Our Work

AGRINATURA’S STUDIES AND REPORTS

In this section studies, reports, policy briefs are described as a part of Agrinatura work in cooperation with its partners in the field of Agriculture Research for Development for a sustainable future are available and can be downloaded here.

Call for research topics: Lessons learned for value chains development

AGRINATURA has successfully been implementing the EU-funded VCA4D programme since 2016, undertaking more than 30 value chain analyses across different commodities and geographies. As such, VCA4D now has a rich portfolio of studies upon which to review, analyse and reflect. In considering where the VCA4D project goes and how it develops in the future, we would like to commission AGRINATURA to produce a series of research papers to learn lessons from VCA4D and help EU policy makers improving future operations.

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) policy brief

The growing impact of climate change on African agriculture and food systems in the last two decades has created a major threat to food production and food security on the continent. Climate change threatens to derail progress made so far in fighting food insecurity and poverty. Rainfall is increasingly variable in timing, amount, and intensity. Both drought and flooding have become more frequent and severe. Across the continent, more than 51 million smallholder farming households still depend on rain-fed agricultural production systems, putting them at severe risk of climate change Land degradation interacting with climate change represents one of the most urgent challenges for Africa, with profound implications for reduced food production, food insecurity, depleting natural resources, and economic development. The negative effects of climate change are reducing Africa’s GDP by 1.4% and inducing adaptation costs that can reach up to 3% of GDP, every year until 2030. Africa has been losing its forests at a very high rate of 3.9 million ha per year over the last decade, and of 4.4 million ha/ year over 2015-2020, putting at risk the depletion of biodiversity and other ecosystem services, and in turn the sustainability of agriculture production. The adoption of multiple CSA practices, techniques and technologies can help in building sustainable agricultural production systems, particularly in the smallholder farming system, improving farm productivity while adapting and building resilience of farmers and contributing to the reduction of carbon emission. Ecosystem and large-scale land restoration ARE crucial and key pillars of CSA upscaling in Africa. CSA has been widely embraced in Africa as a guiding framework in policies for adaptation and mitigation action for the agricultural sector. But the current pace of transformation is not sufficient. Most African countries are off-track in meeting development and climate action commitments. We need to accelerate progress in making real changes on the ground.

Agrinatura Working Gourps General Introduction

The role of Agricultural Research on food systems transformation - Highlights from the UNFSS Side-event

AGRA. (2021). Africa Agriculture Status Report. A Decade of Action: Building Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems in Africa

This year's Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR) focuses on unpacking the concept of sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.

Activating the intrinsic motivations of beneficiaries for longer lasting conservation and development projects by Driss Ezzine de Blas

How can we design conservation and development projects that produce lasting changes? How can we increase their effectiveness and legitimacy? The classical economic incentives of environmental policies (certification, sustainable forest management, payments for environmental services, green loans, etc.) are effective in the short term, but their environmental performance is not necessarily guaranteed in the long term. However, when the intrinsic motivations of beneficiaries are activated, these beneficiaries take greater ownership of the objectives of actions: they demonstrate more lasting behavioural change. Recent research combining behavioural economics and social psychology, conducted for such projects, is opening a rich and complementary avenue to mobilise this latent human potential. Considering intrinsic motivations implies recognising the importance of the psychological dimension of any action. Research and development decision-makers and donors can and ensure their calls for projects incorporate methods to identify and activate these motivations.

YPARD Mentoring Toolkit

This toolkit synthesises a decade of learnings and resources from agriculture and forestry mentoring programs implemented by Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA) and African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD). This toolkit was developed as part of a GFAR Collective Action and has been funded by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAR) and the European Union. It’s mostly for people who are considering setting up a mentoring program in or for their organization, community, or wider sector. HERE is a link to the mentoring toolkit itself, HERE is a link to a detailed description of the mentoring toolkit and HERE is a link to a summary of the toolkit programme.

