FARA and donors join forces in advancing CAADP’s pillar 4
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) – being the apex organisation for coordinating agricultural research and development in Africa – has been recently asked by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to be the technical arm to advance the objectives of pillar 4 of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme CAADP (see box at right for more information on CAADP Pillar 4).
FARA is now joining forces with a wide range of development partners in the soon-to-be-created FARA Development Partner Group.
CAADP Pillar 4
According to the  CAADP programme document, pillar 4 of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) embraces Agricultural Research, Technology Dissemination and Adoption.
“The long-term capacity to maintain competitiveness by ensuring high productivity is to be ensured by research and development, allied with technology dissemination for widespread and effective adoption.”
Pillar 4 “represents a departure from the focus […] to immediately regain production; it presents instead an area of intervention for long-term gain. In Africa as elsewhere in the world, agriculture will need a scientific and technological underpinning if it is to have sustained productivity gains necessary to remain competitive.”
“To avert food insecurity and reduce poverty, African leaders have set a target to increase agricultural output by 6 percent a year for the next 20 years. […] Without technological upgrading and adoption, even large-scale investment would soon perform sub-optimally and fail to gain for Africa the success it needs.
[…] “The goal is to double the current annual spending on agricultural research in Africa within 10 years. In essence, this would amount to annual investments of some US$1.6 billion for the period till 2015.”
[…] “Underlying the inclusion of […] research is the key message that in pursuing immediate responses to its agricultural crisis, Africa cannot afford to be short-sighted: it must keep an eye on factors essential for its continuing long-term competitiveness and productivity.”
In the context of enhancing the effectiveness of African agricultural research systems FARA already led activities leading to the publication of a Framework for African Agricultural Productivity (FAAP) which sets the ground rules for African institutions and donors alike to harmonise and align initiatives in agricultural research for development. FAAP was endorsed by African Heads of State in July 2006.
A better coordination of the wide range of development partners working with FARA is widely seen as an essential prerequisite to increase the effectiveness of aid provided to FARA. As a part of these efforts, FARA and its development partners are about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on how to support FARA’s objectives and strategic plan. Additionally, a Joint Financing Agreement (JFA) to provide core funding to FARA is planned.
Both MOU and JFA are to be presented during the 4th FARA General Assembly and African Agricultural Science Week, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on June 11-16, 2007.
To secure the better coordination of development partner support to FARA and the FARA programmes and activities in support of the CAADP agenda / Pillar 4 — as described in the FAAP — the FARA Development Partner Group will provide a necessary and much-needed forum for communication, information sharing and dialogue between FARA and its development partners.
More on  FARA
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Platform News No 2