- Agricultural research spending in Sub-Saharan Africa grew by 9% from 2011-2014 while the number of researchers grew by 15%, but spending growth was still four times slower than growth in overall agricultural spending. - Conventional targets of investing 1% of agricultural GDP in research do not account for differences in country characteristics, and the ASTI has developed an intensity index to establish more tailored investment targets based on factors like income level and agricultural diversity. - There remains a large investment gap of 39% between actual research spending in Sub-Saharan Africa and estimated attainable levels based on the intensity index.

1. Comprehensive Overview of Investment and
Human Capacities in African Agricultural
Research: What is new from ASTI?
Technologies, Platforms and Partnerships in support of the African agricultural science agenda
Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire / April 4 and 5, 2017
Nienke Beintema
Program head, ASTI/IFPRI

2.  Provides open-access data and analysis on agricultural
research investment, human resource capacity, and
outputs in low- and middle-income countries
 Close collaboration with national agricultural research
institutes
 Compares trends over time and across countries/regions
 Conduct additional policy-relevant analysis of the structure
and composition of agricultural research
 Further enhance dissemination and advocacy activities to
ensure uptake of key ASTI messages
www.asti.cgiar.org

3. ASTI’s latest data collection/analysis round
 Update and expand its current datasets on agricultural
R&D investments and human resource capacities
 Include the collection of output indicators and more
granular data on human resource capacity (e.g., discipline
mix, student enrollments/graduations)
 Covering 36 countries in Africa south of the Sahara
 With RUFORUM, preparation of African higher education
capacities portal (see Charles presentation later)
 Late April: Regional synthesis report, country factsheets
and updated/new datasets in ASTI’s online tools

4. Previous challenges/trends
still pertain

5. Agricultural research investment trends (1)
 Big NARS versus small NARS
 Two speed spending growth
 Growth often due to salary
increases; seldom additional
funding for research
0
100
200
300
400
500
Nigeria
SouthAfrica
Kenya
Ghana
Uganda
Ethiopia
Tanzania
Côted'Ivoire
Senegal
BurkinaFaso
Cameroon
Zimbabwe
Rwanda
Namibia
Mali
DRCongo
Mauritius
Mozambique
Malawi
Zambia
Benin
Botswana
Mauritania
SierraLeone
Niger
Burundi
Chad
Madagascar
Guinea
Togo
Swaziland
Liberia
Rep.ofCongo
TheGambia
C.Afr.Rep.
Eritrea
Lesotho
CaboVerde
Gabon
Guinea-Bissau
Total agriculturalresearch spending
(million 2011 PPP dollars)
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
SierraLeone
Zimbabwe
Uganda
Niger
Ghana
Tanzania
Burundi
Nigeria
BurkinaFaso
SouthAfrica
Malawi
Ethiopia
Rep.ofCongo
Benin
Senegal
Zambia
Mauritius
Kenya
Côted'Ivoire
Botswana
Mauritania
TheGambia
Namibia
Mali
Madagascar
Guinea
Gabon
Togo
Yearly annual growth ($)

6. Agricultural research investment trends (2)
 Underinvestment continues
with research spending falling
behind agricultural output
growth
 Volatility in spending, mostly
due to fluctuations in donor
funding
 Recent large world bank loans
(APPSA, EAAPP, WAAPP) for
infrastructure and human
resource enhancement
0
10
20
30
40
50
1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
Example: Burkina Faso's total agricultural
research spending (million 2011 PPP dollars)
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
1 percent target
Agriculturalresearch spending
as a shareof AgGDP (%)

7. Human resource capacity trends (1)
 Growth in PhD-qualified
researchers is lagging behind
 Low female presentation in
many countries
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
MSc
BSc
PhD
Total agriculturalresearchers (FTEs)
0
10
20
30
40
50
Lesotho
Namibia
Mauritius
SouthAfrica
CaboVerde
Mozambique
Madagascar
Botswana
Tanzania
Zimbabwe
Swaziland
Nigeria
Kenya
Zambia
Uganda
Gabon
Rwanda
Senegal
Ghana
Cameroon
Malawi
SierraLeone
BurkinaFaso
Rep.ofCongo
Côted'Ivoire
Burundi
Niger
Mauritania
Benin
Mali
Ethiopia
DRCongo
Guinea
TheGambia
Togo
Chad
2008 2014Female shares

