AATF Inaugural Report - African Agricultural Technology Foundation

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) 

A New Bridge to Sustainable 

Agricultural Development 

in Africa 

Inaugural Report 

May 2002 – December 2004 

better tools, better harvests, better lives

Standing (left to right): Walter S. Alhassan, 

Shawn Sullivan, Godber W. Tumushabe, 

Vincent Gwarazimba, Michael W. Trimble. 

Seated (left to right): Mpoko Bokanga, 

Jennifer Ann Thomson, Eugene Terry, 

Assétou Kanouté. 

Not shown: Maria José Sampaio , Cyrus Nderitu 

AATF Trustees (as of December 2004) 

Jennifer Ann Thomson (Chair) 

Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology 

University of Cape Town 

South Africa 

Walter S. Alhassan (Vice Chair) 

Coordinator, Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII), 

West and Central Africa; Sub-regional Coordinator 

Programme for Biosafety Systems (PBS) 

Ghana 

Mpoko Bokanga (Ex-officio) 

Executive Director 

African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) 

Kenya 

Vincent Gwarazimba 

Director 

Nhimbe Agro Systems 

Zimbabwe 

Assétou Kanouté 

Coordinator 

Africa Network for the Promotion of Participatory Agricultural 

Research (ROCAPA/WECANPAR) 

Mali 

Cyrus Nderitu* 

Consultant and first Board Chair 

Kenya 

Maria José Sampaio* 

Head of Biotechnology, Biosafety and IPR 

Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation 

(EMBRAPA) Brazil 

Shawn Sullivan* 

Intellectual Property Counsel 

International Maize and Wheat Improvement 

Center (CIMMYT) 

Mexico 

Eugene Terry 

Consultant 

Atecho & Associates 

USA 

Michael W. Trimble 

Director 

Trimble Genetics International 

USA 

Godber W. Tumushabe* 

Executive Director and Policy Analyst 

Advocates Coalition on Environment and 

Development (ACODE) 

Uganda 

* No longer on the Board 

Correct Citation: AATF (2005). A New Bridge to Sustainable Agricultural Development in Africa. Inaugural Report May 2002–December 2004. 

Nairobi, Kenya: African Agricultural Technology Foundation. 

©2005 African Agricultural Technology Foundation 2005. All rights reserved. 

The publisher encourages fair use of this material provided proper citation is made. 

Writing, design, layout and proofreading: Green Ink, UK (www.greenink.co.uk) 

Printing: Pragati Offset Pvt Ltd, India (www.pragati.com) 

Photographs: Trygve Bolstad/Panos Pictures: Front cover, p. 16, p. 32; Fred Hoogervorst/Panos Pictures: p. 2; J. B. Russell/Panos Pictures: p. 4; 

Pep Bonet/Panos Pictures: p. 8; Crispin Hughes/Panos Pictures: p. 9; Giacomo Pirozzi/Panos Pictures: p. 12; Liba Taylor/Panos Pictures: p. 24; 

Stefan Boness/Panos Pictures: p. 26; Betty Press/Panos Pictures: p. 30; AATF: all other pictures.

A New Bridge to Sustainable 

Agricultural Development 

in Africa 

Inaugural Report 

May 2002 – December 2004

Contents 

AATF at a Glance .............................................................................................4 

Designing a New Bridge to Sustainable Development ...............................9 

Message from the Board Chair ..................................................................9 

Birth of an Idea ..........................................................................................11 

Managing Intellectual Property to Benefit the Poor ..............................14 

Building the New Bridge ..............................................................................17 

Message from the Implementing Director .............................................17 

Implementing the AATF Concept ...........................................................19 

New Ways to Facilitate the Transfer of Agricultural Technologies .......23 

Crossing to the Other Side ...........................................................................25 

Message from the Executive Director .....................................................25 

Getting on with the Job ...........................................................................27 

Building Public–Private Partnerships .......................................................33 

Project Portfolio Summary ............................................................................34 

Projects Underway ....................................................................................34 

Projects under Development ...................................................................36 

Discontinued Projects ...............................................................................38 

Financial Report .............................................................................................40 

Launching AATF .............................................................................................42 

The AATF Team .............................................................................................44

A New Bridge to Sustainable Agricultural Development in Africa 

AATF at a Glance 

What is AATF? 

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation 

(AATF) is a private not-for-profit organisation 

dedicated to increasing the productivity of 

resource-poor farmers in sub-Saharan Africa by 

providing them with greater access to proprietary 

agricultural technologies and know-how. The 

Foundation is registered as a charity under the 

laws of England and Wales. It was incorporated 

in the UK in January 2003 and registered in 

Kenya, its host country, in April 2003. AATF 

is headquartered on the Nairobi campus of the 

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). 

Mission and Objectives 

AATF’s mission is to increase the productivity 

of sub-Saharan Africa’s resource-poor farmers by 

facilitating the transfer, delivery and uptake of 

appropriate proprietary agricultural technologies, 

thus contributing to higher incomes and greater 

food security. The Foundation’s basic objectives 

are to: 

• Clearly define the real constraints of the 

region’s smallholder farmers and identify 

opportunities to address those constraints 

through the royalty-free transfer and use of 

new and existing proprietary technologies; 

• Facilitate the efforts of public and private 

institutions, including non-governmental and 

community-based organisations, working to 

develop and deliver useful proprietary tools, 

materials and know-how to farmers; and 

• Create sustainable markets and enduring 

private sector participation in the agricultural 

development process. 

What AATF Does 

In pursuing its mission and objectives, AATF 

collaborates with the many internal and 

external stakeholders involved in agricultural 

development within sub-Saharan Africa. 

The Foundation fosters the creation of new 

public–private partnerships and networks 

that address food security, poverty reduction, 

market development and economic growth. 

The Foundation works with its many partners 

to identify, acquire, adapt and deliver appropriate 

proprietary agricultural technologies to 

resource-poor farmers. In short, AATF is in the 

business of transferring proprietary agricultural 

technologies to those who cannot readily afford 

to pay for them. AATF serves as the “responsible 

party” in the technology transfer process 

and plays a stewardship role as technologies are 

4


adapted to meet farmers’ needs and are moved 

through national regulatory systems and the 

whole product value chain. This ensures that 

those who provide the technology are protected 

from liabilities stemming from its application 

or possible misuse. 

What Makes AATF Unique? 

The Foundation is the product of wide-ranging 

and unprecedented consultations among 

African, European and North American 

stakeholders who are actively seeking to 

improve food security and reduce poverty in 

sub-Saharan Africa. AATF is unique in several 

ways: 

• It provides a much needed “one-stop-shop” 

for enabling access to proprietary technologies, 

knowledge and know-how; 

• It serves as an “honest broker” in negotiating 

the royalty-free transfer of technologies 

held by public and private institutes in 

developed and developing countries; 

• It works along the full product value chain, 

from basic research, through adaptive research 

and development, distribution, production 

and marketing; and 

• The Foundation uses its unique convening 

power to bring together potential partners 

from the public and private sectors, and in 

so doing serves as a catalyst for innovations, 

reforms and the creation of agricultural 

markets. 

