AR4D NETWORK CONSULTATIVE ROUNDTABLE: Pre-CAADP Partnership Platform Event Durban, South Africa 17-18 March 2014

1. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
African Society for Agricultural Research
for Development
(ASARD)
Emmanuel Tambi
AR4D NETWORK CONSULTATIVE ROUNDTABLE:
Pre-CAADP Partnership Platform Event
Durban, South Africa
17-18 March 2014

2. 2
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3/20/2014 2Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
FARA and ASARD
Response to demand for collection
action in AR4D at continental level
– Creation of SROs had demonstrated
value of collective action at sub regional
level
– Collective action at continental level was
especially needed for:
• Advocacy,
• Partnerships
• Information exchange
• Capacity development
– A voice for Africa in global forums on
AR4D (e.g. GFAR & CGIAR)
NASRO
ASARECA
CORAF/WECARD
CCARDESA

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3/20/2014 3Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Why collective action is important in AR4D
• 27 of the 48 SSA countries have
populations under 10 million
– makes it difficult to achieve
economies of scale including in S&T
• Heterogeneity of agro-ecologies
within countries and sub regions
(spreads thin the AR4D capacity of
countries)
"There is power in numbers and there is
power in unity."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

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3/20/2014 4Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Why the creation of ASARD
• African agriculture needs a continental AR4D
professional body to support its transformation
• FARA needs a Professional Society for Agricultural
Research for Development in order to:
– Effectively execute its functions and deliver on its mission
– Effectively operationalize the Science Agenda for
Agriculture in Africa
– Effectively deliver knowledge support to the CAADP
country and regional processes

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3/20/2014 5Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Aim, Functions and Objectives of ASARD
• Aim of ASARD:
– Promote AR4D in order to enhance its contribution to
the transformation of African agriculture
• Functions of ASARD:
• Promote and Reward Excellence in AR4D
• Promote AR4D Networking Opportunities
• Facilitate AR4D resource sharing
• Promote Exchange of Information & Knowledge

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3/20/2014 6Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Aim, Functions and Objectives of ASARD
• Objectives of ASARD:
– Umbrella body of constituent regional and national associations
in AR4D
– Professional forum for regular discourse by members of the
FARA Forum
– Source of professional identity for African stakeholders and
academics in AR4D
– Knowledge and capacity pool to be tapped upon on demand for
strategic visioning and foresight
– Facilitate stakeholder cooperation in AR4D to promote and
support agriculture

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3/20/2014 7Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Aim, Functions and Objectives of ASARD
• Objectives of ASARD:
– Provide guidance to countries wishing to form new professional
societies in agriculture where these do not already exist and to
help existing societies to improve the services they are
providing
– Define and set standards for AR4D professionals and promote
high standards of quality through awards and other forms of
recognition
– Support individual researchers through membership services,
publications and events and integrating stakeholders in AR4D
process
– Provide structure and permanency to the triennial African
Agriculture Science Week

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3/20/2014 8Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Aim, Functions and Objectives of ASARD
• Objectives of ASARD:
– Promote scholarly publications on key areas of AR4D and
enhance individual accessibility to publications through
membership subscription
– Publish Journal of African Agricultural Research for
Development (JAARD) and Agricultural Research in Africa
(AGRARIA)
– Develop broad guidelines for research partnerships amongst
South-South, North-South and South-South-North engagements
– Raise public awareness on AR4D
– Promote the visibility and importance of investing in AR4D

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3/20/2014 9Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Actions needed to establish ASARD
• FARA Secretariat in collaboration with the sub-regional
organizations (SROs) and other Forum members will
launch ASARD during the FARA@15 celebrations in
November 2014
• Process of establishing ASARD is largely consultative and
will include:
– Determining governing structure of ASARD
– Stakeholder consultation (face-to-face and e-consultations
mediated by existing networks with wide stakeholder
subscription e.g. FARA-Net)
– Determining target group, call for professionals willing to join
ASARD
– Formulation of strategic statements (i.e. vision, mission and
value proposition)

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3/20/2014 10Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Actions needed to establish ASARD
– Formulation of ASARD’s Charter – rules and guidelines
concerning membership, official duties, meetings,
parliamentary authority, subscription and other guiding
principles
– Instituting Board of Directors for ASARD
– Recruitment of members
– Developing a website and a communication strategy
– Launching of ASARD and the first editions of JAARD and
AGRARIA journals during the FARA@15 celebrations in
November 2014

11. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Thank you for the
attention
www.fara-africa.org