New international land deals database reveals rush to buy up Africa

27 April 2012. guardian.co.uk. New international land deals database reveals rush to buy up Africa. World's largest public database lifts lid on the extent and secretive nature of the global demand for land.

Almost 5% of Africa's agricultural land has been bought or leased by investors since 2000, according to an international coalition of researchers and NGOs that has released the world's largest public database of international land deals.

The database, lifts the lid on a decade of secretive deals struck by governments, investors and speculators seeking large tracts of fertile land in developing countries around the world.

The past five years have seen a flood of reports of investors snapping up land at rock-bottom prices in some of the world's poorest countries. But, despite growing concern about the local impacts of so-called "land grabs", the lack of reliable data has made it difficult to pin down the real extent and nature of the global rush for land.

Researchers estimate that more than 200m hectares (495m acres) of land – roughly eight times the size of the UK – were sold or leased between 2000 and 2010. Details of 1,006 deals covering 70.2m hectares mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America were published by the Land Matrix project, an international partnership involving five major European research centres and 40 civil society and research groups from around the world.

It is the first time a comprehensive list of international land deals has been collected and made public. The database relies on a wide variety of sources – including media reports, academic research and field-based investigations – to add detail to a global phenomenon notoriously shrouded in secrecy.

A separate report published on 25 April 2012 by the International Land Coalition, the NGO Global Witness, and the US-based Oakland Institute, denounced the "secretive culture" around large-scale land deals, and demanded governments and businesses disclose contracts and detailed information about potential risks and impacts of land-based investments.

"Far too many people are being kept in the dark about massive land deals that could destroy their homes and livelihoods," says Megan MacInnes, senior land campaigner at Global Witness. "Companies should have to prove they are doing no harm, rather than communities with little information or power having to prove that a land deal is negatively affecting them."

Second Stakeholders' Conference "Steps to Innovation"

April 24th to April 25th in Dakar, Sénégal. The second CAAST-Net Stakeholders' Conference on Africa-Europe S&T Cooperation was hosted by the Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur, des Universités et des Centres Universitaires Régionaux et de la Recherche Scientifique (Ministry of Higher Education and Regional Academic Centres and Scientific Research).

The purpose of the CAAST.Net Stakeholders' conferences was to support science and technology (S&T) policy engagements between Europe and Africa by facilitating a stakeholder dialogue around policy topics of mutual interest that are considered important for the enhancement of S&T collaboration between Africa and Europe. 

Concurrent conference workshops took place on promoting industry-academia relationships and entrepreneurship; commercialisation of different sources of knowledge; protecting knowledge and innovations; and securing financing to foster innovation projects.

Approximately one hundred experts and stakeholders from Europe and Africa attended the conference. Participants included policy stakeholders, academics and research scientists, implementing governmental agencies, civil society and international organisations, among others.


Le ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, porte-parole du gouvernement, Serigne Mbaye Thiam, présidait l’ouverture de la 2-ème Conférence des parties prenantes du Réseau pour la coordination et l’avancement de la coopération scientifique et technologique entre l’Afrique sub-saharienne et l’Union européenne (CAAST-NET)

Businesses in Agric Sector Get Funding Boost

April 15, 2012. The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) has launched a new competition for agri-business and rural financial services for Liberia and Sierra Leone, DR. Congo, and Somalia. The competition allows privately-owned businesses involved in the agriculture sector in the post-conflict economies of Liberia, Sierra Leone, DR Congo, and Somalia to compete for its matching grant funds, which range from US$250,000 to US$1.5 million per project.

 The AECF runs competitions open only to for-profit companies, and has to date funded over 80 projects in Africa including three in Sierra Leone. KPMG is the Fund Manager of the AECF. The competition seeks innovative business ideas in agri-business, financial services and value chains that combine commercial viability with development.

The West Africa Director of the Fund, Dr. George Manu, told reporters during the launch in Monrovia on Wednesday, April 19, 2012 that:

A project must be commercially viable and have a positive impact on the rural poor in Africa in order to qualify for funding. Furthermore, as the AECF operates on a risk sharing basis, companies applying would need to match our funding or make significant contribution to the projects.