Current Investors 

AATF enjoys the financial backing of three key 

donors who have been with the Foundation since 

its inception: 

• The Rockefeller Foundation, a knowledge-based, 

global foundation committed to enriching and 

sustaining the lives and livelihoods of poor and 

excluded people around the world. 

• The UK Department for International 

Development (DFID), which is responsible for 

UK initiatives to promote economic development 

and reduce poverty globally. 

• The US Agency for International Development 

(USAID), which is responsible for providing 

and managing US economic and humanitarian 

assistance worldwide. 

As the scope of the Foundation’s work broadens 

and the demand for its interventions grows, 

additional financial backers are being sought. For 

example, the promise of the Improving Cowpea 

Productivity Project has attracted support from 

the UK-based Kirkhouse Trust. They are interested 

in improving the capacity of the region’s 

national agricultural research organisations to 

apply marker-assisted selection techniques for 

the introgression of the Bt gene into elite cowpea 

varieties. 

Partners 

AATF has numerous partners drawn from 

among the following groups of people and 

institutions interested in technology transfer 

for agricultural development: 

• Agricultural producers and consumers; 

• Regional and national institutions and 

agencies [such as the African Union’s 

Commission for Agriculture and Rural 

Development, the New Partnership for 

Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the United 

Nations’ Economic Commission for Africa 

(ECA), the Forum for Agricultural Research 

in Africa (FARA), and various sub-regional 

organisations and national agricultural 

research systems]; 

5


• International institutions and agencies 

[Consultative Group on International 

Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and other 

advanced research institutes]; 

• Local and international non-governmental 

organisations (NGOs); 

• Agricultural industry holders of intellectual 

property (Monsanto, DowAgro, 

Pioneer/DuPont, Syngenta, and BASF); 

• African trade and agribusiness organisations; 

• National governments in sub-Saharan 

Africa. 

Priority Problems Being Addressed 

AATF is developing projects relating to eight 

major problem areas relevant to sub-Saharan 

African farmers: 

1) Controlling the parasitic weed known as 

Striga; 

2) Improving cowpea productivity; 

3) Improving the productivity of bananas 

and plantains; 

4) Enhancing the nutritional quality of 

cereals; 

5) Improving drought tolerance in cereals; 

6) Reducing mycotoxins in food grains; 

7) Increasing the productivity of cassava; 

8) Improving insect resistance in maize. 

AATF Milestones 

AATF Design Advisory Committee 

Walter Alhassan, Consultant (Ghana) 

Gerard Barry, Monsanto Company 

(USA) 

Allan Chiyembekeza, ICRISAT 

(Malawi) 

Sam Dryden, Emergent Genetics, Inc. 

(USA) 

Vincent Gwarazimba, Zimbabwe 

Seed Trade Association (Zimbabwe) 

Romano Kiome, Kenya Agricultural 

Research Institute (Kenya) 

Josette Lewis, USAID (USA) 

Violet Mandishona, Zimbabwe 

Farmers Union (Zimbabwe) 

Barry McCarter, SeedCo 

(Zimbabwe) 

Gavin McGillivray, DFID (UK) 

Ronald Meeusen, Dow Agro 

Sciences LLC (USA) 

Kinyua M’Mbijjewe, Lead-Africa, 

Monsanto Africa (South Africa) 

Joseph Mukiibi, National Agricultural 

Research Organization (Uganda) 

Andrew Mushita, Community 

Technology Development Trust 

(Zimbabwe) 

Cyrus Ndiritu, Genetics Technologies 

Ltd. (Kenya) 

Christopher Ngichabe, Association 

for Strengthening Agricultural 

Research in Eastern and Central 

Africa (Kenya) 

William Niebur, Pioneer Hi-Bred 

International, Inc. (USA) 

Kanayo Nwanze, WARDA 

(Cote d’Ivoire) 

Eugene Terry, AATF (USA) 

Barry Thomas, Aventis CropScience, 

UK Ltd. (UK) 

Carl-Gustaf Thornstrom, University 

of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden) 

Godber Tumushabe, Advocates 

Coalition for Development and 

Environment (Uganda) 

Florence Wambugu, A Harvest 

Biotech Foundation International 

(Kenya) 

Klaus Winkel, DANIDA (Denmark) 

AATF was officially launched by Kenya’s Minister 

for Agriculture, Hon. Kipruto arap Kirwa, on 16th 

June 2004 at the International Livestock Research 

Institute (ILRI), Kabete Campus, Nairobi, Kenya. 

The President of The Rockefeller Foundation, Dr 

Gordon Conway, presented the keynote address 

in which he underscored the important role of the African governments in 

selecting technologies suitable to African agricultural problems. The occasion 

was graced by diplomats, top scientists, government officials, farmers, 

and NGOs and private sector representatives from Africa, Europe and the 

United States of America. 

See page 42 and http://www.aatf-africa.org/launch.php 

6


June 2002 

Implementing Director appointed 

Initial Meeting of the AATF Design Advisory Committee 

The Design Advisory Committee (DAC) was created to 

systematise consultations with a representative group of 

stakeholders during the development of the AATF business 

plan and to provide guidance on key operational 

issues. The DAC played a critical advisory role, guiding 

the formation of AATF. It provided guidance on the 

business plan, selection of board members, selection of 

the Foundation headquarters, and the development of 

criteria for the selection of pilot projects. See page 10 and 

http://www.aatf-africa.org/dac.php 

2000 

2002 

DESIGN 

2000–2002 

Biotechnology Dialogues 

Aware of the widening gap between the agricultural 

science controlled by the developed countries and 

the needs of the poor in the developing world, during 

2000-2002 the Rockefeller Foundation supported a series 

of consultations with stakeholders within a program 

called the Biotechnology Dialogues. See pages 9–10. 

January 2003 

Rockefeller funding secured 

AATF established as a UK-based company limited by 

guarantee 

First Board of Trustees Meeting 

Business Plan Approved 

April 2003 

AATF registered in Kenya as a foreign private 

company limited by guarantee 

January 2004 

DFID funding secured 

June 2004 

Executive Director appointed 

Formal Launch of AATF 

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the 

United States Development Agency (USDA) 

Sepember 2004 

First progress review by donors 

2003 

IMPLEMENTATION 

2004 

LAUNCH 

2005 

September 2003 

USAID funding secured 

Board Advisory Committee constituted 

The Board Advisory Committee (BAC) was set up to 

work with the AATF Board on a wide range of strategic 

issues relating to the Foundation’s operations and it 

currently comprises 10 individuals. 

