Innovative Partnerships & Agricultural Research

Rob Bertram, PhDUSAID Bureau for Food Security

October 2012GCARD 2

Partnership critical for AR4D

AR4D

Civil Society

Public Sector

Private Sector

Global Food Prices

Source: FAO

The Global Challenge

Climate change already impacting yields - drought, high temperatures and unpredictable climates

As arable land is lost to urbanization and other uses, we need to produce more food on less land

Water, energy, labor and fertilizer availability constraining production

System diversification and intensification needed to improve nutrition, incomes

The Global Challenge

Global Response• G-8 attention to food security

– L’Aquila– New Alliance for Nutrition and Food

Security

• Renewed focus on agriculture • Increased investment in AR4D

– Rigorous priority setting– Greater coordination & collaboration

among public and private sectors and civil society

G8: New Alliance for Food Security & Nutrition

• 15 enabling actions– Including yield targets, technology

platform and scaling– Collaborative platform with CGIAR,

FARA, AU and AGRA

• Includes private sector engagement: LOIs

1. Help farmers produce more

2. Help farmers get more food to market

3. Support Research & Development to improve smallholder agriculture in a changing climate

4. Strengthen Regional Trade

5. Create a better Policy Environment

6. Improve Access to Nutritious Food and Nutrition Services

USG Response: Feed the Future

Source: Stan Wood et al. (IFPRI) 2009.

Sub-national poverty ca. 2005

(<$1.25/day)

Number

Prevalence

Defining FTF Research PrioritiesUsing poverty & nutrition lens: Identify key production systems where hunger and poverty are significant…

D Child Under-nutrition

Prevalence of underweight in children under-5, 2003-08

Prevalence of stunting in children under-5, 2003-08

Source: UNICEF, 2009

Three research themes:

• Advancing the productivity frontier• Transforming key production systems• Improving nutrition and food safety

Anchored by key geographies:

• Indo-gangetic plains in South Asia• Sudano-sahelien systems in West Africa• Maize-mixed systems in East and Southern Africa• Ethiopian highlands

Overarching Goal Emerged: Sustainable Intensification

FTF Research Strategy

Longer-term Research - Major Themes1. Heat and drought tolerant, climate adapted cereals

2. Advanced technology solutions for animal and plant diseases 3. Legume productivity for improved nutrition and incomes

Application of Advanced Research for Productivity and Resilience- Policy, social science and nutrition research (e.g. utilization of food)

- Increased availability and access to high quality foods for improved diets (animal sourced food, horticulture, aflatoxin control)

Bangladesh Tanzania Ghana Ethiopia

Longer-Term Investm

ents Near-Term

Impact

Longer-Term Investm

ents Near-Term

Impact

Sustainable Intensification of Key Production SystemsComplement Mission investments in select value chains

Integrate component technologies, policies, social sciences, nutrition

Food Security Research Priorities

Research along the value chainOn-farm productivity & profitability

Crop genetic improvementAgronomyFarm animal managementCrop Protection/Animal HealthTechnology adoption research

Postharvest handling/Marketing

Economics of:• Harvest practices• Storage• End-user market

opportunities/quality requirements

Utilization

Developing new processes/productsAddressing nutrition goals with food technology and recipe formulation

Partner outreach improves research outputs and facilitates technology uptake

Product Development Pathway

Source: ABSPII

• Product Identification & USAID support based on ex ante analysis of target crop

• Focus on crops with high rate of return and not being developed by other means

USAID

Involvement

Private sector excels here

Insect Resistant (Bt) Eggplant Model

Clippings

Bt Eggplant Model• Mahyco develops commercial

hybrids using Monsanto Bt gene• Monsanto offers royalty free

license of Bt gene for open pollinated varieties

• ABSPII/Cornell University partners with Indian universities and vegetable research center to develop varieties using Monsanto gene.

• Mahyco submits dossier of event for biosafety approval – GEAC recommends environmental release

Mahyco sells commercial hybrids, universities/NARS distribute OPV’s

15

Insect Resistant Cowpea• Managed by African Agricultural Technology

Foundation• Use of Bt gene donated by Monsanto Co. for

cowpea in Africa• Development of transgenic cowpea in Australia

by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)

• Breeding and seed distribution by African National Agricultural Research organizations.

• Regulatory/Biosafety support by Program for Biosafety Systems

• Scientific support among members of Network for the Genetic Improvement of Cowpea for Africa – NGICA

Adapted from: A Strategic Framework for African Agricultural Input Supply System Development, IFAD

Smallholder is consumer in agriculture input value chain or input supply sub-system

Smallholder is producer in agribusiness system

An agriculture input value chain

Smallholder is producer in agriculture commodity value chain.