IFPRI 2011 Global Food Policy Report

23 April 2012. The 2011 Global Food Policy Report, a new flagship publication recently launched by the International Food Policy Research Institute, presents a broad picture of the year’s food policy issues as well as areas that require future attention.

Based on rigorous research, the Global Food Policy Report is designed specifically to provide an overview of 2011 and an outlook for 2012 for non-technical audiences. For the international community, the 2011 Global Food Policy Report makes a number of specific recommendations:

• The G20 should do more to reduce competition between biofuel and food production and discourage trade restrictions that exacerbate price swings. 
• The international community should consolidate global and regional agricultural growth strategies and create or strengthen the institutions needed to make these strategies work. 
• Rio+20 conference participants should integrate economic, social, and environmental sustainability in their discussions and commit to concrete action on long-term development challenges, including poor nutrition, degraded soils, and scarce water. 
• A broad intersectoral coalition should work together to address nutrition, food, and health issues.

• Launch Seminar: April 23
• Full Report
• Preview booklet: English | Français
• Media materials
• All related video

Download in PDF

• Full Report (PDF 7.6M)
• Preview (PDF 974K)
• Aperçu (PDF 954K)

Spring Linky Party

I was just surfing around blogland and I found a Spring Linky Party which I joined up with.  Click on the picture to hop on over for some awesome Spring Theme ideas!!

New Product in My TPT Store

I had the chance to add a few items to my Teachers Pay Teachers store today.  These are tutorials that I have for sale on my papercrafting blog - Stamper On The Shore. 

This first tutorial shows you the steps to create an adorable flower bouquet card which my class will be making for their Moms for Mother's Day.

There are very clear, step by step instructions.

I used flower punches for this card, but you could easily adapt it for bought paper flowers, or have the children make their own flowers.

Scroll down for more photos and a second tutorial.

CLICK HERE

to download the tutorial

This second tutorial is more for the Staff.

If you are interested in scrapbooking or card making

this layout is excellent for a new baby, or young child.

Included are step-by-step instructions.  Including how to make those cute box pleat, and that pop-up sailboat.  Although I used Stampin' Up! product on this page, you can adapt it for similarly coloured papers.

CLICK HERE

to download the tutorial.

Second Annual Ministerial Dialogue on Integrating Research, Extension and Education in the CAADP Country Process for Increased Agricultural Productivity in Africa

18-19 April 2012. FARA Secretariat, Accra, Ghana.

The purpose of the dialogue was to provide a platform for Ministers of Agriculture; Science &; Technology; Education; and other agriculture-related Ministries to examine the topical issues relating to integrating research, extension and education into the CAADP country process for increased agricultural productivity in Africa.

Participants at the 2nd Annual Dialogue included: representatives of the Governments of Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Also in attendance were the African Union/NEPAD, the ECOWAS Parliament, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), ECOBank, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP/EU (CTA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Kuffuor Foundation, the First Bank International, the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), Tertiary Education for Agriculture Mechanism (TEAM Africa) and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).

The specific objectives were to:

• Identify issues of strategic importance to integrating research, extension and education in the CAADP country process, stimulate dialogue on them. 
• Identify how to develop strategies for integrating research, extension and education in the CAADP country process. 
• Raise awareness among Ministers and parliamentarians of the need for increased investments in research, extension and education. 

See: ommuniqué

Presentations:

1. Enhancing agricultural development in Africa. Key note address by Pro. Monty P. Jones (FARA) 
2. Integrating research, extension and education in the CAADP country process for increased agricultural productivity. (Ms. Idowu Ejere- FARA)
3. Contribution of pillar IV to the CAADP country process. (Dr. Emmanuel Tambi- FARA)
4. CAADP country process. (Dr. Marcel Nwalozie- AU-NPCA) 
5. Innovation systems for enhancing the value of research, extension and education. (Dr. Adewale Adekunle- FARA) 
6. Funding of agricultural research, extension and education: private sector perspectives. (Mr. Dauda Lawal- First Bank International) 
7. Developing capacities for improving agricultural productivity. (Dr. Irene Annor-Frempong- FARA) Improving agricultural productivity through direct access to knowledge resources. (Dr. Stephen Rudgard- FAO)
8. CAADP Pillar IV strategy and operational plan. (Dr. Emmanuel Tambi - FARA) 
9. Agricultural Advisory Services (AAS) strategy and operational plan. (Dr. Silim Nahdy - AFAAS) Tertiary Agricultural Education (TAE) mechanism. (Prof. Hamidou Boly - TEAM Africa) 
10. Systems for knowledge management. (Mrs. Myra Wopereis - FARA) 
11. Emerging and cross-cutting issues affecting agriculture in Africa. (Dr. Ramadjita Tabo - FARA)