See http://www.aatf-africa.org/bac.php 

AATF joins Striga Project 

See page 34 and http://www.aatf-africa.org/projects.php 

Cowpea Productivity Project Initiated 


Banana and Plantain Productivity Project Established 


Pro-Vitamin A Project Established 


AATF joins IRMA Project 


August 2004 


International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center 

(CIMMYT) 


Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (USA) 

January 2005 

AATF registered as a charity in England and Wales 

7


8

Designing a New Bridge to Sustainable 

Development 

Message from the 

Board Chair 

AATF is a new and vital 

addition to the family of 

institutions dedicated to 

improving the welfare 

of Africa’s resource-poor 

smallholder farmers. During 

the Foundation’s official launch in June 2004, 

I challenged AATF management and staff to 

come up with a clear, simple description of 

the organisation. Why? In a continent where 

many individuals and organisations have committed 

themselves to agricultural development, 

a new organisation whose objectives span the 

entire agricultural value chain – and which 

strives to achieve sustainable impact at the farm 

level through new and innovative partnerships 

– requires a clear statement of purpose. Most 

importantly, other players need to see that AATF 

aims to nurture synergism, not compete with 

them or duplicate their efforts. 

AATF is in the business of fostering, 

facilitating and linking the work of people and 

organisations, both public and private, who strive 

to guarantee Africa’s future – in short, we help 

to build bridges among the many stakeholders 

in Africa’s development. In doing so, the 

Foundation itself serves as a much needed bridge 

to development. Details about the Foundation, 

its mission and its work, can be found throughout 

this report. My purpose here is to highlight 

how AATF came about – the genesis of the 

Foundation – and set the stage for what follows 

in this inaugural report. 

AATF is not the brainchild of any one 

person, but rather the result of extensive consultations 

with a wide range of stakeholders who, 

in their collective experience and wisdom, truly 

understand what it will take for the African 

people to realise their hopes and dreams. The 

Rockefeller Foundation, the UK Department for 

International Development (DFID), and the US 

Agency for International Development (USAID) 

funded these consultations. These donors remain 

the Foundation’s core financial supporters. 

As suggested by Sir Gordon Conway, President 

of the Rockefeller Foundation during AATF’s 

9


design and start-up phase, the Foundation is the 

embodiment of four key principles that unite 

and energise agricultural development specialists 

throughout Africa: 

• Science and technology can and must play a 

vital role in addressing the continent’s pressing 

food and nutritional needs; 

• Success will be achieved only through effective 

partnerships among the many players 

involved in development; 

• Strong direct farmer participation in the 

development process is essential; and 

• Africans can and must take the lead in 

providing the answers to Africa’s challenges. 

These principles are mirrored in the process by 

which AATF came into being. To ensure that the 

views of all key stakeholders were considered in 

the overall design of the Foundation, a 24-person 

Design Advisory Committee (DAC) was formed 

in early 2002. This broad-based Committee 

comprised representatives from African national 

agricultural research institutions, the CGIAR, 

African seed and agricultural technology companies, 

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 

Development (OECD) crop science corporations, 

and four donor organisations. 

The DAC served as the architect of AATF, 

providing guidance on the development of 

the Foundation’s business plan and key operational 

issues, including the identification of Board 

members, selection of the headquarters, and the 

development of criteria used to select pilot projects. 

Committee members and many others participated 

in a series of consultations among African, 

American and European leaders in development. 

These structured, systematic consultations were 

professionally facilitated by the Meridian Institute, 

a neutral third party with a 20-year track record 

of helping diverse stakeholders resolve some of 

society’s most contentious public policy issues. 

Throughout these consultations, participants 

were asked to help identify and prioritise the 

major constraints to agricultural development 

in sub-Saharan Africa. They were asked what 

they and their organisations could contribute to 

improving food security and reducing poverty on 

the continent, and what they would need to be 

more fully involved in the development process. 

They were asked about how to overcome restrictions 

to accessing proprietary technologies, and 

how such technologies could be used by others 

to help smallholder farmers without endangering 

inherent intellectual property rights. 

The ultimate outcome of these multistakeholder 

consultations was the birth of an idea 

whose time was long overdue, the delineation 

of the principles upon which AATF rests, its 

mission, and the operational model it embraces. 

The conceptualisation, set up and implementation 

of AATF was quite a challenge but one that was 

placed in very capable hands. I am therefore happy 

to report that we have witnessed exciting progress 

especially in the development of projects and 

realisation of the AATF goals. 

Most significantly for me, the birth of the 

AATF idea and the consultations that followed 

set the tone and organisational culture of the 

Foundation; the recognition that there is much 

more that unites us than divides us; and that 

we all have much more to gain from building 

bridges than erecting barriers to development. 

Prof. Jennifer Ann Thomson 

AATF Board Chair 

10

Designing a New Bridge to Sustainable Development 

Birth of an Idea 

Beginning in 2000, the Rockefeller Foundation 

supported a series of consultations among 

stakeholders interested in finding ways to close 

the growing gap between the agricultural science 

controlled by developed countries and the needs 

of the poor in the developing world. These 

consultations were called the “Biotechnology 

Dialogues” and involved representatives of 

public research organisations from developed 

and developing countries, major life science 

companies, NGOs, and consumer groups who 

wanted to find ways to apply advanced science 

“Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest hunger 

and malnutrition rates in the developing 

world. Extreme poverty is rampant. About 

one-third of the population – nearly 200 

million people – lack food security.” 

to help reduce food insecurity. These Dialogues 

were professionally facilitated by the Meridian 

Institute, a neutral third party with a 20-year 

track record of helping diverse stakeholders 

resolve some of society’s most contentious public 

policy issues. 

In the course of these discussions, several of 

the largest life science companies stated their 

willingness to make selected proprietary technologies 

available for humanitarian use, especially in 

Africa. This notion was not unconditional, however. 

They wanted to ensure that all regulatory 

requirements were met and that their companies 

were protected from liability for possible misuse 

of the technologies. They also sought assurance 

that the new technologies would actually reach 

resource-poor farmers and would be used only 

in crops and markets that did not threaten their 

commercial interests. Moreover, they required 

that high performance standards be established 

before end products were released. 

Buoyed by these findings, a number of 

African, European and North American stakeholders 

held additional discussions and planning 

meetings to design an institution that could 

serve as the responsible party and perform these 

stewardship functions. This process was formalised 

through the creation of a Design Advisory 

Committee (DAC) made up of 24 representatives 

from African national agricultural research 

institutions, the CGIAR, African seed and 

agricultural technology companies, OECD crop 

science corporations, and four donor organisations. 

Based on these extensive discussions and 

the work of the DAC, the core rationale for 

AATF was brought to light, and the fundamental 

operating principles, mission, and business 

model of the organisation were established. 

The Case for AATF 

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest hunger 

and malnutrition rates in the developing world. 

Extreme poverty is rampant. About one-third 

11


of the population – nearly 200 million people 

– lack food security (defined as having enough 

food to lead healthy and productive lives). 

Significant investments in infrastructure and 

new agricultural technologies contributed to a 

dramatic increase in agricultural productivity 

in Asia and Latin America, but investment and 

innovation were much more limited in Africa 

and agricultural productivity suffered as a result. 

Sub-Saharan Africa is in fact the only region in 

the developing world in which per capita food 

production has actually declined over the past 

two decades. Between 1980 and 1995, yields of 

staple crops fell by an average of 8% compared 

to an increase of 27% in Asia and 12% in Latin 

America. 

