Collective Action Newsletter June 2010
2
Updates rom agricultural research in Arica Issue No 20 June 2010 COLLECTIVE ACTION NEWS is a periodical e-publication of the CGIAR’s Regional Collective Action in Eastern and Southern Africa, hosted at the International Livestock Research Institute and the World Agroforestry Centre, both of which are supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Newsletter team: Kate Longley, Evelyn Katingi, Yvonne Otieno and Steve Staal Questions, comments, feedback? Please email: [email protected] © 2010 Copyright and Fair Use. ILRI and World Agroforestry Centre encourage fair use, without alteration, of these materials for non-commercial purposes. Proper citation is required in all instances. Information owned by other providers and requiring permission is marked as such. Website links provided by our sites will have their own policies that must be honoured. The information provided by ILRI and World Agroforestry Centre is, to the best of our knowledge, accurate although we do not guarantee the information nor are we liable for any damages arising from its use. Visit our websites: http://www.ilri.org , http://www.worldagroforestry.org and http://www.ilri.org/regionalplan/index.php Collective Action News Newsbytes This document has been produced with the nancial assistance o the European Union and with the technical support o IFAD. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to refect the ocial opinion o IFAD and the European Union In May 2009, 150 of the world’s leading market experts gathered in Nairobi, Kenya to consider how governments, donors and other stakeholders could improve Africa’ s national and regional agricultural markets. Their goal was to identify and recommend priority actions for achieving more efcient and effective markets that would contribute to poverty reduction and economic development throughout the continent. The Conference, organized by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, (AGRA) and the Internation al Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), comprised a wide range of representatives from the African agricultural value chain. P articipants considered interventions that have improved African markets as well as actions and policies that have undermined them. Overall, the experts concurred that no single institution or group of special interest stakeholders could resolve the array of problems aficting A frica’s agricultural markets. Participants called for a range of efforts that would dramatically scale up proven interventions and test new ideas and approaches that would unleash the capacity of African agriculture to improve livelihoods and drive economic growth. Among the many recommendations made for priority action was the need to encourage innovations that improve market efciency and more fully integrate small-scale agro-entrepreneurs into marketing processes. Another recommendation was to support the provision of nancial services to small-scale agro-enterprises and smallholder farmers – especially women – and the channeling of “smart subsidies” for farmers and small agro-businesses through private sector input suppliers in order to create market demand. The assembled market experts also agreed that policy makers should subject their existing and planned investments to impartial and independent analyses of anticipated returns in order to reduce transaction costs for smallholder producers and market intermediaries. Interventions that help level the playing eld and provide for more secure transactions for sellers and buyers were also considered a high priority, as was increased technical skills training in post-harvest value addition for the commodities for which African producers have a comparative advantage. The conference participants also noted growing evidence that informal market systems managed by small-scale players can be upgraded signicantly through improvements in technical post-harvest and marketing skills and assistance in establishing effective certication systems. A general consensus was reached that the traditional heavy reliance on policy change as the main instrument for improving markets should be reduced in favor of pursuing a more diverse strategy w ith a focus on investments. While the policy environment remains critical, recent evidence suggests that market-oriented investments by a variety of actors – small-market players, charities and donors, large-scale private sector organizations, and governments – can stimulate changes in behavior and performance, and ultimately improve market opportunities in many settings. While some existing policies may continue to undermine market development, many conference participants felt that identifying examples of successful investment initiatives might be the best way to stimulate needed policy changes. In closing the conference, AGRA President, Dr. Namanga Ngongi, stressed the importance of bringing together a similarly diverse group of experts to clarify what needs to be done next, when and by whom in order to develop Africa’s local, national and regional markets. Concrete actions that will promote the ability of these markets to absorb the fruits of smallholder productivity incre ases are essential, he noted. T he right actions by key players across the continent will reinforce the growing momentum for a uniquely African Green Revolution, he said, and in so doing help increase food security and reduce poverty for millions. For further information, please contact Steve Staal: [email protected] The Regional Collective Action Flagship Program on Markets and Institutions played a central role in the development, implementation and reporting of this conference. Representatives from CIAT, CIMMYT, ICRAF, ICRISAT, IITA, IFPRI, ILRI not only presented papers at the conference, but contributed to development of the conference structure, chaired the parallel sessions, and acted as reviewers of the conference papers in preparation for the proceedings. The Regional Collective A ction Coordinator at that time, Ravi Prabhu, also facilitated key parts of the conference. Come participate at FARA’s General Assembly with us The forthcoming General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) which starts July 19, has presented us with an excellent opportunity to showcase the Ongoing Research Map as one of CGIAR’s innovations to the hundreds of participants from Africa and beyond. If you’re aiming to increase the visibility of your research work, leave digital footprints, while at the same time contribute to information and knowledge sharing in the CGIAR, add your projects to the list of 300 and more projects already available. Please visit http:// ongoing-research.cgiar.org / for more. Farming Matters Magazine Farming Matters (formerly LEISA Magazine) is always up to date with local experiences on small-scale farming around the world, news, international debates, opinions and background information on sustainable family farming. The latest issue, ‘Money Matters’, includes articles on contract farming in Zambia, value-chain nance, and “thinking beyond credit”. Go to www.ileia.org Developing Africa’s Agricultural Markets
