments, and management and conservation tools for living organisms. Such standardisation of environmental policies and instruments tends to marginalise cultivated tropical ecosystems and their related practices. A multi-disciplinary team of researchers demonstrate how the standardisation of conservation methods has lead to a decline in species diversity and local knowledge in agricultural landscapes. Because they are reservoirs of biodiversity in their own way, agro-ecosystems should be better understood and protected. (IRD, 02/2013)

22/05/2013

Population boom poses interconnected challenges of energy, food, water

Speakers at ‘The Interconnected World of Energy, Food and Water’ international symposium called for innovations in plant biotechnology, synthetic biology and information technology to address the challenges of a growing world population. The discussion aimed at fostering greater awareness among scientists, the public and policy-makers about the interconnections between the three challenges. Regarding regulatory policies for example, there is a pressing need to keep pace with technology development and deployment, and to build science-based risk assessment capability and consumer confidence. (via EurekAlert, 8/04/2013)

22/05/2013

Sustainable intensification: a new paradigm for African agriculture

The report provides innovative thinking and examples into the way in which the techniques of Sustainable Intensification (SI) are being used by smallholder farmers in Africa to address the continent’s food and nutrition crisis. It begins by examining the process and elements of Intensification itself, before considering how to ensure that the intensification is sustainable, and concludes with practical solutions in action today across the African continent, that underline the positive impacts the framework can produce if scaled up more effectively. Report (Montpellier Panel, 18/04/2013): www3.imperial.ac.uk/africanagriculturaldevelopment/themontpellierpanel/themontpellierpanelreport2013 Reuters AlertNet: www.trust.org/alertnet/blogs/climate-conversations/sustainable-agricultural-intensification-tackling-food-insecurity-in-a-resource-scarce-world IIED: www.iied.org/new-paradigm-for-african-agriculture-sees-sustainable-intensification-new-light Blog by Dr Ramadjita Tabo: www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/blog/index.php/2013/04/sustainable-intensification-a-practical-approach-to-meet-africas-food-and-natural-resource-needs

22/05/2013

Wild foods could improve nutrition and food security

Malnutrition could be greatly reduced and food security improved by ensuring improved access to nutrient-rich forest-derived foods like berries, bushmeat, roots, insects and nuts for the world’s poorest populations. The critical role forests could play in improving food security and nutrition is poorly reflected in national development and food security strategies. Forest foods haven´t received much attention in part due to the current method of measuring food security in terms of energy (or calories) and not in terms of micronutrients, which has meant that foods that aren´t a good source of calories – but have plenty of micronutrients – have been overlooked. (IRIN and CIFOR, 10/04/2013)

22/05/2013

Edible insects in a food safety and nutritional perspective: a critical review

This paper evaluates how insects could be safely used as food and discusses nutritional data to justify why insect food sources can no longer be neglected by legislators. As new ways must be found to increase yields while preserving food quality, natural habitats, and biodiversity, the authors show how insects could be of great interest as a possible solution due to their capability to satisfy 2 different requirements: (i) they are an important source of protein and other nutrients; (ii) their use as food has ecological advantages over conventional meat and, in the long run, economic benefits. (Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2013)

22/05/2013

Wild parent spawns super salt-tolerant rice

A cross between two different rice parents – the exotic wild rice species Oryza coarctata and rice variety IR56 of the cultivated rice species O. sativa expels salt into the air through glands on its leaves. IRRI is perfecting the new salt-tolerant rice and will test it widely to ensure it meets all the needs of farmers and consumers. The new variety will be available for farmers to grow within 4–5 years. (IRRI, 15/04/2013)

22/05/2013

Rice breeding in the post-genomics era: from concept to practice

This opinion paper explains what capacities China needs in order to realise its molecular breeding strategy and meet the challenges in future rice improvement. The strategy requires tremendous investment in high-throughput genotyping, reliable/precision phenotyping and new genomics/genetic information-based analytic/application breeding tools. (Current Opinion on Plant Biology, 06/04/2013)

