Knowledge for development

CTA

Knowledge for Development

ACP policy briefs
ACP young professionals and women
ASTI case study reports
Blogs
CTA S&T programme
Developments
Events
Fellowships, grants & calls
Job opportunities
K4D e-Newsletters
Publications
S&T organisations

Africa
A selection of S&T organisations in Africa.

Google Maps

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

Events in May 2013

2nd international conference on Biotechnology in Africa: Science and regulation

Dates: May 2013Venue: Addis Ababa, EthiopiaThe goal of this conference is to foster technological transfer in Africa, initiate and facilitate scholars and scientist exchange and short term trainings programme – between African scientists and the rest of the world, and to create a platform for agricultural dialogue and partnership between Sub- Saharan universities/ institutes and US universities /institutes; and to provide policy advice aimed at supporting policy and institutional reforms at the national and regional levels. Organizing partners include the African Union, FARA, RUFORUM and ASARECA. Jeffrey Sachs and Calestous Juma are among the invited speakers. Also, opportunities for sponsorship.www.issdet.org

Wednesday 01 May 2013 - Saturday 04 May 2013

Week on Agricultural Innovation Systems in Africa (WAIA)

Dates: 25–31 May 2013 Venue: Nairobi, Kenya The EU-funded project JOLISAA coordinated by CIRAD, France; the Prolinnova international network hosted by ETC Foundation, Netherlands; the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS); the AusAID-funded project Food System Innovation for Food Security (FSIFS) and other partners are to meet in May 2013to jointly discuss approaches to enhance knowledge-to-action linkages among actors in agricultural innovation systems in Africa. During WAIA, a workshop on Agricultural Innovation Systems in Africa (AISA) will take place, preceded by an Eastern Africa Farmer Innovation Fair to showcase the achievements of individual and groups of smallholder farmers in improving their farming and their livelihoods. http://aisa2013.wikispaces.com/

Saturday 25 May 2013 - Friday 31 May 2013

World Conference on Climate Change Impacts: 'Impacts World 2013'

Dates: 27-30 May 2013 Venue: Potsdam, Germany The IMPACTS WORLD 2013 conference in Potsdam will for the first time bring together the wealth of climate change research and researchers from around the world, with the goal of setting a state-of-the-art agenda for climate impact research. IMPACTS WORLD 2013 will lay the foundation for regular, community-driven syntheses of climate change impact analyses. Learn more about the conference and sign up for the update service under: www.climate-impacts-2013.org.

Monday 27 May 2013 - Thursday 30 May 2013

Global Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Global Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Dates: 28 - 30 May 2013 Venue: South AfricaThe Forum is co-organized with the South African Department of Science and Technology. The event is expected to attract over 600 participants, ranging from entrepreneurs, business incubator managers, policy makers and government representatives, financiers, local and international media, and development agencies for a creative networking and knowledge-sharing experience. More information.

Tuesday 28 May 2013 - Thursday 30 May 2013