Mr. Martin Eweg Presentation

1. African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services Overview of AFAAS and AAS Country Forum Mr. Martin Eweg Presentation Ministry of Agriculture , Madagascar Country Forum Planning Meeting Madagascar 22 April 2014 www.afaas-africa.org

2. Outline NEPAD- CAADP Challenges in AAS and role of AFAAS AFAAS – Mission and Vision How AFAAS strives to achieve its Vision & Mission Experience Strategic Plan Achievements Country Fora

3. Africa’s Development “Most African countries cannot significantly reduce poverty, increase per capita incomes, and transform into modern economies without focusing on agricultural development” (Diao et al. 2006. The role of development: implications for Sub-Saharan Africa. DSGD Discussion Paper No. 29, IFPRI, Washington).

4. NEPAD- CAADP • NEPAD aims to increase agricultural output by 6% per year by 2015 • CAADP is NEPADs framework for agricultural development   • CAADP has set out 4 interdependant pillars to promote interventions that best respond to African Development • Pillar IV: Agricultural research and technology Dissemination and Adoption

5. Challenges Facing Agricultural Advisory Services (AAS) in Africa Unsupportive Policies Inappropriate AAS delivery approaches Widening scope of AAS Inappropriate funding approaches Low organisational & Institutional Capacities ?! Inability to target poverty and gender Environmental degradation and climate change Ineffective demand for AAS Farmers who are not empowered Poor Market Orientation

6. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? • No continent-wide framework for supporting institutional development of AAS • Lack of mechanisms to develop synergies in AAS between countries • Information exchange not adequate • Low capacity of AAS to address current challenges and future opportunities

7. Some Lessons learned • Extension has been influenced by state’s main policies • Public extension has suffered from lack of extension agents at grassroots acting solely on providing or facilitating information / innovation • Public extension in the ministry is viewed by production-oriented departments as a divided extension system in each organization rather than a unified organization • Agriculture and public extension has suffered from financial deficiencies. • Limited linkage of extension, research and other actors of innovation system

8. AFAAS VISION AND MISSION African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Service • Vision: Agricultural Advisory Services that effectively and efficiently contribute to sustained productivity, profitability and growth of African agriculture for poverty reduction • Mission: Promote lesson learning and add value to initiatives in agricultural advisory services through sharing of information and increased professional interaction

9. AFAAS strives to achieve its Vision & Mission by • serving as a platform for debate and the exchange of experiences on critical issues affecting AAS; •  commissioning studies on topical issues in AAS; •  formulating a data base on best practices; •  organizing seminars and symposia for the purposes of sharing experiences and lessons;

10. AFAAS strives to achieve its Vision & Mission by; • enhancing professional development and growth of AAS providers; • promoting capacity strengthening; •  influencing policies and programs favorable to agricultural advisory services; • lobbying for and coordinating donor efforts and input into agricultural advisory services

11. Experience (cont): Sustained Demand Sub-Saharan African Network on Agricultural Advisory Services (SSANAAS), First networking Symposium and General Assembly Kampala, 2004 (7 countries) • African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) Second Symposium & General Assembly Kampala, 2006 (14 countries) • Strategic Plan • Constitution Third Symposium & General Assembly Accra, 2011 (36 countries)

12. AFAAS Strategic Plan (2011-2016)

13. Achievements 1. Engagement with CAADP • Strategy for AAS engagement in CAADP embedded in the strategic plan for CAADP Pillar IV developed jointly with FARA • Developed capacity of eight AAS experts who shall backstop the CAADP process from an AAS perspective • Guidelines for AAS to engage with country CAADP

14. Achievements (cont:) 2. Information and Knowledge Management • Three Symposia organised; • A website, and a virtual social networking platform; • A conceptual framework for lesson learning developed; • A guide for Piloting Market Oriented AAS; • Study on targeting Women Advisory Service Providers in Capacity Development Programmes; • Study on how issues of Climate Change are being addressed in AAS

15. Achievements (cont:) 3. Country Fora • Guidelines on how to engage with AAS stakeholder in a country to bring about the emergence of CF that are aligned with CAADP. • Country Foraestablished in seven countries (Benin, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda) • Six countries in the process of developing their own Strategic Plans aligned with that of AFAAS

16. Achievements (cont.) 4. Partnerships • A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FARA and AFAAS signed in June 2008 • Partnership with CORAF, ASARECA to be established at sub regional level • GFRAS – Advocacy and Inter-continental networking • ICRA – Country Fora • NRI – Climate change • National Systems e.g. NAADS, MoA Malawi; national AAS capacity strengthening

17. AAS Strategic partners …….. Farmer Organisation Research Systems and Institutions Professional Associations Agricultural Training Institutions AAS Financial Services Agri-business Social Services Public sector

18. Who are the Stakeholders in AAS • AAS providers and agencies • Ministries of agriculture (and related ministries) • Farmer organizations and commodity associations • Civil society groups • Private agribusiness firms providing AAS • Agricultural research institutions • Agricultural extension education institutions • End users (farmers, pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and agribusinesses) • Professional associations • Mass media organizations involved in dissemination of agricultural information • Microfinance institutions and banks • Development partners • Policy makers 

19. CF establishment Process • The process of engaging with AAS stakeholders in a country to facilitate the emergence of a CF is expected as follows: • Interest expressed from AAS stakeholders in the country to engage with AFAAS • Sensitisation and awareness raising • Assessment of status of organisational and institutional status of AAS stakeholders

20. CF establishment Process • Identification of existing entity for country forum or setting up a new entity if this does not exist • Facilitation of the process of establishing a country forum • Facilitation of a CF to develop a strategic plan • Validation of the CF strategic plan with national stakeholders • Facilitation of a CF that has a strategic plan to develop an operational plan

21. Suggested –Interim Steering committee • Chairperson • Vice Chairperson • Secretary General • Treasurer / Finance Secretary • Publicity and Mobilization • Academia • Ministry of Agriculture – Policy development • Public extension – directorate of extension • Farmer Organisations • NGOS • Private Sector • EX Officio - DPs, etc

22. Elements for successful CF Constituency Champions Knowledge Base Supportive environment Institution (Incubator) Institutions (Brooder) Independent Organisation

23. Thank you for Your kind attention

24. For more information contact : email: secretariat @afaas-africa.org/ molupot@afaas-africa.org www.afaas-africa.org & www.g-fras.org