Foro de las Américas para la Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico Agropecuario

1. Foro de las Américas para la Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico Agropecuario www.iica.int/foragro FourthInternational Meeting of FORAGRO "Technological Innovation and Agribusiness Priorities:  Developing a new Institutional Dimension in the Americas," Panama in April 13-15

2. AARINENA MISSION To contribute to the enhancement of agricultural and rural development in the region through fostering agricultural research and technology development and by strengthening collaboration in this regard within and outside the region to achieve greater degree of self-reliance in food and agriculture, and to improve the nutritional well being and overall welfare of the people of the region, while at the same time sustaining and further improving the productive capacity of the natural resource base.

3. Afghanistan Turkey Pakistan Iran Oman Western Asia Sub-Region Mauritania Syria UAE Morocco Cyprus Somalia Qatar Algeria Lebanon Djibouti Bahrain Tunisia Jordan Yemen Kuwait Malta Sudan Palestinian Auth. S. Arabia Egypt Libya Iraq Arabian Peninsula Sub-Region Mashreq Sub-Region Maghreb Sub-Region Nile Valley & Red Sea Sub-Region AARINENA SubRegions

4. Status of Agriculture sector in WANA Region • The Near East and North Africa Region is a “food deficit region”, and perhaps the largest “net food importer” among developing countries. • The food gap in the region is expected to increase due to limited supply compared to effective demand, and therefore food insecurity has become a very serious problem in some countries • Approximately 60% of the population in the region lives in rural areas and is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, and therefore the decreasing agricultural production has a negative impact on food security, as well as on efforts toward poverty alleviation.

5. Status of Agriculture sector in WANA Region • The region is characterized by high population growth rate amounting to 3% , which is higher than the world rate (1.7%) and the industrialized countries rate (0.7%). • The population growth varies greatly from 4.2% in Libya, 3.5% in Yemen, 3.1% in Syria, and 1.9% in Egypt. • The population in 23 countries in the region was estimated as 385 millions in 1995, and expected to reach 582 in 2015

6. Farmers Extension Workers By 4 Partners Researchers The System Main Problems & Bottlenecks of the Agriculture Sector:Weak Linkages in WANA Region are Caused by:

7. Inadequate Training on the following issues: • Reporting, • Effective communication with other stakeholders, • Effective means of technology transfer & monitoring, • Problems diagnostic analysis, • Evaluating and assessing results, • The use of IT as an important tool in extension activities. Physical Isolation Weak Extension Vision Low Wages “Jack of all trades” approach thus losing farmers confidence Confusion of new graduates due to irrelevant education and the reality of either traditional or sophisticated modern farming EXTENSION WORKERS Bottlenecks Causing Weak Linkages in WANA region

8. Irrelevant Motivation as it is mostly for developing personal career. Thus Research Agenda is based on literature irrelevant of actual field needs. Week Tendency for Cooperation with other Stakeholders Thus Reluctant to listen to suggestions or ideas especially from Farmers. Ineffective Interaction with other Stakeholders RESEARCHERS Bottlenecks Causing Weak Linkages in WANA Region

9. SYTEM Bottlenecks Causing Weak Linkages in WANA Region Poor Functioning due to: • Lack of perspective and clear agreed-upon policy, • Organizational structure lacks clear job descriptions, • Inadequate communication of policy makers with other stakeholders, • Insufficient funds for applied research, • Unclear methodology for technology transfer, • Unclear methodology for evaluation & assessment of results, • One direction flow “top down policy”, • Inadequaterepresentationofstakeholders especiallyfarmers.

10. Bylaws of Regional Organizations such as (AARINENA) which sponsors Networks are flexible and allow for participation of non-public entities into Agriculture Developing Activities. Private Sector, FOs and NGOs voices are heard loud and clear which helps bridging the gap between researching & farmers, Enhances the exchange of scientific and technical knowledge and know how. Develops a neutral platform for all stakeholders both National and Regional to discuss problems and propose creative non-traditional solutions to divert scientific research more towards development, Therefore and with self momentum it and through this platform it and consequently, Strengthens partnership among all stakeholders. Regional Networks In Strengthening Agricultural Sector And Inter-regional Collaboration Technical cooperation networks have become an increasingly important means of action and were initiated by AARINENA and supported by GFAR. These networks have become a generic model for the establishment of functional mechanisms for collaboration and enhancement of communication and exchange of experiences among different countries in one region and/or different regions of the world.

11. Secretariat: Cotton Research Institute of Iran Varamin Branch - Iran Established: October, 2002 11 Countries Established: April, 2002 10 Countries Established: February, 2004 7 Countries Established: September, 2004 8 Countries Secretariat: UAE University Al-Ain - UAE Secretariat: Olive Tree Institute Sfax – Tunisia Secretariat: Agriculture Research Center Cairo - Egypt

12. Fund raising for adaptive research, • Provision of experts from other regions, • Organize training courses, workshops and seminars, • Exchange of personnel, • Strengthen cross-linkages between national, regional and international research centers and organizations. Such as AARINENA through its ties with other International Organizations can support national and regional ARD in many areas. The Importance of Regional Networks In Strengthening Linkage on both National , Regional &Inter-regional levels

13. Jordan: Post Harvest Processing Technologies WORKING GROUP 1 Egypt: Production & Protection WORKING GROUP Universities 2 NGOs Research Institutions Private Sector Morocco: Scio-Economic & Commercialization WORKING GROUP 3 F F F F F F F F 2 3 1 Focal Point Regional States Level Example of Networks’ Structural Organization of AARINENA MODEL: “RegionalNetwork Linked to Other Regional Similar Network” Coordinating Board of the Olive Network AARINENA Network ESCORENA (Europe) Secretariat

14. Regional Agricultural Research Information System (RAIS) 1. AARINENA RAIS-Web Site was established in July 2002 operating from AREO Iran in collaboration with GFAR . 2. Then ICT Steering Committee was established to strengthen RAIS . 3. The Members of the steering committee are composed from representatives of the five sub regions and representatives of AOAD, FAO, GFAR, and ICARDA .

15. The ICT Steering Committee held its second meeting at AREEO, September 8-9,2004 • The Committee adopted the strategy which consists of the following: • Framework of Action to develop the WANA-RAIS • Implementation Plan • Collaborative Programs • Implementation Priorities • The committee achieved the following: • Data on the status of NAIS and human resources have been collected and analyzed • AARINENA Web site has been enhanced • A project Proposal has been prepared and ready for donors

16. The Challenge to Agricultural Research in the WANA Region The main research themes and projects that need to be conducted in collaboration with researches from developing countries as well as from developed industrialized world : • Germplasm Enhancement • Production Systems Management • Natural Resource Management • Socioeconomic and Policy • Institutional Strengthening • Information System Management

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