Nearly two-thirds of Africa’s poor people live 

in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their 

survival. Low and often declining farm-level 

productivity is a major cause of persistently low 

incomes and hunger. Agricultural science and 

improved technologies have, over the past 50 

years, made a huge positive impact on poverty 

and hunger in the developing world, but mainly 

in Asia and Latin America – Africa has yet to 

realise anywhere near the full potential that 

agricultural science has to offer. 

While this potential is very real, neither public 

nor privately owned agricultural research and 

development organisations can, on their own, 

readily exploit it. The top five international life 

science companies hold the majority of new agricultural 

intellectual property, and have developed 

innovative technologies, processes and products 

that can be readily adapted to improve the productivity 

of African farmers. But they have little 

commercial incentive to do so. These companies 

are compelled to focus on larger markets, due to 

12


the high costs of product identification, development, 

testing, regulatory approval, manufacture 

and market development. Moreover, large 

companies can add to shareholder value only if 

they are able to grow the more profitable parts of 

their businesses. They have little or no interest 

in crops grown and consumed only in African 

countries, where markets are small and growth 

potential is seen to be limited. 

On the other side of the coin, public sector 

agricultural research and development organisations 

in developing countries have considerable 

knowledge about local crop varieties, farming 

methods and the needs of resource-poor farmers. 

Research institutions working on minor crops, or 

on crops that are of crucial importance to the poor 

but for which there are limited markets, often rely 

on public funding. But these organisations are 

often constrained in what they can do by low and 

uncertain government funding, as well as limited 

access to proprietary and other technologies 

owned by private and public sector institutions in 

developed and developing countries. 

Moreover, promoting sustainable technological 

change in sub-Saharan Africa requires close 

and dynamic relationships with a variety of 

agribusinesses and, with some exceptions, most 

public sector organisations are unpractised in 

developing and maintaining such partnerships. 

National agricultural research and development 

institutions in sub-Saharan Africa generally 

have limited capacity to negotiate the transfer 

of proprietary technology held by others. And 

because most of these institutions are focussed 

on only one segment in the product value chain, 

there is no single agency responsible for ensuring 

that all elements are in place and operating efficiently 

such that new technologies are not only 

produced but also demonstrated and distributed 

to smallholder farmers. 

Figure 1 illustrates the links in the product 

value chain from upstream basic and adaptive 

research and development (R&D) through production 

and distribution of technology products 

to farmers. It is not enough to develop and adapt 

technologies for use under African conditions. To 

achieve real impact, it is also necessary to assure 

regulatory approval, demonstrate performance 

potential, and produce and distribute affordable 

products to millions of small-scale farmers. 

Basic 

research/ 

technology 

transfer 

Adaptive 

R&D/trials/ 

regulatory 

approval 

Production 

of inputs 

Extension/ 

distribution 

Agricultural 

production 

Post harvest 

(storage/ 

processing) 

Market 

access/ 

distribution 

FINAL PRODUCT 

DEMAND FOR 

Supply/technology delivery 

Demand/market linkages 

Figure 1: AATF works with public and private institutions along the entire product value chain. 

13


Managing Intellectual Property (IP) 

to Benefit the Poor 

AATF’s work contributes to the development and 

delivery of improved technologies to resource-poor 

smallholder farmers. Partners in projects coordinated 

by the Foundation are committed to sharing 

and transferring technology and research products, 

both for research and for commercial use for the 

benefit of resource-poor farmers. 

AATF’s approach to managing intellectual 

property (IP) rests on the belief that developing 

countries in sub-Saharan Africa must make their 

own decisions about which agricultural technologies 

are appropriate. This includes whether or not to 

promote genetically modified organisms (GMOs). 

Such decisions have to be based on national or 

regional assessments of the costs, benefits and 

social acceptability of each technology. In the case 

of GMOs, AATF’s position is that the countries into 

which they are licensed must have the capacity to 

manage their safe development and use, through 

effective national biosafety regulations and other 

mechanisms. 

The Foundation’s IP policy ensures that knowledge 

and products resulting from AATF activities 

will be used for the maximum public benefit of 

resource-poor smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan 

Africa. Our policy stresses the responsible use of IP 

owned by others, in a manner that respects their 

rights. In the acquisition and management of thirdparty 

IP, we abide by all relevant international laws 

and treaties, as well as national laws in the countries 

in which AATF operates. Finally, AATF is guided by its 

core values of accessibility, accountability, credibility, 

dedication, transparency and trustworthiness. 

AATF’s Stewardship Role 

A number of private, public and civil society 

organisations have pledged to support the AATF 

approach to technology transfer. It is imperative 

that the Foundation preserves the confidence of 

these stakeholders through effective leadership 

and responsible IP management. 

As a “responsible party,” AATF guarantees 

that proprietary technology is properly acquired 

and used. We start by conducting IP audits to 

identify any restraints associated with the use or 

distribution of products or processes incorporating 

specific proprietary technologies. We always 

endeavour to develop and deploy products that 

are “free and clear” of restrictions imposed by 

third-party IP rights. If not free and clear, we make 

every effort to reveal any restrictions that might 

apply and, where possible, obtain any required 

permissions. 

AATF strives to preserve the integrity of confidential 

information controlled by the IP rights of 

others. We include a confidentiality clause in all 

employment contracts and stress compliance with 

this clause as a condition of continued employment. 

We also strongly advocate that project 

partners require all personnel associated with 

our projects to sign confidentiality agreements. 

The Foundation routinely enters into non-disclosure 

agreements with collaborators, not only to 

facilitate the free exchange of information and 

materials, including IP, but also to preserve the 

integrity of confidential information at the institutional 

level. 

Responsible IP management requires that all 

ownership rights are defined at the start of any 

project. The ownership rights of AATF and those 

who provide technologies are negotiated on 

a project-by-project basis. Our policy is that IP 

rights should be shared equitably among project 

partners, taking into consideration: the original 

intellectual contributions of each; the specific kind 

and character of the IP, materials, research efforts, 

and preparatory work done by each collaborator in 

14


the project; the facilities provided by each organisation; 

the financial contributions made by each 

project participant; and any other considerations 

deemed relevant by project partners. Beyond that, 

any rights embodied in research products, publications 

and other works commissioned by the 

Foundation are assigned to and vested in AATF, 

and any rights reflected in research products, publications 

and other outputs jointly commissioned 

by the Foundation and our partners are assigned 

to and vested in AATF and project partners as joint 

right holders. 

Responsible IP management also requires that 

we clearly state all contractual terms in writing, and 

that formal agreements be signed by the authorised 

representatives of all parties before any work 

begins. This ensures that all arrangements with 

third parties are properly documented. 

Safeguarding IP 

The Foundation and its partners use such practices 

as DNA fingerprinting, the keeping of 

appropriate laboratory notebooks, and controls 

over the release of information in order to identify, 

record, safeguard and manage IP generated 

in the course of individual projects. Having said 

that, our mission dictates that, to the extent possible, 

research outputs and products from AATF 

projects are placed in the public domain. 

