BUILDING
CAPACITY ON ASTI
SYSTEMS :
CTA’S EXPERIENCE
Michael Hailu and Judith Francis
CTA
About CTA
CTA is a joint international institution of the
ACP Group of States (79) and the EU (27).
It operates under the framework of the
Cotonou Agreement.
CTA is funded by the EU.
Our Mission
To advance food and nutritional security,
increase prosperity and encourage sound
natural resource management by
providing access to information and
knowledge, facilitating policy dialogue
and strengthening the capacity of
agricultural and rural development
institutions and communities in ACP
countries
3 Strategic Goals
Strategic Plan 2011- 2015
To support well informed, inclusive agricultural policy processes
and strategies in each ACP region to empower smallholder
producers, women and youth
To promote priority value chains in the ACP, especially for
smallholder producers
To strengthen the information, communication and knowledge
management capacities of ACP institutions and networks
Themes & Activities
Food security, climate change, regional trade & markets,
agricultural innovation, ACP generated content
Multi-disciplinary/multi-stakeholder knowledge platforms
Integrated information systems and communities of practice
Tools, methods and approaches to facilitate policy
formulation and analysis
Case studies & synthesis studies for evidence-based policy &
decision-making
Publications – print and electronic, websites
Challenges for ACP Agriculture
Little diversification in products or services
Increasing hunger and food insecurity
Inability to compete in domestic, regional and
international markets
Sector is under-resourced (human & financial
capital)
Low investments in S&T & limited capacity to
respond to challenges e.g. climate change and
achieve sustainable development
Limited engagement of S&T experts in policy
processes
Africa's increasing population
Africa has the lowest on expenditure on R&D
SOURCES: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind10/c4/c4s5.htm
R&D Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa Scenario
Just 8 countries of 31 countries for which data is available met the 1% of total GDP
national R&D investment target put forward by NEPAD.
African Universities Ranking
Africa’s top university is 324th
Most significant barrier to innovation in Africa is lack of qualified people
Name of University
University of Cape Town
University of Pretoria
Stellenbosch University
Makerere University
University of Johannesburg
Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science & Technology
University of Nairobi
University of Ibadan
Université de Ouagadougou
Country
South Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Uganda
South Africa
Ghana
African Ranking
1
2
3
10
12
13
World Ranking
324
507
540
1,256
1,395
1,559
Kenya
Nigeria
Burkina Faso
26
41
63
2,452
3,499
4,984
Source: Webometric, world university ranking http://www.webometrics.info/top100_continent.asp?cont=africa
Innovation System
A complex network
of policies,
institutions and actors
CTA Capacity Building on ASTI Systems in ACP Countries
2003 – Sensitization of key decision makers to gain buy-in (e.g. CORAF, FARA)
2004 - Initial training of 6 ACP experts (e.g. ISRA, IRAD) on understanding
innovation processes and applying the innovation systems approach (ISA) to
analyzing the ACP agricultural, science, technology and innovation (ASTI) system
Development of TOT manual, conducting regional ASTI System training
workshops & incorporating ACP experts in the training (e.g. 2010 CTA/ANAFE
/CORAF/Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey Niger workshop)
Support for national case studies (>20) – led by ACP experts (e.g. Rice and
fisheries in Senegal, plantain & fisheries in Ghana, cassava in Cameroon & Nigeria)
Piloting the development of ASTI system performance indicators
Key Partners (EU & Africa only)
Photo: 2010 CTA/ANAFE /CORAF/Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey Niger workshop
Countries
Lessons from CTA Case Studies (1)
Commodity for Diversification
Cameroon (IRAD)
The Gambia (NARO)
Export Commodity under threat Commodity for Food Security
Cocoa
Cassava
NERICA rice
Ghana (CSIR & UoG)
Plantain, fisheries
Grenada
Nutmeg
Jamaica
Ginger & Mango
Kenya
Floriculture
Sugar
Malawi
Maize, fisheries
Nigeria
Cassava
Papua New Guinea
Rice
Banana
Senegal (ISRA)
Rice, fisheries
St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Banana
Tanzania & Uganda
Samoa & Tuvalu
Banana
Noni (Morinda citrifolia)
Lessons from CTA Case Studies (2)
Linkages among actors
Actor Linkage
Intensity
Jamaica – Ginger & mango
Cameroon – cassava &
cocoa
Senegal - rice
Public research - enterprise
Weak
Average
Average - strong
Public research –
extension/diffusion
Average
Average
Average - strong
University –
enterprise/farms
Weak
Weak - Average
None - Weak
National – international
research
Weak - Average
Strong
Strong
Extension / diffusion –
Enterprise
Average
Average
Average - strong
Enterprise – enterprise/
Farmer - farmer
Strong
Strong
Very strong
Lessons from CTA Case Studies (3)
Cassava Innovation System Cameroon (IRAD)
Lessons from CTA Case Studies (4)
Environment for Innovation
Infrastructure
PNG – Rice
Jamaica - ginger
Grenada - nutmeg
Tanzania - banana
Malawi - maize
Government
incentives for
innovation
Weak
Weak
Weak
Weak
Average
Scientific / skilled
manpower
Weak
Average
Weak
Weak
Average
Competence of local
universities
Weak
Weak
Weak
Weak
Average
Competence of R&D
org
Average
Average
Weak
Very Weak
Weak
Intellectual Property
Rights
Weak
Weak
Weak
Very Weak
Weak
Venture Capital
Very Weak
Weak
Weak
Very Weak
Weak
Quality of ICT
services
Weak
Strong
Average
Weak
Weak
State of Power
Average
Strong
Average
Weak
Weak
State of water supply
Average
Average
Average
Weak
Weak
Conclusions
Major Lessons
ISA is relevant but not well understood
National policies exist but implementation is weak
Little innovation is taking place (except at farm & SME level)
Knowledge infrastructure is inadequate – universities and research
organizations outside of the innovation system & extension is weak;
Low investments & limited access to funding for research, training and new
technologies for key commodities that are important for food security etc;
Competencies are lacking in critical areas for innovation
Small holder farmers not valued as allies in the fight against hunger and poverty
Recommendations
Enhance the policy & institutional framework
Invest in research, tertiary education & extension
Improve science & technology infrastructure
Develop human resources (youth and women)
Facilitate access to information – technical, financing
and marketing (local, regional, international)
Optimize the use of ICTs
Innovation is essential 4 Development
CTA & ASTI in the Future
Integrate training material into existing university programmes
(ANAFE, FARA & RUFORUM as partners)
Support further training and case studies with a focus on French
West and central Africa (ANAFE, CORAF/WECARD as partners)
Publish the outputs of ACP case studies on CTA K4D website
Build a community of practice of ACP experts on innovation
systems
Link CTA innovation systems and value chain development work
www.cta.int
http://knowledge.cta.int/
http://agritrade.cta.int/
cta@cta.int