22/05/2013

Better wheat for a warming planet

Using breeding tools to identify genes associated with heat tolerance, researchers from the Climate Resilient Wheat project aim to develop varieties of heat-resistant wheat. The aim is to have the first set of ‘climate-resilient’ varieties in five years. The research will focus on the North Indian River Plain but its results may well benefit all wheat growing regions of the world facing challenges such as limited water and rising temperatures. A wheat plant´s productivity falls off dramatically when temperatures rise above 28 degrees Celsius, notably during the flowering stage. (EurekAlert, 9/04/2013)

22/05/2013

Right-sizing wheat stem-rust research

Wheat researchers are issuing strong warnings that without increased financial support for stem-rust resistance research, Ug99, new virulent forms of stem rust first found in Uganda in 1999, could continue its movement across Africa and the Middle East and southwest Asia. Scientists have developed new wheat varieties with some resistance to the deadly disease, but the disease evolves and mutates into new forms, requiring new resistant varieties to be developed. While crucially important, the international consortium known as the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, a US$26 million, five-year effort is believed to fill only half the wheat research gap. (ScienceDaily, 15/04/2013)

22/05/2013

New cowpea varieties offer promise

The new cowpea varieties combine extra-early maturity, high protein and high yield potential with resistance to major diseases and tolerance to heat and drought. Cowpea is a major food legume and a source of dietary protein for masses in Africa, Asia and South America. The dry grains from cowpeas are used as a pulse (edible seed) and its young leaves, pods and green seeds are also used as a vegetable. The varieties being tested were developed during the last five years from crosses involving the best cowpea lines from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and those from Texas A&M University. (AgriLife Today, 10/04/2013)

22/05/2013

Gene discovery may yield lettuce that will sprout in hot weather

A lettuce gene and related enzyme that put the brakes on germination during hot weather has been identified in an effort to climate-proof the US lettuce industries. The discovery could lead to lettuces that can sprout year-round, even at high temperatures and under water stress. The researchers further believe that because this germination inhibiting mechanism in lettuce seeds is common to many plant species, other crops also could be modified to improve their germination in hotter and dryer climates. (UC Davis, 28/03/2013)

22/05/2013

Bridging the data gap: engaging developing country farmers in greenhouse gas accounting

Data on agricultural GHG emissions (fertiliser applications, manure management) can only be obtained by asking the farmers themselves. While the use of mobile device technology for ‘crowd-sourcing’ of land management data is one of the best avenues, challenges still persist such as incentivising farmers to supply information, ensuring timely and accurate reporting, making applications simple and locally relevant. Additionally, improvements are also needed in emission factors/models, better geospatial databases for soils and climate, and deployment of distributed monitoring networks.(Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 8 No. 2, 2013)

22/05/2013

Successful climate change adaptation of rice production through social enterprise

The adaptive capacity to climate change of this agricultural cooperative improved thanks to a flexible management system (learning-by-doing), risk analysis based on future local climate information and better extension capacity. This paper looks at how Green Net, a Thai agro-based social enterprise, works to improve adaptive capacity among its organic and fair trade rice farmer. It highlights the adaptation successes, collaborative adaptation efforts and shares advantages of such enterprises and its lessons learned from its field activities during 2007–2011. (AgriCultures Network, 2013)

22/05/2013

Synthetic biology: what does it mean for agriculture?

An opinion blog post on what synthetic biology (SB) concepts and avenues were discussed during a major conference on the subject: ‘How will Synthetic Biology and Conservation Shape the Future of Nature?’, held early April 2013 at Cambridge University. It uses biofuel to illustrate the degree of complexity and difficult challenges SB adds when used in agriculture. This post provides an overview of a recent high level conference on SB, with links to peer-reviewed papers on the uses, advantages and problems, both ethical and environmental, synthetic agriculture can have in agriculture. (Big Picture Agriculture, 14/04/2013)

22/05/2013

Threats to the soil resource base of food security in China and Europe

The report presents a summary of the structured discussions and recommendations made during a Sino-EU Panel on Land and Soil (SEPLS) seminar regarding urban development, land degradation and intensive agriculture in both Europe and China. Recommendations to prevent land degradation by intensive agriculture include the optimisation of the management of nitrogen fertilisers, the better use of heavy agricultural machinery to avoid soil compaction, and good maintenance of soil organic matter. (JRC IES, 18/04/2013)

22/05/2013

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