Youth and the Rural Economy in Africa - Hard Work and Hazard

This book unites recent findings from quantitative and qualitative research from across Africa to illuminate how young men and women engage with the rural economy and imagine their futures, and how development policies and interventions can find traction with these realities. Through framing, overview and evidence-based chapters, this book provides a critical perspective on current discourse, research and development interventions around youth and rural development. Chapters are organized around commonly-made foundational claims: that large numbers of young people are leaving rural areas, have no interest in agriculture, cannot access land, can be the engine of rural transformation, are stuck in permanent waithood, and that the rural economy can provide a wealth of opportunity. This book: Engages with and challenges current research, policy and development debates.Considers social difference as a way of examining the category of youth.Is written by authors from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, providing varied perspectives.This book draws from existing literature and new analysis of several multi-country and multi-disciplinary studies, focusing on gender and other aspects of social difference. It is suitable for researchers, policy makers and advocates, as well as postgraduate students in international development and agricultural economics.

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Agrinatura Position on Research and Innovation in Food Systems, a contribution to the dialogues preparing the UN Food Systems Summit

Our food systems face severe and urgent challenges that can not be solved with the solutions of the past. The complex problems of agricultural production, enviromental degradation, and health problems under changing climatic conditions need a systemic approach of research and practice. The urgency also calls for closer cooperation in the way forward. The Momentum for change is now!

Innovator's Handbook: Enabling sustainable food systems

Sustainable food systems are fundamental to ensuring that future generations are food secure and eat healthy diets. To transition towards sustainability, many food system activities must be reconstructed, and myriad actors around the world are starting to act locally. While some changes are easier than others, knowing how to navigate through them to promote sustainable consumption and production practices requires complex skill sets. This handbook is written for “sustainable food systems innovators” by a group of innovators from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe who are leading initiatives to grow, share, sell and consume more sustainable foods in their local contexts. It includes experiences that are changing the organizational structures of local food systems to make them more sustainable. The handbook is organized as a “choose your own adventure” story where each reader – individually or in a facilitated group – can develop their own personalized learning and action journeys according to their priorities. The topics included in this handbook are arranged into three categories of organizational innovations: engaging consumers, producing sustainably, and getting products to market.

Strategies-for-Transforming-Smallholder-Farming-in-Africa-OFatunbi-FARA-Final-16122020 obr.pdf

STRATEGIES FOR TRASTRATEGIES FOR TRANSFORMING SMALLHOLDER FARMING IN AFRICANSFORMING SMALLHOLDER FARMING IN AFRICA

FARA has released a new book titled STRATEGIES FOR TRANSFORMING SMALLHOLDER FARMING IN AFRICA. The book was authored by Prof. Oluwole Fatunbi, Lead Specialist for Agricultural Innovation Systems and Partnerships at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Prof Michael Tunde Ajayi, a Professor of Agricultural Administration at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria and Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, the Executive Director of FARA.

Agroecology Now! Transformations Towards More Just and Sustainable Food Systems

Agroecology Now! Transformations Towards More Just and Sustainable Food Systems By: Colin R. Anderson, Janneke Bruil, Michael Jahi Chappell, Csilla Kiss and Michel Pimbert This new open access book develops a framework for advancing agroecology transformations focusing on power, politics and governance. It explores the potential of agroecology as a sustainable and socially just alternative to today’s dominant food regime. The authors analyse the conditions that enable and disable agroecology’s potential and present six ‘domains of transformation’ where it comes into conflict with the dominant food system. They argue that food sovereignty, community-self organization and a shift to bottom-up governance are critical for the transformation to a socially just and ecologically viable food system.

Cocoa agroforestry systems in Africa – the art of reconciling sustainable production and ecological services

The 4-page Perspective is the CIRAD policy brief, designed to fuel debate, influence ideas and support decision-making. It is our pleasure to share with you the latest issue: Cocoa agroforestry systems in Africa – the art of reconciling sustainable production and ecological services

Agrinatura’s position on the future of global food systems in relation the EC’s Farm to Fork Strategy

The ambitions of the Commission’s Green Deal and especially the Farm to Fork Strategy have caused intense discussions within our member organisations. These have resulted in a collectively written position paper. Agrinatura feels strongly that research, education and innovation are key drivers to bring about a true transformation to resilient and environmentally-sound food systems. We highlight five key recommendations that summarize our priorities in fulfilling the global dimensions of the F2F Strategy.