8. Human resource capacity trends (2)
 Many other human resource challenges, including:
• High staff turnover
• Uncompetitive remuneration packages
• Insufficient training and mentoring opportunities
for young researchers.
0
20
40
60
80
100
Namibia
Guinea
Mali
Swaziland
Rep.ofCongo
Chad
SierraLeone
Madagascar
Botswana
Kenya
DRCongo
Ghana
Nigeria
Benin
BurkinaFaso
Mozambique
Lesotho
TheGambia
Niger
Cameroon
Tanzania
Senegal
Burundi
Mauritius
Gabon
Zambia
Ethiopia
Uganda
Zimbabwe
Togo
SouthAfrica
Malawi
Côted'Ivoire
Rwanda
Mauritania
CaboVerde
Shareof PhD-qualified researchers (%)
 Aging of researcher staff;
more serious for PhD-qualified
researchers

9. What is new?

10. SSA’s researcher spending and researcher trends
 Total agricultural research spending increased by 9
percent and total number of researchers by 15 percent
during 2011-2014
0
3,200
6,400
9,600
12,800
16,000
0
600
1,200
1,800
2,400
3,000
1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
Totalnumberofresearchers
(FTEs)
Totalspending
(million2011PPPdollars)
Spending
Researchers

11. Comparing with other agricultural investment
areas
 Governments more than doubled their investments in
agriculture during 2000–2014; agricultural research
spending grew at a four times slower rate
100
150
200
250
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Index(2000=100)
Agricultural research spending
Agricultural spending

12. Compared to other agricultural investment areas
 Governments more than doubled their investments in
agriculture during 2000–2014; agricultural research
spending grew at a four times slower rate
100
150
200
250
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Index(2000=100)
Agricultural research spending
Agricultural spending

13. Moving beyond 1-size-fits-all targets
 Conventional target of investing 1 percent of AgGDP into
agricultural research assume investments should be
proportional to size of agricultural sector
 But capacity to invest should depend on a range of
variables such as:
• Country’s income level
• Level of diversification of agricultural production
• Availability of relevant technology spillovers from other countries
 Recently released ASTI Intensity Index
• Countries with a same mix of inputs are expected to require
similar minimum levels of research investments

14. Moving beyond 1-size-fits-all targets
 Conventional target of investing 1 percent of AgGDP into
agricultural research assume investments should be
proportional to size of agricultural sector
 Investment targets should be established based on
structural characteristics of the country such as:
• Country’s income level
• Level of diversification of agricultural production
• Availability of relevant technology spillovers from other countries
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Mauritius
Namibia
Botswana
SouthAfrica
Zimbabwe
Senegal
BurkinaFaso
Ghana
Uganda
CaboVerde
Lesotho
Swaziland
TheGambia
Kenya
Rwanda
Côted'Ivoire
Liberia
Malawi
Zambia
Mauritania
Burundi
Rep.of…
Mali
Benin
Mozambique
DRCongo
Cameroon
Guinea
Tanzania
Eritrea
SierraLeone
Ethiopia
Niger
C.Afr.Rep.
Nigeria
Togo
Madagascar
Gabon
Chad
Guinea-…
1 percent target
Agriculturalresearchspending
asashareofAgGDP(%)

15. ASTI Intensity index
 Countries with a same mix of inputs are expected to
require similar minimal levels of research investments
• Levels below that can be interpreted as underinvestment
• For large number of countries the 1-percent target is
unattainable
 ASTI intensity index can be used to measure a country’s
investment gap. For SSA as a whole, the investment gap,
including donor and other non-government funding is
estimated to be 39%
Actual agricultural research
investment = $2.4 billion (61%)
Investment gap = $1.6 billion
(39%)
Estimated attainable agricultural researchinvestment = $4.0 billion

16. Thank you
www.asti.cgiar.org