In certain cases, however, legal IP protection 

may be needed to guarantee the continued availability 

of germplasm, inventions, publications and 

databases resulting from our projects. Such statutory 

protection can provide the Foundation with 

the leverage it needs to negotiate access to other 

proprietary rights and technologies required for 

product development. Thus, when it makes sense 

to do so, AATF may seek IP protection for products 

resulting from its projects. In seeking such rights, 

we will be guided by our commitment to serve the 

African resource-poor smallholder farmer, rather 

than by opportunities to obtain revenues. Should 

financial returns result from IP licensing, they will 

be used to achieve our charitable objectives. 

In some cases – when the public good is best 

served by doing so – AATF and its partners may 

allow third parties to take IP rights on research 

products, or on materials derived from research 

products. In these instances, we will make sure 

that such agreements do not in any way impinge 

on the rights of the Foundation and its partners 

to challenge excessive protection. 

It is consistent with AATF’s mission to encourage 

wide-spread dissemination of information 

resulting from its projects. In providing such information, 

the Foundation and its partners embrace 

the “fair use” limitations of copyrighted material, 

or obtain the consent of the copyright owner and 

give proper attribution. Finally, on occasion AATF 

and its partners may choose to register any distinctive 

marks as trademarks in order to protect 

the goodwill and reputation associated with the 

exclusive use of these marks by the Foundation 

and project collaborators. 

There have been many attempts in the past 

to promote public–private partnerships in sub- 

Saharan Africa. Most have had little tangible or 

lasting impact. AATF is an innovative approach 

designed to mobilise new science on behalf of 

the poor in Africa, and to achieve the inherent 

potential synergies of public and private sector 

research and development efforts. The effective 

transfer of proprietary technologies lies at 

the heart of the Foundation’s work. Our African 

focus, leadership and operational location promise 

a more comprehensive and realistic appreciation 

of the constraints to technology transfer in 

Africa, as well as the design of more feasible 

solutions and closer follow-up and continuity in 

implementation. 

15


16

Building the New Bridge 


Implementing Director 

The plight of Africa’s resourcepoor 

farmers is all too real, 

and the evidence of continuing 

food insecurity and poverty is 

incontrovertible. Sub-Saharan 

Africa is the only region in the 

world where agricultural production per person has 

actually declined over the past 20 years. As a result, 

about 25% of all chronically malnourished people 

in the world are found in this region. Nearly 

research aimed at developing new technologies 

has been and continues to be done by private 

companies – with an eye on earning large profits. 

Because new technologies are expensive to 

develop, private companies have to focus on the 

needs of large markets; the needs of small farmers 

in developing countries are simply not central 

to their technology development process. 

The potential for collaboration between private 

companies and public sector research and 

development institutions – those whose mission 

it is to provide smallholders with the technologies 

they need – have been restricted by the 

“Smallholder agricultural productivity is affected 

by many things, but chief among them is the lack 

of appropriate and adoptable improved production 

technologies to resource-poor farmers.” 

two-thirds of all Africans rely on agriculture for 

their income, and agriculture accounts for fully 

one-third of the continent’s gross national product. 

Clearly, any meaningful effort to secure Africa’s 

future must address the continent’s persistent low 

agricultural productivity. 

Smallholder agricultural productivity is 

affected by many things, but chief among 

them is the lack of appropriate and adoptable 

improved production technologies to resourcepoor 

farmers. The vast majority of agricultural 

complexities of the global intellectual property 

system that protects many building block technologies. 

This greatly limits the access of public 

researchers to new ideas and tools in their fields 

and severely constrains their ability to meet the 

needs of resource-poor farmers. And that is the 

central challenge that AATF has been designed 

to overcome. 

As Implementing Director for AATF, I was 

given the unique opportunity to help build an 

institutional bridge that spans the gap between 

17


private and public agricultural research and 

development organisations. That bridge is now 

in place. To build it has required completing 

a number of key tasks, as well as the tireless 

efforts of many people to forge the partnerships 

needed for success. To reach this point, AATF 

and its partners have had to: 

• Draw on the expertise and experience of 

numerous people and organisations in order 

to fully appreciate the critical constraints to 

agricultural development; 

• Fully understand what is missing from the 

mix of development institutions already 

working in Africa – why, despite the great 

efforts of many dedicated people, agricultural 

development is still lagging; 

• Identify and articulate a clear mission for 

AATF, sound institutional values and effective 

operating principles; and 

• Develop a dynamic strategy, identify and 

bring on board the best people to implement 

it, build whole new partnerships among 

organisations not accustomed to working 

together, and identify and develop an initial 

set of pilot projects that would demonstrate 

the added value provided through 

AATF’s interventions, as well as innovative 

approaches designed to improve and increase 

smallholder agricultural productivity. 

2003, and was registered in Kenya, the 

Foundation’s host country, in April 2003. We 

have put together a staff of highly competent 

individuals, all nationals of sub-Saharan Africa. 

We have created a number of key public–private 

partnerships and, together with our 

partners, initiated several important projects 

designed to bring the fruits of technological 

advances to the continent’s resource-poor 

farmers. And we have begun negotiations on a 

number of other projects with that same goal 

in mind. 

Much was accomplished during AATF’s 

start-up phase, which ended in June 2004 with 

the formal launch of the organisation. Many 

people and institutions were closely involved 

in the design and implementation process, and 

I want to express my deepest appreciation for 

all their efforts. But now the real work begins. 

The key to our success will be effective public–private 

partnerships aimed at developing 

and delivering new technologies to Africa’s 

resource-poor smallholders. We have built a 

new bridge to sustainable agricultural development 

in Africa. We must now cross it. 

AATF was legally established as a limited 

company in the United Kingdom in January 

Dr Eugene Terry 

AATF Implementing Director 

18


Implementing the AATF 

Concept 

Modern agricultural science and technology hold 

considerable promise for improving food security 

and reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. To 

realise this promise, public and private research 

and development organizations must work ever 

more closely together, joining in new partnerships 

designed to bring the benefits of agricultural 

innovation to the region’s resource-poor farmers. 

At the heart of these partnerships is the efficient 

transfer and adaptation of new technologies, 

including proprietary ones, to meet the needs of 

Africa’s smallholder farmers. 

thus contributing to higher incomes and greater 

food security. The Foundation’s basic objectives 

are to: 

• Clearly define the real constraints of the 

region’s smallholder farmers and identify 

opportunities to address those constraints 

through the royalty-free transfer and use of 

new and existing proprietary technologies; 

• Facilitate the efforts of public and private 

institutions, as well as non-governmental and 

community-based organisations working to 

develop and deliver useful proprietary tools, 

materials and know-how to farmers; and 

• Create sustainable markets and enduring 

private-sector participation in the agricultural 

development process. 

“AATF’s mission is to increase the productivity of sub- 

Saharan Africa’s resource-poor farmers by facilitating the 

transfer, delivery and uptake of appropriate proprietary 

agricultural technologies, thus contributing to higher 

incomes and greater food security.” 

