Kofi Annan speaking at the 'Toward a Green Revolution in Africa?' conference 30 Apr 08. Credit: Herman Seidl. Future Agricultures
The Future Agricultures Consortium aims to encourage critical debate and policy dialogue on the future of agriculture in Africa. The Consortium is a partnership between research-based organisations in Africa and the UK , with work currently focusing on Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi.
Through stakeholder-led policy dialogues on future scenarios for agriculture, informed by field research, the Consortium aims to elaborate the practical and policy challenges of establishing and sustaining pro-poor agricultural growth in Africa. Current work focuses on four core themes:
Policy processes: what political, organisational budgetary processes promote or hinder pathways to pro-poor, agriculture-led growth? What role should different actors, including Ministries of Agriculture, have in this?
Growth and social protection: what are the trade-offs and complementarities between growth and social protection objectives?
Agricultural commercialisation: what types of commercialisation of agriculture both promote growth and reduce poverty? What institutional and market arrangements are required?
Science, technology and innovation: how can agricultural technology be made to work for the poor? How are technology trajectories linked to processes of agrarian/livelihood change?
New
New! FAC/ODI Briefing Paper - Rising Food Prices: A global crisis
The FAC, ODI and the Chronic Poverty Research Centre have just published a briefing which examines the causes of rising food prices, expected trends, the likely impact, and possible policy responses.
New! Kofi Annan calls for a 'Uniquely African Green Revolution' to address food crisis
Mr Annan was speaking at the ‘Toward a Green Revolution in Africa' conference in Salzburg, Austria, which kicks off a multi-year initiative by the Salzburg Global Seminar, the Future Agricultures Consortium and the Institute of Development Studies in the UK. The initiative seeks to develop a new vision for African agricultural development.
Full text of the speech
Blog from Salzburg
New! FAC engagement with CAADP
Future Agricultures Consortium partner Amdissa Teshome reports from the CAADP Review & Partnership Platform Meeting (March 17-20 2008)
New DFID Research Strategy 2008-2013
DFID will spend around £1 billion over the next five years on development research. The UK Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander revealed details of the new priorities at the London launch on April 22nd.
Details and reactions>>
DFID's strategy on Sustainable Agriculture>>
Evaluation of Malawi Agricultural Input Subsidy Programme
Future Agricultures Consortium partners Andrew Dorward, Ephraim Chirwa and colleagues have produced a major evaluation of the 2006/7 Malawi Government Agricultural Input Subsidy Programme (AISP). The team assessed the impact and implementation of the AISP in order to provide lessons for future interventions in growth and social protection.
Consortium Phase 2 confirmed
Following the recent completion of a successful Mid-Term Review, the Future Agricultures Consortium has secured funding for a second phase. A detailed planning workshop took place in February.
World Development Report 2008
The World Development Report 2008 is on ‘Agriculture for Development’. The report calls for greater investment in agriculture in developing countries and warns that the sector must be placed at the centre of the development agenda if the goals of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 are to be realised.