Agris Mundus Master of Science in Sustainable Development in Agriculture – Book of Abstarcts

This document its a compilation of research works to which the students of the Agris Mundus master have been working during their studies. Approximately 200 different works, the majority for the country of the South illustrates the challenges posed by population growth, the internationalization of food markets and trade, or the growing competition for water, land or for natural resources in general.These researchers have been taken into account in response for problems dealing with stregthing the food security of rural people, mitigation poverty, loss of biodiversity and losses of others resources.

CDAIS Stories of change

This document its a compilation of stories of change after the implementation of CDAIS project, personal change, improve their livelihoods giving examples of personal improvement over the past twelve months.

2017 CDAIS Global Overview

The following document describes provides insights into the achievements, lessons learnt, and ways forward, from experiences amongst the eight CDAIS pilot countries in 2017.

Mid-term Evaluation of the Project “Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems” (CDAIS)

This document presents the results of the Mid-term Evaluation of the Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovations Systems (CDAIS) project implemented by Agrinatura and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The project was designed to support the implementation of the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) action plan by establishing a global mechanism to promote, coordinate and evaluate capacity development approaches to strengthen Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS), with approaches validated in eight pilot countries (Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Laos and Rwanda).

CDAIS Global Overview 2016

This document represents the global overview of the accomplished on agricultural innovation system of eight pilot countries. This global overview offers shared perspectives and jointly developed approaches. Although methodologies were developed into country adapted packages for training facilitators on how to conduct capacity needs assessments, guidelines or monitoring, evaluation and learning at all project levels.

MSFSCC Project Brief 2018

The following document describes the insights of the MSFSCC projects, goals, latest news and ongoing process for developing a generation more conscious, interdisciplinary professionals able to address the challenges imposed for climate change and food security in the Southeast Asian Region.

NRI Annual Review 2017

The Annual Review 2016-2017 covers the global challenges as a food and nutrition security, to land and environmental management, markets and responsible business, and gender and inequality through research and implementation of the successful project through the year to tackle the root cause of poverty and improve the people live for smallholder communities in developing countries.

VCA 4-pager French (1) VCA 4 -pager Spanish (1) VCA 4-pager English (1)

The functional analysis of VCA4D gives an overall understanding of how the VC is organised (actors, governance…) and how it operates. It encompasses three main areas. Overall description and mapping of the VC system: identifying the actors, indicating geographic distribution of activities and quantifying flows. Main technical features: typologies of production entities (farmers, MSMEs, etc. and service providers; benchmarking; synthesis of key known physical and technological constraints and risks. Understanding the governance: structural analysis (e.g. concentration of activities in oligopolies or oligopsonies); general organisation and forms of coordination, information flows, power relations; regulatory and policy framework.

VCA4D Metodological Brief

The following document described the methodology to provide evidence based elements supported by indicator measured quantitatively or based on an expert assessment to answer the four framing questions (FQ) based on four types of analysis such as functional, economic, environmental & social analysis.

VCA4D-Mali 6-pager

The following document describes the methodological framework for analysis that has been developed by the European Commission and the studies are performed by research teams from Agrinatura members. It aims to understand to what extent the value chain allows for inclusive growth and whether it is both socially and environmentally sustainable. The analysis often considers the comparison between different technical and commercial systems. For this case, the rice value chain Analysis in Mali was taken into account to foster the policy dialogue within the sector.

FFKP AUDIENCE DATA OVERVIEW

More than 15,000 relevant contents are available on the FFKP and over 90 countries are actively participating. In Europe and Central Asia, 39 governments have nominated Focal Points which are actively contributing to the Platform and 41 non-state actors (research centres, farmers’ organizations, etc.)

Final draft Minutes GFAR 31st Steering Committee Rome Feb 2017

The following document describes the two-day meeting on 8-9 February to set the agenda for this unique global forum on agri-food research and innovation, towards helping to meet the UN’s 2030.GFAR is a global network for concerted action, knowledge exchange and advocacy and the Steering Committee now comprise 34 elected representatives, from across 13 sectors involved in agricultural research and innovation at international, regional and local levels. Through the meeting, SC Members agreed the key areas of focus to be addressed in their next GFAR Medium-Term-Plan and set out ideas and alternatives on the forms of partnership and means of communication needed for collective action and advocacy in these focal areas.