AATF constitutes a new bridge to sustainable 

agricultural development, one that spans the gulf 

between the public and private organisations in 

Africa and elsewhere that are involved in advancing 

agriculture through technological innovations. 

Mission, Objectives and Strategy 

AATF’s mission is to increase the productivity 

of sub-Saharan Africa’s resource-poor farmers by 

facilitating the transfer, delivery and uptake of 

appropriate proprietary agricultural technologies, 

Achieving the Foundation’s objectives requires 

an innovative strategy, one that allows AATF 

to enter into formal agreements to access technologies 

from various providers and then sublicense 

these technologies to public and private 

organisations whose job it is to adapt them to 

smallholder farming conditions. The Foundation 

is also involved in seeking regulatory approval for 

newly adapted agricultural technologies, and in 

sub-licensing the adapted products to public and 

private sector institutions that then produce and 

19


distribute them to smallholder farmers. These 

latter steps are absolutely critical to achieving 

meaningful impact at the farm level, and AATF 

facilitates this work by entering into contracts 

with relevant organisations to make sure that the 

new products reach resource-poor farmers. 

AATF’s strategy rests on fundamental 

principles that were defined during the extensive 

stakeholder consultations leading up to the 

creation of the Foundation. These principles 

underpin all AATF activities and relationships: 

1) First, the Foundation strives to achieve its 

goals and objectives through the creation 

and facilitation of enduring public–private 

partnerships; 

2) It can whenever necessary serve as the 

“responsible party” in these novel partnerships, 

so as to ensure the interests both of 

technology providers and users are protected; 

3) It operates along the entire product value 

chain – a unique attribute of the organisation 

– facilitating project implementation and the 

delivery of products to farmers; 

4) AATF is willing to promote the transfer 

of all types of technologies, as long as the 

process is demand driven and the potential 

impacts on food security and poverty are 

clear; 

5) AATF facilitates the transfer of proprietary 

technologies according to African needs and 

priorities, working closely with public and 

private suppliers regardless of their location; 

6) The primary focus of the Foundation in its 

choice of projects is on food crops and on the 

needs of sub-Saharan Africa’s smallholder 

farmers; and 

7) AATF takes a practical, business-like 

approach to determining how technologies 

will be licensed and deployed. 

Incorporation and Location 

In order to expedite the work of the organisation, 

it needed to be incorporated within a robust and 

predictable legal environment with well established 

contract and intellectual property laws. It 

was decided that the United Kingdom provided 

the best fit between the needs of the Foundation 

and those of its potential partners. In January 

2003, AATF was incorporated as a company 

limited by guarantee, and subsequently registered 

in the United Kingdom in January 2005 as a 

charity under the laws of England and Wales. 

Several countries were considered for the 

location of the Foundation’s headquarters, including 

Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. 

All had positive attributes, but in the end it was 

decided that Kenya was the most appropriate 

choice. In April 2003, at the invitation of the 

Government of Kenya, AATF was registered 

as a foreign private limited company under the 

laws of Kenya. The Foundation operates from 

the International Livestock Research Institute’s 

(ILRI) Nairobi campus. 

Structure and Governance 

The Foundation’s structure and governance create 

a clear separation between responsibility for setting 

and monitoring strategy and the day-to-day 

management of operations (see Figure 2). AATF’s 

corporate design is intended to limit liability risks 

for the Foundation’s donors. It allows for wide 

stakeholder participation without constraining 

operational flexibility and, as an independent 

charitable private company, protects the organisation 

from undue external pressures. 

During the period covered by this Inaugural 

Report, 11 distinguished individuals served on 

the AATF Board of Trustees. Board members 

possess a range of relevant skills and are drawn 

20


from an array of backgrounds and institutions, 

including the international and local private 

sector, public sector organisations, donor agencies, 

major NGOs, the CGIAR and academia. Board 

Members are not considered, nor do they act, as 

official representatives of governments, organisations 

or other constituencies; they serve strictly in 

a personal capacity. 

The Foundation’s staff are all recruited from 

sub-Saharan Africa. This dedicated group of 

professionals has responsibility for the day-to-day 

management of AATF’s activities and for the 

development, implementation and management 

of the organisation’s various projects. Figure 2 

illustrates the Foundation’s general and evolving 

organisational structure. 

Operating Model 

AATF strives to achieve its objectives through 

three principal areas of activity. First it works 

with stakeholders to identify opportunities for 

achieving impact and develops broad product 

concepts. It then develops appropriate concepts 

into fully specified business plans. These plans, 

once approved by the AATF Board, are then 

implemented by facilitating, managing and carefully 

monitoring project activities. 

Projects are selected through a demanddriven 

process that is based both on the needs 

of resource-poor farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 

and on the projects’ potential for reducing 

poverty in the region. Throughout the design 

and implementation of projects, AATF supports 

Board of Trustees 

Board Advisory 

Committee (BAC) 

Legal & Corporate 

Affairs Unit 

Information 

Management Unit* 

Office of the 


Internal Audit Unit* 

Communications 

& Partnership Unit 

Admin & Finance 

Department 

Technical Operations 

Department 

Finance 

& Accounts 

Unit 

Administration & 

Human Resources 

Unit 

Business 

Development Unit* 

Regulatory 

Compliance Unit 

Project 

Management Unit 

* Units not yet established. 

Figure 2: AATF’s evolving organisational structure. 

21


and participates in the analysis of problems 

and opportunities, identification of appropriate 

partners, negotiation of contracts and licensing 

agreements, regulatory approval, delivery of 

new products and general project oversight. The 

precise nature of the Foundation’s activities varies 

from one project to the next, and reflects a careful 

case-by-case decision-making process that is 

grounded in the organisation’s basic operational 

strategy. Figure 3 illustrates the kinds of relationships 

and activities in which the Foundation 

engages. 

Problem Areas and Initial Projects 

During its initial meeting in January 2003, the 

AATF Board of Trustees agreed upon eight 

significant problem areas affecting the productivity 

of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa: 

1) Controlling the parasitic weed known as 

Striga in cereals; 

2) Improving cowpea productivity; 

3) Improving the productivity of bananas 

and plantains; 

4) Enhancing the nutritional quality of 

cereals; 

5) Improving drought tolerance in cereals; 

6) Reducing mycotoxins in food grains; 

7) Increasing the productivity of cassava; 

8) Improving insect resistance in maize. 

Beginning in July 2003, AATF supported 

a series of small group meetings involving 

various stakeholders and focused on identifying 

Technology 

Licensors 

Licence 

Technology/Support in kind 

Funding 

agencies 

Funds 

AATF 

Funds 

Contracts: 

1 2 3 4 

Partners: 

Research 

Institute 

Research 

Institute 

Production & 

Distribution 

Company 

NGO/Private 

Stockist 

Farmers 

Activities: 

Basic/Strategic/ 

Adaptive 

Research 

Regulatory 

Consents 

Production & 

Distribution 

Demonstration 

& Market 

Development 

Figure 3: How AATF operates. 

