Curated Content

This report assesses trends in investments, human resource capacity, and outputs in agricultural research in SSA, excluding the private (for-profit) sector. The analysis uses information collected by Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI)—led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) within the portfolio of the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM). The comprehensive datasets were derived from primary surveys, collected through a series of consecutive data collection rounds; a small number of secondary sources, where survey data were missing or of poor quality; and ASTI’s older investment and human resource datasets. This report highlights the cross-cutting trends and challenges that emerged from the country-level data, structuring it within four broad areas: funding capacity, human resource capacity, research outputs, and institutional conditions—all in terms of whether they support or impede the effective and efficient conduct of agricultural research. This report concludes with a set of policy recommendations for regional and national-level decision makers, and other stakeholders.

Throughout Africa indigenous and indigenised vegetables and fruit have sustained rural populations for many centuries. Through natural selection by survival under local environmental conditions, aided by collection of seeds from top-performing plants only by local farmers, these have become adapted to these conditions. Unfortunately, indigenous plants have received scant attention by researchers in Africa (including South Africa) in regard to improving agronomic practices and upgrading genetic potential. Likewise, little attention has been given to studies on their nutritional value and the bio-availability of nutrients contained in them. It seems as if there has recently emerged new interest amongst South African researchers in these crops. It is hoped that this publication will help to promote this interest further.

The volume of international climate finance for adaptation is increasing. At the same time, adaptation planning is preparing the ground for implementation in many countries. The demand for adaptation technologies is likewise growing, while improving access to adaptation technologies has become a priority for political actors. To meet these needs, a new institutional set up was created following the UNFCCC Cancun Agreements of 2010 called the ‘Technology Mechanism’, which is designed to promote the transfer of such technologies to developing countries. The mechanism is comprised of the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN).

This policy brief addresses the difficulties of determining vulnerability through global indices and gives recommendations on how to use and interpret them including in the international climate policy context. The policy brief is based on a comparison of country rankings of four common vulnerability and risk indices

The Paris Agreement calls for enhanced transparency of adaptation action and an assessment of collective progress via a Global Stocktake. This policy brief outlines how country-specific monitoring and evaluation (M&E) can provide valuable information on adaptation actions and results and how this supports the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Based on good practice examples from pioneering countries, recommendations are provided how to develop national adaptation M&E systems that can track progress and inform decision making.

Implementing adaptation under the Paris Agreement: how can comprehensive climate risk management (CRM) support National Adaptation Planning (NAP) processes and NDC implementation

The present study on the “Use of ICT for Agriculture in GIZ projects – Status quo, opportunities and challenges” is meant to be a practical guideline for projects and planning officers alike. It is based on an analysis of past, current and planned ICT4Ag experiences in GIZ, with special focus on extension, training and agricultural value chain development, and enriched with experiences and lessons learned by other developing organizations.

The objective of the study was to provide a general overview on the development, risks and potentials of ICT4Ag, to do a stock taking and compile a list of ongoing GIZ projects with ICT4Ag experience, to gain more insight in the current application and use of ICT solutions in GIZ agriculture programs and projects, to collect the available results and learnings ‘from the field’, and to match these with global lessons on ICT4D and ICT4Ag.

Agriculture remains the economic backbone of most developing countries in terms of gross domestic product, employment and rural livelihoods. This is especially true of many Sub-Saharan African countries where agriculture accounts for more than 50% of GDP output and employs around 70% of the population.

Access to and the provision of demand-driven financial services is key if agriculture is to grow and is to play a central and decisive role in reducing poverty and hunger and generating much needed jobs in rural areas. At the same time, it is also one of the main constraints holding back the development and professionalization of agriculture and the food sector. Access to financial services remains one of the key challenges for rural areas in general and for agriculture in particular.

Financing agriculture, or more broadly speaking providing access to and offering financial services for agriculture, is complex and requires not only a deep understanding of agriculture, but also of financial institutions.

Agricultural biodiversity (or agrobiodiversity) includes all components of biological diversity of relevance to food and agriculture, and all components of biological diversity that constitute the agricultural ecosystems. The main challenge for the agricultural sector is to simultaneously secure enough high-quality agricultural production for global food and nutrition security, conserve biodiversity and manage natural resources, as well as improve human health and wellbeing, especially for poor people in developing countries.

This sample of factsheets covers the following topics:

Factsheet 1: Understanding agrobiodiversity

Factsheet 2: Agrobiodiversity - plant genetic resources

Factsheet 3: Agrobiodiversity – animal genetic resources

Factsheet 4: International agreements on agrobiodiversity

Factsheet 5: Incentives for agrobiodiversity conservation

Factsheet 6: Adding value to agrobiodiversity

Factsheet 7: Agrobiodiversity for survival

How can we transfer natural risks out of rural livelihooods to empower and protect people?