Pilot for protecting against counterfeit crop protection products

Anecdotal evidence collected across all agribusiness sectors in 12 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa indicates that counterfeit agricultural inputs account for more than 30 percent of all retail agro-input purchases. 

Unscrupulous entrepreneurs produce counterfeit pesticide packaging and fill it with inert product, sell inferior grain as quality seed and palm gravel off as fertilizer.  Neither law enforcement agencies nor Ministries of Agriculture nor the private sector have been able to make any real headway in reducing this illegal trading which, according to Felix Jumbe, Executive Director of the Seed Trade Association of Malawi, “makes the poor poorer.”

Felix Jumbe

With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through theCommon Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), IFDC is helping eliminate counterfeit crop protection products (CPPs). IFDC staff members have designed a simple counter-measure and, in partnership with CropLife Africa Middle East (CLAME) and CropLife Uganda, IFDC is launching a pilot program to scientifically test the effectiveness of the methodology. CLAME, a member of CropLife International, is a regional federation representing the plant science industry and a network of national associations in 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East. Read more

Hands Around the Earth

So here's a cute idea for Earth Day.

How about Re-Using newspaper for art?

Here's what we created this week in my class.

First, you need newspaper and a variety of shades of blue and green.

Next cover a page of paper with each colour.

Then, rip the paper into strips about 1 1/2" wide.

Then cut a large circle out of blue or green construction paper.  Sorry for the poor quality photo below.  I have a flowered tablecloth to protect my table, so it makes the project difficult to see.

I gave the children some of the strips of painted newspaper and showed them how to rip them into smaller squares and then the kids used gluesticks to create a collage.

I thought I would need to trim the edges, but the kids did a great job of staying close to the edge and I thought it gave the "earth" a more interesting look and added texture to the project.

I found the little foam people at the dollar store last year, but you can buy something similar at Michaels.  The kids loved adding the details to their little people.  For some reason Blogger keeps turning these photos on their side, so some of the people are upside down. Sorry for the mess.

Anyway, here's a look at the final project.  I love how bright it is.  And it was very easy to make.

First Africa Forum on Science, Technology and Innovations

1-3 April 2012, Nairobi. The first Africa Forum on Science, Technology and Innovations highlighted the need to invest in this key sector to foster sustainable growth and development and provide job opportunities for youth and women.

The event was organized by the Government of Kenya, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the African Union Commission (AU), and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in collaboration with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA). It featured a two-day Experts’ Meeting, followed by a day-long Ministerial Conference.

The ministerial conference concluded with the signing of the Nairobi Ministerial Declaration on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). The declaration includes a range of measures to harness STI for sustainable development.  [Nairobi Ministerial Declaration on Science, Technology and Innovation] [African Union Announcement] [AfDB Announcement] [AfDB Press Release] [UNESCO Event Announcement] [UNESCO Press Release]

Success stories

Kenya’s young to digitalize farming

A group of young graduates in Kenya have introduced a mobile-phone enabled technology which will help farmers in rural Africa to link up with crop researchers, meteorological departments and veterinary scientists to better their farm yields.