Transcript of Collective Action Newsletter June 2010
882019 Collective Action Newsletter June 2010
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Updates rom agricultural research in Arica
Issue No 20
June 2010
COLLECTIVE ACTION NEWS is a periodical e-publication
of the CGIARrsquos Regional Collective Action in Eastern and
Southern Africa hosted at the International Livestock
Research Institute and the World Agroforestry Centre
both of which are supported by the Consultative Group
on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
Newsletter team
Kate Longley Evelyn Katingi Yvonne Otieno and Steve
Staal
Questions comments feedback Please email
YOtienocgiarorg
copy 2010 Copyright and Fair Use
ILRI and World Agroforestry Centre encourage fair use
without alteration of these materials for non-commercial
purposes Proper citation is required in all instances
Information owned by other providers and requiring
permission is marked as such Website links provided
by our sites will have their own policies that must be
honoured The information provided by ILRI and World
Agroforestry Centre is to the best of our knowledge
accurate although we do not guarantee the information
nor are we liable for any damages arising from its use
Visit our websites
httpwwwilriorg
httpwwwworldagroforestryorg and
httpwwwilriorgregionalplanindexphp
Collective Action News
Newsbytes
This document has been produced with the nancial assistance o the European Union and with the technical support o IFADThe views expressed herein can in no way be taken to refect the ocial opinion o IFAD and the European Union
In May 2009 150 of the worldrsquos leading market expertsgathered in Nairobi Kenya to consider how governmentsdonors and other stakeholders could improve Africarsquos nationaland regional agricultural markets Their goal was to identify andrecommend priority actions for achieving more efcient andeffective markets that would contribute to poverty reductionand economic development throughout the continent
The Conference organized by the Alliance for a GreenRevolution in Africa (AGRA) and the International LivestockResearch Institute (ILRI) comprised a wide range of representatives from the African agricultural value chain
Participants considered interventions that have improved Africanmarkets as well as actions and policies that have underminedthem Overall the experts concurred that no single institutionor group of special interest stakeholders could resolve the arrayof problems aficting Africarsquos agricultural markets Participantscalled for a range of efforts that would dramatically scale upproven interventions and test new ideas and approaches thatwould unleash the capacity of African agriculture to improvelivelihoods and drive economic growth
Among the many recommendations made for priority action was the need to encourage innovations that improvemarket efciency and more fully integrate small-scale agro-entrepreneurs into marketing processes Anotherrecommendation was to support the provision of nancial services to small-scale agro-enterprises and smallholderfarmers ndash especially women ndash and the channeling of ldquosmart subsidiesrdquo for farmers and small agro-businesses throughprivate sector input suppliers in order to create market demand
The assembled market experts also agreed that policy makers should subject their existing and planned investmentsto impartial and independent analyses of anticipated returns in order to reduce transaction costs for smallholderproducers and market intermediaries
Interventions that help level the playing eld and provide for more secure transactions for sellers and buyers werealso considered a high priority as was increased technical skills training in post-harvest value addition for thecommodities for which African producers have a comparative advantage
The conference participants also noted growing evidence that informal market systems managed by small-scaleplayers can be upgraded signicantly through improvements in technical post-harvest and marketing skills andassistance in establishing effective certication systems
A general consensus was reached that the traditional heavy reliance on policy change as the main instrument forimproving markets should be reduced in favor of pursuing a more diverse strategy with a focus on investments Whilethe policy environment remains critical recent evidence suggests that market-oriented investments by a variety of actors ndash small-market players charities and donors large-scale private sector organizations and governments ndash can
stimulate changes in behavior and performance and ultimately improve market opportunities in many settingsWhile some existing policies may continue to undermine market development many conference participants feltthat identifying examples of successful investment initiatives might be the best way to stimulate needed policychanges
In closing the conference AGRA President Dr Namanga Ngongi stressed the importance of bringing together asimilarly diverse group of experts to clarify what needs to be done next when and by whom in order to developAfricarsquos local national and regional markets Concrete actions that will promote the ability of these markets toabsorb the fruits of smallholder productivity increases are essential he noted The right actions by key players acrossthe continent will reinforce the growing momentum for a uniquely African Green Revolution he said and in sodoing help increase food security and reduce poverty for millions
For further information please contact Steve Staal sstaalcgiarorg
The Regional Collective Action Flagship Program on Markets and Institutions played a central role in the development
implementation and reporting of this conference Representatives from CIAT CIMMYT ICRAF ICRISAT IITA IFPRI ILRI not only presented papers at the conference but contributed to development of the conference structure chaired the parallel
sessions and acted as reviewers of the conference papers in preparation for the proceedings The Regional Collective Action
Coordinator at that time Ravi Prabhu also facilitated key parts of the conference
Come participate at FARArsquosGeneral Assembly with usThe forthcoming GeneralAssembly of the Forum forAgricultural Research in Africa(FARA) which starts July 19 haspresented us with an excellentopportunity to showcase theOngoing Research Map as oneof CGIARrsquos innovations to thehundreds of participants fromAfrica and beyond If yoursquore
aiming to increase the visibilityof your research work leavedigital footprints while atthe same time contribute toinformation and knowledgesharing in the CGIAR addyour projects to the list of 300and more projects alreadyavailable Please visit http ongoing-researchcgiarorg formore
Farming Matters MagazineFarming Matters (formerlyLEISA Magazine) is always up
to date with local experienceson small-scale farming aroundthe world news internationaldebates opinions andbackground information onsustainable family farming Thelatest issue lsquoMoney Mattersrsquoincludes articles on contractfarming in Zambia value-chainnance and ldquothinking beyondcreditrdquo Go to wwwileiaorg
Developing Africarsquos Agricultural Markets