22


constraints and opportunities associated 

with several of these problem areas. These 

meetings led in two cases to the development 

and implementation of fully-fledged projects 

aimed at 1) controlling Striga, which adversely 

affects the production of maize, sorghum and 

millet; and 2) improving cowpea productivity 

by strengthening its resistance to insect pests. 

Other projects in various stages of development 

include enhancing the productivity of 

bananas and plantains by increasing resistance 

to important diseases and insects; improving 

the nutritional quality of selected cereals, and 

improving the productivity of cassava through 

approaches to optimise labour requirements 

during field and processing operations. 

New Ways to Facilitate the Transfer 

of Agricultural Technologies 

In order to achieve significant improvements in 

agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa, 

new ways of doing business are needed. More 

specifically, new and innovative ways of building 

partnerships and transferring modern proprietary 

technologies must be pursued. The Foundation 

works with a variety of partners in a number of 

creative, yet practical ways, including the following: 

• AATF consults with a broad range of African 

stakeholders to identify priority crops and key 

constraints for resource-poor farmers; 

• It consults with potential technology providers, 

in both the private and public sectors, to 

identify technologies that can address those 

constraints; 

• It negotiates with potential partners to develop 

project business plans that specify the role of 

each partner institution, and determine how 

and where the technology will be used; 

• The Foundation enters into license agreements 

to access and hold proprietary technologies 

royalty-free and ensure freedom to operate for 

all the components of the technologies; 

• It sub-licenses partner institutions for further 

research as required to adapt the technologies 

to smallholder farming conditions; 

• It issues sub-licenses to test the adapted technologies 

for regulatory compliance; 

• It issues commercial sub-licenses for production 

and distribution; 

• AATF staff monitor compliance with the requirements 

of sub-licenses to minimise the risk of 

technology failure; 

• They also facilitate the work of appropriate 

partner institutions to ensure that links in the 

value chain are connected, effective and result 

in products of the technology getting to farmers, 

and farmers’ surplus harvests getting to 

market; 

• And the Foundation creates partnerships within 

African countries and with external stakeholders 

that foster the development of necessary 

indigenous capacities over time. 

As experience is gained with these activities, 

new opportunities for facilitating the technology 

transfer process will come to light and, where 

it makes sense to do so, be adopted by the 

Foundation and its many partners. 

23


24

Crossing to the Other Side 



Since its formal launch in 

June 2004, AATF has made 

important strides toward 

fulfilling its mission of linking 

the needs of resource-poor 

smallholder farmers in 

sub-Saharan Africa with potential technological 

solutions. The progress we have made is of course 

the result of the efforts of many people, but I wish 

to especially acknowledge and thank Dr Eugene 

Terry, AATF’s Implementing Director during 

the Foundation’s design and start up phases. His 

vision and leadership throughout the consultation 

and design process were essential to building this 

new bridge to sustainable agricultural development 

that is AATF. Today we are governed 

by firm principles and operational procedures, 

which underpin our present and future work, that 

benefited from his input. 

The harsh realities imposed by poverty and 

food insecurity throughout sub-Saharan Africa 

give AATF management and staff a strong 

sense of urgency about getting on with the job 

of bringing appropriate improved agricultural 

technologies to those who can make good use of 

them. And yet, while we are motivated day-today 

by this sense of urgency, we also recognise 

that we are engaged in a development marathon, 

not a sprint. We must keep our eyes on the 

horizon and carefully build the enduring public 

and private partnerships needed for long-term 

success. 

AATF is a unique organisation that is building 

on, and contributing to, the work of the many 

others involved in agricultural development in 

sub-Saharan Africa. We are recognised as an honest 

broker capable of fairly negotiating the royaltyfree 

transfer of technologies held by public and 

private institutions in developed and developing 

countries. We work along the entire product value 

chain, and provide a much-needed “one-stopshop” 

for providing access to proprietary technologies, 

knowledge and know-how. The creation of 

the Foundation was itself a catalyst for change 

– for innovation, reform and the creation of 

agricultural markets. AATF technical staff bring 

to the organisation a wide range of talents and 

over 60 years of combined experience in African 

agricultural research and development; they are 

committed both to excelling in their respective 

professions and to achieving AATF’s mission. We 

are indeed well placed to engage in activities vital 

to helping the continent’s resource-poor farmers 

become more productive. 

By December 2004, AATF had begun implementing 

two projects, while several more were at 

various stages of design and development. Details 

on these projects can be found in the pages that 

follow. The Foundation’s role varies depending on 

the needs of individual projects, but in all cases we 

strive to foster partnerships, link project outputs 

to the needs of smallholders, and facilitate the 

delivery of appropriate agricultural technologies to 

Africa’s resource-poor farmers. 

25


As we look to the future – and in particular 

as we think about how sub-Saharan Africa countries 

can achieve measurable progress towards 

achieving the United Nations Millennium 

Development Goals – we see a rapidly growing 

need for the services provided by AATF. 

Business as usual is a recipe for failure. The way 

forward for Africa is to transform its agriculture 

into a vibrant business sector that will help drive 

economic development on the continent. Our 

partners, both in the public and private sectors, 

fully understand Africa’s agricultural development 

imperative – the absolutely crucial requirement 

of dramatically improving farm-level productivity 

in order to meet the needs of current and future 

generations of Africans. 

Agricultural development leads to the 

creation of wealth and the reduction of poverty. 

It leads to greater food security for the poor. It 

provides the foundation upon which all other 

development must rest. And if done properly, 

using the right technologies, it will enable 

development while preserving the productive 

capacity of our natural resource base for generations 

to come. 

Our partners know these things because they 

have devoted their lives to – and in fact derive 

their own livelihoods from – science-based 

agricultural development. They have come to the 

understanding that great progress can be achieved 

if they work together, and they are eagerly 

embracing their common ground in the interest of 

Africa’s poor. AATF is proud to work closely with 

all its partners, both public and private, and to 

play its part in securing Africa’s future. A critical 

bridge to sustainable agricultural development has 

now been put into place. Our job is to strengthen 

this bridge and help our many partners cross it 

with the determination of improving the lives of 

millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Dr Mpoko Bokanga 

AATF Executive Director 

26


Getting on with the Job 

AATF is a robust and flexible organisation, intentionally 

designed to be responsive to the changing 

needs of its primary stakeholders. Its work is firmly 

guided by its overall mission of reducing poverty 

and increasing food security in sub-Saharan Africa, 

and by the promises the Foundation has made to its 

many partners and beneficiaries: 

• First and foremost, to work closely with 

resource-poor smallholder farmers to identify 

their needs and match them with technologies 

suitable for African ecologies and farming 

systems. Building on those insights, AATF 

“…the organisation understands how important it is to 

build and maintain an “enabling policy environment,” 

one that will support the efficient transfer and uptake 

of new technologies. To this end AATF works 

with institutions that are in a position to 

stimulate beneficial policy changes.” 

facilitates the transfer of apt technologies, including 

knowledge about their management and use. 