An agriculture commodity value chain

The small holder farmer can be viewed as a link between chains

Farm-Centered Strategy

Value Chain Anchor link concept - Ethiopia

Small holder farming system – integrates multiple value chainsWheat, malt barley, chick peas, forage, vegetables

ANCHOR LINK

Wheat value chain – post producer links - markets, processing, and other links in the chain.

Chick pea value chain – post producer links - markets, processing, other links in the chain.

Vegetable value chain – post producer links - markets, processing, other links in the chain.

Forage value chain – post producer links - markets, processing, other links in the chain.

Input supply system link for multiple value chains: Must provide for all the small holders input needs across the multiple value chains.

AfricaRISING – applied research recommendations for optimized profit and sustainability of the small holder integrated system with advisory services – an input of knowledge and skills

Livestock value chain – post producer links - markets, processing, other links in the chain.

Small holder system is not treated as a link in each of the multiple separate value chains but as one big link that integrates the multiple and diversified value chains.

Malt barley value chain – post producer links - markets, processing, other links in the chain.

Maize

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Livestock

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1° research scope2° research scope 2° research scope

Strong, formalized linkages

Africa RISING

• Increase above- and below-ground biomass to improve soil health & system productivity (e.g., fertilizer trees, legumes, N/P fertilization)

• Diversification (crop & enterprise) for greater resilience, productivity, and nutrition

• Integrating livestock and mechanization into conservation agriculture

• Improve water productivity to reduce risk & enhance investment

Beyond tradeoffs

Africa RISING

The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA)

Breeding/suitable germplasm development

Long term cropping systems research platforms

Adaptive research trials (Research Station + Farmer Field)

Business model/service provider establishment

“Hub” model facilitated delivery

Adoption & impact tracking

Policy Research / Enabling Environment

Sustainable intensification in S. Asian context

• Retention of Crop Residues

• Minimal/zero tillage of soil

• Innovative Cropping Systems

• Mechanization

• Improved Varieties

• Integrate new crops/livestock

Target InterventionsOutcomes

• Reduced erosion / run-off

• Improved water use efficiency & soil health

• New crops in rotations

• Reduced labor costs

• Improve total factor productivity (not just yield!)

How can we intensify production in S. Asian rice and rice-wheat systems sustainably?

CSISA & Bangladesh Value Chains

• Partners: WorldFish, IRRI, CIMMYT, AVRDC, BARI, BRAC

• Aligned with key Mission Value Chains:– Rice, Fish, Horticulture (fruits,

vegetables)

• Integrated production systems for nutrition– Aquaculture: polyculture – Vegetables in dykes/gardens

• orange fleshed sweet potato• gourds, beans, tomato, brinjal

• Emphasis on women

Gender in Value Chains

• Gender equity enhances competitiveness–Social context important–Changes affect gender roles–Diagnose gender-based constraints

–Include men in decision-making –Enhance women’s roles from production through to marketing

Improving sorghum profitability (Mali) –

NGO partnershipsProgram activities– Integrated sorghum breeding and agronomy

research– Economics research on postharvest storage &

markets

Outcomes– Profitable model developed– Afrique Verte & Catholic Relief Services

engaged– USAID/Mali funding scaled-up

dissemination of Grinkan variety + agronomic package + harvest & storage systems + targeting sales at peak prices

Sorghum Millet CRSP

Aflatoxin detection in peanuts• ICRISAT developed inexpensive aflatoxin

detection kits for farmers• Cut cost of testing from $25 to $1 per

sample• Developed additional pre- and post-

harvest approaches to reduce aflatoxin contamination

• Enables farmers to pursue export opportunities more easily

ICRISAT aids Peanut exports- Malawi

Aflatoxin reduction in peanuts - Philippines

• Scale neutral processing technology– Dry blanching/manual sorting for

aflatoxin contaminated peanuts (GP3 Team, Peanut CRSP)

– Reduces aflatoxin levels to undetectable levels

• Originally developed in Philippines – processor began exporting to U.S.

• Transferred to processors in Ghana and Uganda under FTF

Utilization research: Aflatoxin reduction in peanuts

Pepsico & Gov Ethiopia

• Enterprise EthioPEA – 10,000 Ethiopian farmers double

chickpea yields through sustainable intensification

– Will create new markets – within Ethiopia and abroad

• World Food Program will purchase chickpea-based ready-to-use supplementary food benefitting 40,000 Ethiopian children.

• Strengthen chickpea value chain in Ethiopia

Chickpea partnership in Ethiopia

www.feedthefuture.gov