Calvins Okello, a science graduate from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and a colleague, Gordon Owiti, have developed the new technology that seeks to digitalize Africa’s agriculture and enable the government agencies to solve the crisis of
poor food distribution. read more

Parallel session 4: Agriculture and Food Security

Chair: Mary Abukutsa, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya

Provocateur: Moses Osiru, Deputy Executive Secretary, RUFORUM

Rapporteur: Abdou Chakour CHADHOULIATI (Bioscience) Directrice Générale Adjointe de l'Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, la Pèche et l'Environnement (INRAPE), Ministère de l'Agriculture, Pèche, Environnement, Energie, Industrie et Artisanat, Comoros

Facilitator : Christina Golubski, Program Associate, The Global Knowledge Initiative

Interactive Participants:

• Benedict Kanu, Lead Specialist, Agriculture & Agro Industry Dept, AfDB
• El Tayeb Alhag Ali Ahmed, UNESCO Chair in Desertification, the University of Khartoum, Sudan
• Damien Conaré, Secretary- General UNESCO Chair "alimentations du monde", Institut des régions chaudes, Montpellier SupAgro, France
• Ray Elliot, Strategic Project Leader, Syngenta, London, United Kingdom
• Prof Esther Murugi, Deputy Vice Chancellor, JKUAT, Kenya

Interview of Lidia Brito, Director of Science Policy and Capacity Building, UNESCO Science, technology and innovation (STI) are important issues for Africa, an increasingly dynamic continent. On the occasion of the First African Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Youth Employment, Human Capital Development and Inclusive Growth, from 1 to 3 April in Nairobi, Kenya, Lidia Brito talks about the importance of STI in the African context and how it will contribute to sustainable development in Africa in the run up to the Rio + 20 conference in June 2012.

Les Ressources Phytogénétiques pour l'Agriculture et l'Alimention

Les Ressources Phytogénétiques pour l'Agriculture et l'Alimentation

Cadre général

Le programme national de conservation des ressources phytogénétiques est placé sous l’autorité de la Direction Générale de l’Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU). Son financement est conjointement assuré par les subventions du gouvernement et des organisations régionales et internationales jusqu'en 2011. [Le Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) à travers EAPGREN (Eastern Africa Plant Genetic Resources Network) comprenant le Burundi, l’Eritrée, l’Ethiopie, le Kenya, le Madagascar, le Rwanda, le Soudan,  l’Ouganda]. Il travaille en étroite collaboration avec Nordgen (Banque de Gènes des Pays Nordiques en Suède) qui est un institut d’appui scientifique et technique du réseau ; Bioversity International, SSA Kenya ; de Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) ; de la Faculté des Sciences et la Faculté d’Agronomie de l’Université du Burundi ; de l’Institut National de l’Environnement et la Conservation de la Nature (INECN) ainsi que des organisations multidisciplinaires locales impliquées dans la protection des composantes de l’environnement.

Objectifs

 Les objectifs prioritaires sont :

- collecter et conserver les ressources phytogénétiques des espèces agricoles vivrières 

   traditionnellement cultivées ;

-  renforcer les capacités scientifiques et  techniques en gestion durable de la diversité  génétique  

   agricole des espèces localement  cultivées ;

-  méliorer l’exploitation des ressources  phytogénétiques agricoles traditionnelles ;

- sensibiliser les pouvoirs publics à la prise en  compte de l’importance des ressources  

   phytogénétiques dans le développement agricole du pays.

Opportunités 

Ces activités contribuent au le renforcement des capacités des gestionnaires de la diversité agricole et de l’environnement . Des stages de courte durée pour le renforcement des compétences des cadres et techniciens en matière de la gestion des banques de gènes sont  organisées dans les pays membres du programme à l’échelle internationale.

Activités clés

1. Collecte du Germoplasme

2. Régénération et duplication

3. Caractérisation des accessions

4. Conservation à long terme dans la banque des gènes

5. Partage des données sur les RPG avec les institutions partenaires en cas de besoin

Au Burundi, depuis sa mise en place en 2005, il y a des avancées significatives sur l’inventaire et la collecte des accessions des espèces vivrières traditionnelles à travers tout le pays. Ces activités ont abouti à la collecte de 1670 accessions dont 676 accessions de haricot et 142 accessions de sorgho qui sont les deux espèces à grande richesse de pool génétique traditionnel; 160 accessions de maïs ; 121 accessions de manioc et 63 accessions d’arachide, 41 accessions d’éleusine (Eleusina corocana) et 182 accessions pour les autres espèces. Elles sont conservées à moyen terme dans les congélateurs sous -18°C à l’exception des boutures de manioc qui sont gardées dans les parcs à bois. Ces accessions ont été enregistrées dans le format Excel et identifiées par des coordonnées géographiques avant de le mettre dans la base des données sur le site des ressources phytogénétiques "SESTO" mis en place par la Banque des gènes mondiale située à Svalbard Global Seed vault en Océan Norvégien. www.nordgen.org 

Documentation et partage des données

La banque de gènes dispose d’un réseau de documentation électronique. Les coordonnées géographiques et l’identité des accessions conservées sont facilement accessibles pour diverses utilisations scientifiques et aux fins de développement agricole. Elles sont échangeables entre les autres banques de gènes régionales et internationales.