Ethiopian dairy value chains

The following article analyzes the opportunities and constraints for upgrading product quality in the dairy value chain in Ethiopia. The analysis is based on an integrated understanding of supply chain performance both from the producer and from consumer perspectives.

Family Farming Knowledge Platform Data_December 2016

The Family Farming Knowledge Platform gathers digitized quality information on family farming from all over the world; including national laws and regulations, public policies, best practices, relevant data and statistics, researches, articles and publications. It provides a single access point for international, regional and national information related to family farming issues; integrating and systematizing existing information to better inform and provide knowledge-based assistance to policy-makers, family farmers’ organizations, development experts, as well as to stakeholders in the field and at the grassroots level.

Value Chain Analysis for Development VCA4D DEVCO C1

Value Chain Analysis for Development (VCA4D) constitutes strategic productive systems relevant to promote agricultural-based activities through policies and investments to engage farmers and business. Its response to the need for quantitative data to inform decision-makers. It provides a detailed assessment of a VC’s operation and its impact on the main economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Agriculture Market information systems – policy brief

This paper shows how MIS information can be used by farmers both for advocating for more producer-friendly policies (through farmers’ organization) and to guide their production and marketing decisions (choice of what, when and where to sell). Market Information Systems (MIS) started to be promoted in developing countries in the 1980s, after market liberalization and the withdrawal of parastatal agencies from agricultural sector.

Capacity development for agricultural research for development – policy brief

This paper discusses issues related to support for capacity strengthening for agricultural research for development (ARD) by member countries of the European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development. It recapitulates the findings of an analysis of the policies, programmes and projects in capacity strengthening for ARD of fourteen European countries.

Capacity development for agricultural research for development – study

This paper reviews the current policies and programmes of EIARD members in relation to capacity development and makes recommendations on future directions. The main issues and recommendations were incorporated into a policy brief in which specific policy options or guidelines are presented.

From IAASTD and the WDR 2008 to the GCARD process: rethinking the role of Agricultural research for development – policy brief

The goal of this policy brief is to explore the implications of the 2008 International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) for the policies and investments in Agricultural Research for Development (ARD) of the European Commission and the European countries members of EIARD.

Impact Assessment Policies and Practices of EIARD members – policy brief

The overall aim of this study is to ‘review and compare the policies and practices of different EIARD members in impact assessment to increase relevance, uptake and coordination of efforts by and for EIARD members, stakeholders and policy-makers’. This policy brief is based on a study which explored current methodological advances and debates in impact assessment and analysed the current impact assessment practices of EIARD members.

Impact assessment policies and practices of EIARD members – study

The overall aim of this study is to review and compare the policies and practices of different EIARD members in impact assessment to increase relevance, uptake and coordination of efforts by and for EIARD members, stakeholders and policy-makers’. The report discusses current methodological advances and debates in impact assessment and the current practices of EIARD members, using the information provided by their national contact points, database and literature searches and selected case studies, in order to develop practical recommendations for improvement and greater coordination and alignment.

Making ARD more pro-poor, Improving the accessibility and relevance of ARD results to the poorest – policy brief

This policy brief addresses the challenge of using the funds that European Union (EU) member states and the European Commission support Agricultural Research for Development (ARD) in sub-Saharan Africa effectively to alleviate poverty and hunger in the developing world by explicitly identifying the poor, involving them in the research process and making research results accessible to them.

Making ARD more pro-poor, Improving the accessibility and relevance of ARD results to the poorest – study

The European Union (EU), through Food Security Thematic Programme (FSTP), is supporting the European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development (EIARD) with the overall purpose of achieving “Coherent, coordinated, relevant and effective European policies for and investments in agricultural research for development that support the food security agenda”.This study contributes to strengthening EU policies towards the MDGs in general, and mainly food security issues. The study pays particular attention to two aspects of pro-poor ARD: a) involvement of the poor in ARD, and b) access of the poor to ARD results.

Agenda for Change

The Commission is proposing an Agenda for Change to strengthen Europe’s solidarity with the world’s developing nations in this fight. As the Lisbon Treaty states, supporting developing countries’ efforts to eradicate poverty is the primary objective of development policy and a priority for EU external action in support of EU's interests for a stable and prosperous world. Development of the policy also helps address other global challenges and contributes to the EU-2020 Strategy.