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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
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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

Biofuels

The increased international focus on expanding the production of biofuels has given countries the impetus to increase investments primarily to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and to mitigate climate change. The ACP countries have traditionally used biofuels but the efficiency and sustainability of their production systems are questionable. The decline in preferential markets for sugar and the need to diversify the industry to minimize the social displacement makes the production of sugar ethanol and other biofuels from a range of crops including cassava seem attractive. However, balancing food production, achieving food, nutrition and environmental sustainability, and producing biofuels at competitive prices for national and international markets will remain an elusive dream if the scientific and political community do not join forces in consultation with civil society. In this dossier, two EU and ACP scientists argue the pros and cons for the future of biofuels in ACP countries and provide insights into the options and strategies for making inroads in the biofuels market. The links to related websites and publications provide additional background material for the readers to examine the related issues and learn from international experiences to make informed decisions for crafting the future science and policy interventions that can benefit society in the global biofuel market.

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New tools help countries harness the potential of bioenergy, avoid pitfalls

The FAO has released a suite of guidance documents and policymaking tools that governments can use to help rural communities benefit from bioenergy development and ensure that biofuel crop production does not come at the expense of food security. Materials released by FAO's Bioenergy and Food Security Criteria and Indicators (BEFSCI) Project include: methodologies for assessing the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of bioenergy production, indicators that can be measured when doing so, recommended good practices, and policy measures for promoting sustainable bionenergy development. (FAO, 5/03/2012) 10/04/2012
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Scientists discover agave’s tremendous potential as new bioenergy feedstock

An article in Global Change Biology Bioenergy reviews the suitability of Agave (Agave americana) as a bioenergy feedstock that can sustain high productivity in spite of poor soil and stressful climatic conditions accompanying climate change. Agave, which grows successfully under hot, dry conditions, is currently used in the production of beverages, food, and fiber, and has only recently been considered a promising source of biofuel.E. Garcia-Moya, Professor of Botany at the Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agricolas in Texcoco, Mexico, and colleagues were able to assess Agave’s potential as a biomass crop by reviewing Agave research published in English and Spanish. Agave has comparable productivity to high productivity crops such as corn and Eucalyptus and much larger biomass yields than most desert plants. Unlike most crops, Agave would continue to thrive under increased temperatures and variable precipitation accompanying global climate change. In addition, elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 would increase productivity.(Source: AlphaGalileo, 17 February 2011) 22/03/2011
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ACP’s response to fossil fuel dependence (ACP Policy brief)

by Jan Cloin et al

ACP countries with their biomass resource potential are well positioned to effectively use biofuels for partially meeting their energy needs. The continued increase in the cost of fossil fuels - a finite resource, coupled with the cut in world market prices for sugar and other traditional export commodities have forced many ACP countries to seek innovative ways of meeting energy demands and diversifying agricultural production. This policy brief outlines various opportunities for using local biomass resources to reduce dependence of ACP countries on fossil fuels and to improve the competitiveness of traditional and non-traditional agricultural-based industries. 07/03/2008
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Biofuels – S&T Strategic Options for ACP Countries

by Maureen Wilson

Production of biofuels offers a lifeline to all ACP sugar producing countries affected by the European Union (EU) sugar reforms which came into effect in July 2006. With the pending implementation of the new sugar regime, industries started restructuring in an attempt to survive and prevent closure. The common theme among all the restructuring plans is energy production. This is currently viewed as attractive not only because of the high prices for fossil fuels but because of the economic and environmental benefits. In the Caribbean region, Jamaica announced plans to start production of ethanol for the transportation sector. Barbados indicated that it would increase the acreage under production and plant more of the fuel cane varieties to utilize the bagasse in electricity generation and also manufacture 24 million litres of fuel ethanol. Belize and Guyana are also planning to introduce cogeneration and St Kitts which had closed its industry is considering reopening in partnership with foreign companies to process its sugarcane output into bioethanol (). In the African region, the Mauritius sugar industry increased its utilization of cane biomass for the generation of electricity and hence its share in the supply of electricity to the national grid (Autry 2004, Avram 2004). Zambia and Malawi have started biodiesel production from the oil plant Jatropha. 16/04/2007
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How sustainable are biofuels? Between common curiosity and confronting interests

by Bart de Steenhuijsen Piters

With the exception of Nigeria and Cameroon and Trinidad & Tobago, all ACP countries are dependent on imported petroleum fuels for energy purposes. The world market prices of fossil fuels are unpredictable and likely to continue to increase in the foreseeable future. Can biofuels provide a long-term alternative by using locally produced renewable alternatives at a relatively constant cost? What are the gains at micro and macro levels, and what are the constraints and negative effects that we can expect from large-scale biofuel production? Can biofuels be produced on a sustainable basis and what would be required to achieve that goal? 16/04/2007
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