Rwanda hosts a Regional Consultation on rolling out of the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa

Regional actors in Agricultural Research and development are attending a consultation workshop in Kigali on on rolling out of the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A) for East and Central Africa Region.

The 3-day workshop, running from the 19th to 21st April 2017, was organized by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in collaboration with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB). Participants include actors in Agricultural Research and Development from Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Eritrea, Uganda and Madagascar.

The Science Agenda is a framework for deepening the application of Science for the transformation of Agriculture in Africa as a means for sustainable inclusive growth, shared prosperity and poverty reduction. The S3A emanated from Africa countries through the Heads of State as a framework for sustaining CAADP momentum and realising the Malabo targets.

For the first time, AU Heads of State and Government adopted the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods with clear concrete targets (Malabo targets) on eliminating hunger, poverty, food insecurity among others by 2025.

The critical practical building block for the realisation of these targets was a need to apply Science to Agriculture for improvement in productivity, competitiveness and inclusiveness of Agricultural System. The S3A therefore respond to these targets of achieving food security, zero hunger and poverty by providing a framework for the prioritisation and application of Science to Agriculture in Africa.

Levering on its mandate as a technical arm of the AUC, FARA was then mandated to coordinate the development of the Science Agenda, albeit through a consultative process that builds on the success and capacities of Science, Technology and Innovation across the continent. The development process was inclusive, critical and consultative.

The S3A’s vision is that “By 2030 Africa is food secure, a global scientific player, and the world’s breadbasket. The S3A amongst other thing advocates for a doubling of public and private sector investment into agricultural research for development (AR4D) by 2020.

Following its development, The S3A was endorsed by the African Union (AU) Joint Conference of Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture in April 2014 and subsequently by the AU Heads of State and Governments in their June 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated African Agricultural Growth and Transformation. The Science Agenda was launched in Johannesburg in November 2014.

The Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A) outlines the guiding principles to help Africa take charge of the science to transform its agriculture. It refers to the science, technology, extension, innovations, policy and social learning Africa needs to apply to meet its evolving agricultural development goals. The S3A is based on the recognition of the game-changing potential of science for the continent’s agricultural transformation agenda encapsulated in the CAADP. The empirical evidence show that a deeper application of Science in Agriculture will improve productivity, food security, employment and resilient livelihoods.

Realisation of the Science Agenda’s vision depends on effective domestication of this framework agenda into national strategies, investment plans and action plans given the uniqueness of the contexts, challenges, opportunities and priorities of countries. To ensure that the S3A is owned and driven by countries, a series of engagements at Sub regional and National level are being organised by FARA that will help set up a controlled process for deepening national engagements with S3A implementation by countries.

The Science Agenda emanated from African countries, thus its implementation must be driven by African countries.

The Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa will be implemented using a Scaling up approach, starting with five countries and scaling up to other countries. The first set of countries were identified using a set of criteria modelling a country’s Science agenda preparedness. The Scaling up approach is to allow continuous learning, creating evidence and impact. The engagement strategy will include the following processes.

Based on the investments in Science, Technology and Innovation and its clear priority for the deepening of Science to transform Agriculture, Rwanda has been identified as the starting point for the Southern African Sub region. The Science Agenda will build on this.

This consultation comes at the heels of the first S3A Regional Consultation for the Southern Africa countries hosted by Malawi from the 10th – 12th April 2017.

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