Perspectives

La banque de gènes envisage de  renforcer les activités de caractérisation des accessions pour constituer et disponibiliser les sources de gènes locales à incorporer dans les activités d’amélioration variétale. Elle compte aussi conserver le germoplasme performant en cours de manipulation dans les différents programmes de recherche nationaux pour   éviter leur déperdition et leur détérioration. 

Les défis à relever 

Le défis principal est de pouvoir accroître la production alimentaire et améliorer les moyens de subsistance des agriculteurs et en même temps améliorer  la conservation des RPG et leur utilisation. La faible collaboration entre les programmes nationales des RPG  les chercheurs, la faible implications des institutions/organisations internationales à caractère agricole, la faible sensibilisation des décideurs sur l'importance des RPG, le manque d'infrastructures appropriées et le budget pour les activités clé sont en outre un "challenge" moteur. 

Source: BIGIRIMANA Jean Claude, ISABU Av. de la Cathédrale, B.P : 795 Bujumbura ,Tél : (257) 22223390 / 22227349-50-51, 

Fax : (257) 22225798, Télex :5147BDI, E-mail :dgisabu@cbinf.com

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NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP

16-19 APRIL, 2012, IBADAN, NIGERIA. PARTNERSHIP INCEPTION WORKSHOP FOR NIGERIA POULTRY FEEDS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (NIPOFERD) CONSORTIUM ORGANISED BY PAEPARD.

This partnership seeks to address the critical issues of high cost and poor quality feeds in the Nigerian livestock industry. Feed cost constitutes 75% of input cost of commercial poultry production in Nigeria. Thus, feed cost and quality are the critical issues of production in the industry. Quality being a factor of production, good quality ensures that the farmer derives full benefit of the fund invested in the enterprise.

Composition of the consortium
1. Department of Animal Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
2. Poultry Association of Nigeria, Imo State Branch, Nigeria
3. Feedmillers Association of Nigeria, Imo State Branch
4. University of Ghent, Belgium
5. Faculte D’Agronomie, Universite De Parakou, Republique Du Benin
6. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Development Studies, Nyankpala Campus, Tamale, Ghana.
7. Bureau d’Analyses Macro-economiques, Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles, Dakar, Senegal

Facilitators: David Suale & Dr Tunji Babatunde with the participation of Dr Jonas Mugabe, the Africa co-Manager of PAEPARD 


Beneficiaries
Farmer organisations (small-scale poultry farmers and feedmillers), research organisations in the field of poultry science, policy makers in the field of poultry production, feed raw materials producers, consumers of poultry products, financial houses and donor organisations

Benefits

1. Researchers in poultry science - Gain knowledge in recent advance in poultry feed production and fulfilment that comes from validation of his ideas and theory 
2. Small-scale poultry farmers and feed-millers - Increased knowledge - Increased and improved productivity - Increased income - Improved livelihood 
3. Policy makers in poultry production - Better information to formulate policies to guide poultry production and feed manufacturing 
4. Consumers of poultry products - Improved quality of poultry products and protein intake - Better products at better prices - Readily available products for consumers - Improved nutritional status of poultry products consumers 
5. Feed raw materials Producers - Increase in production of feed raw materials due to increase in demand - Increased sales and income for raw materials producers 
6. Financial Houses - Assurance of return on interest due to farmers ability to fulfills credit demands on time as a result of increased profitability 
7. Donor agencies - Will have access to the research reports increasing its database of information - The success of the partnership fulfills the vision/mission of the donor organization(s)

References:

NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP Day 1
NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP Day 2
NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP Day 3
NIPOFERD CONSORTIUM (NIGERIA) INCEPTION WORKSHOP Day 4