It was preceded by the production by Dr. Han Roseboom and Dr. Jock Anderson of an Issues Paper (IP) with an accompanying literature survey describing interventions in capacity building in agricultural research for more than five decades.

 

Participants came from different institutions involved in ARD, universities, international agricultural research institutions(e.g. CIAT, IFPRI, CIRAD), the World Bank, global and regional fora (GFAR, FARA), private companies,  NGOs. Harry Palmier represented the GFAR Secretariat.

 

Past investments in National Agriculture Research Systems (NARS) capacity development have not met expectations due to insufficient  national investments and ups-and-downs in donor investments.  A new USAID/Feed the Future Initiative should capitalize for sustainability on political will and investments at national level and focus primarily on Sub-Saharan Africa. It will continue to mobilize American Universities capacities and the CGIAR. It was suggested that USAID also consider regional objectives in this strategy, recognizing the potential of regional agricultural innovations platforms coordinated b FARA (SSA-CP) and CORAF/WECARD in increasing small farmers productivity and improving livelihoods, while managing natural resource constraints. This would imply strengthening selected NARS opened to regional and international collaboration. Nutrition and gender objectives should also be part of future capacity development investments.

 

A “final” Issues Paper will be produced. The current version makes reference to GFAR and the GCARD Roadmap as “a serious attempt to Redefining national, regional and international roles in agricultural research” and addressing capacity development through collaborative AR4D programmes.