Programme: International Forum 'Unleashing Science, Technology and Innovation for Food and nutrition security'

The task of the international forum is to initiate a discourse which would unpack the complexity and distill the FNS challenge in useful terms for influencing policy and practice so that ACP and other developing countries can make greater inroads in tackling food and nutrition insecurity through investments in science and innovation.

The CTA international forum kicks off this debate for addressing the food and nutrition security challenge by focusing on a selected number of themes namely:

1. Governance of science, technology and innovation (STI);

2. Leveraging higher education (HE), research and development (R&D) and innovation;

3. Private and public sector investments and partnerships in R&D, HE and innovation;

4. Innovation systems, entrepreneurship and commercialization.

Key questions to be addressed for responding to the FNS challenge:

1. What are the tensions, if any, in public vs private investments in HE and R&D? What funding mechanisms; bloc vs competitive or public vs private or public-private-partnerships? What are the benefits? What are the trade-offs?

2. Entrepreneurship and innovation in agriculture at what levels and scales? What are the related IPR issues in taking existing innovations to scale (commercialization)?

3. What are the key STI governance issues? For example basic vs applied vs blue sky research; access as well as contribution to global knowledge; international / regional / national collaboration?

4. How best to move forward, and where do the responsibilities lie? Target setting: what can and should be achieved over the next three years?

Deliverables The International Forum will comprise leading scholars, senior scientists/researchers/academicians, policy-makers, development practitioners, innovators and farmer and private sector representatives who will:

1. Assess the relevance and effectiveness of current agricultural research and innovation policies and programmes for addressing the food and nutrition security challenge;

2. Analyze and generate evidence on innovations occurring in ACP agriculture for shaping future STI policy formulation and implementation for achieving food and nutrition security;

3. Agree on how best to move forward in sharpening the STI focus, strengthening national innovation systems and increasing public and private investments to effectively address food and nutrition insecurity in the future.