• To serve as a much-needed bridge that African 

scientists and development experts can use to 

access the tools they need, tools that will enable 

them get the final products of the research 

process into the hands of farmers and that will 

strengthen the region’s agricultural research and 

development institutions. 

• To address the needs of technology providers, 

ensuring that the technologies they supply are 

used appropriately and that the best research 

and management practices from public–private 

domains are combined to balance concerns for 

expense, simplicity, and effectiveness. 

• To contribute to the poverty reduction strategies 

and initiatives of governments and donors by 

increasing agricultural productivity through 

improved technological development and 

transfer systems that will ensure more secure 

livelihoods for the rural poor. 

AATF is guided in its partnership-building 

activities by the Trustees of the Foundation, who 

collectively decide on which areas of intervention 

hold the greatest promise for reducing poverty and 

increasing food security. In addition, the organisation 

understands how important it is to build and 

maintain an “enabling policy environment,” one 

that will support the efficient transfer and uptake 

of new technologies. To this end AATF works with 

institutions that are in a position to stimulate beneficial 

policy changes. The Foundation is not directly 

involved in policy formation, but it does play a role 

by assisting other organisations whose work affects 

the regulation of agricultural research and development 

in target countries. Thus, AATF engages with 

such vital organisations as the African Union (AU), 

the New Partnership for Africa’s Development 

(NEPAD), the Forum for Agricultural Research in 

27


Africa (FARA), and the Economic Commission 

for Africa (ECA). It is also working in concert with 

an array of regional and sub-regional organisations, 

including the Economic Community of West 

African States (ECOWAS), the Common Market 

for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), 

the Southern African Development Community’s 

Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources group 

(SADC/FANR), the Association for Strengthening 

Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central 

Africa (ASARECA), and the West and Central 

African Council for Agricultural Development 

(CORAF/WECARD). 

Selecting Projects 

As AATF evolves in response to changing needs 

and new opportunities, its project portfolio also 

evolves. The initial projects that have been undertaken 

by the Foundation reflect – and are meant 

to demonstrate – a range of technologies that can 

be effectively adapted to African conditions and 

that are valued by resource-poor farmers. Selection 

criteria include consideration of the overall 

balance of the portfolio, as well as project-specific 

factors. 

In general terms, the Foundation’s portfolio 

should include projects of differing sizes, expenditure 

profiles and risks, providing balance in terms 

of risk and expected outcomes. Other important 

balance considerations include geographic distribution, 

the potential for impact in the short run, 

and inherent technical or institutional synergies 

between projects. 

More specifically, selected projects must 

address high-priority constraints limiting access 

to and use of technologies that would otherwise 

be available (particularly those held or used by 

the private sector). Selected projects must also 

involve potential end-users in problem definition, 

selection of technology interventions, and project 

planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. 

Projects will be pursued only if it is clear 

that, in the target country(s) or region, constraints 

to sustainable and profitable use by smallholders 

are either being overcome or can be addressed in a 

reasonable timeframe and at reasonable cost. 

The selection of projects reflects the essence 

of the Foundation’s business model, as shown in 

Figure 4 opposite. 

This 14-step project development process 

comprises four distinct but interrelated phases. 

The process begins by assessing the constraints to 

reducing poverty and improving the food security 

of sub-Saharan Africa’s resource-poor farmers, 

and by identifying options for overcoming those 

constraints (Phase 0). All projects are guided 

by carefully prepared business plans (Phase 1), 

which lead to the development and deployment 

of products (Phases 2 and 3) by project partners. 

In each phase, strategic decisions are made that 

inform and condition subsequent steps and decision 

making. 

To date, AATF has focused its efforts on 

building alliances that expedite access to, and 

delivery of, appropriate new technologies. It is 

involved in two flagship projects that, to varying 

degrees, feature these twin objectives. 

Controlling Striga 

This project aims at reducing the impact of the 

parasitic weed Striga on maize production. The 

Foundation’s involvement in this project began after 

consultations with the International Maize and 

Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). AATF’s 

role is to facilitate the deployment of the technology, 

both in Kenya and in other Striga-infested 

areas in sub-Saharan Africa, and to make sure that 

it reaches smallholder maize producers. 

28


Phase 3 

14. Wide Scale Deployment 

Product 

13. Planning Expansion 

12. Impact Assessment 

Deployment 

11. Pilot Product Deployment 

10. Baseline Study 

Phase 2 

9. Communications Strategy Development 

Product 

8. Risk Management Strategy Development 

Development 

7. Product Development 

6. Board Recommendation go/no-go decision 

5. Project Business Plan Development 

Phase 1 

4. Feasibility Assessment 

Business Plan 

3. Scientific/Technical/Legal Review go/no-go decision 

Preparation 

2. Product Concept Note Development 

1. Product Concept Identification 

Phase 0 

0. Problem–Solution Intelligence Gathering 

Figure 4: The AATF project development process. 

AATF helped establish a coalition of NGOs 

and other grassroots development organisations 

interested in facilitating the testing of the new 

maize seed in farmers’ fields. In addition, the 

Foundation is negotiating agreements with private 

seed companies for multiplying the new seed, first 

for demonstration and later for commercialisation. 

The NGO coalition will involve and work 

with smallholder maize producers to field test the 

technology prior to its commercial release in the 

market. 

However, most of these farmers are very poor 

and the purchase of improved seed may prove 

difficult, if not impossible. So to encourage farmer 

adoption of the new technology, AATF is considering 

working with micro-financing institutions to 

facilitate small loans for seed purchases. Effective 

access to commercial markets by smallholder 

maize producers, so that they can quickly and 

efficiently sell their surplus maize, is critical to the 

sustainability of the newly introduced technology. 

To achieve this market access, the Foundation will 

partner with SACRED-Africa and other NGOs 

involved in the Maize Marketing Movement, to 

enable smallholder farmers to sell their produce to 

large dealers. 

Improving the Productivity of Cowpea 

in Africa 

The primary focus of the Cowpea Productivity 

Improvement Project is to facilitate access to new 

technologies. AATF became involved in this 

initiative after consulting with the Network for 

the Genetic Improvement of Cowpea in Africa 

(NGICA), which is made up of individuals and 

institutions with long-standing interest in boosting 

cowpea productivity in the region. 

Consultations with Monsanto led to the 

commitment by this private company to donate 

the cry1Ab gene to the Cowpea Project. To 

facilitate access to the gene by other partners, 

AATF is negotiating a licensing arrangement with 

Monsanto. Additional discussions are going on 

with CSIRO Australia, which will carry out the 

cowpea transformation work, and public sector 

cowpea scientists in West Africa who will be 

29


involved in cry1Ab gene introgression and field 

testing. 

The Foundation’s multiple roles in the Project 

include: negotiating access to the cry1Ab gene, 

which confers resistance to the insect pest Maruca 

vitrata; providing liability protection to the technology 

provider; ensuring quality seed production 

and availability; licensing improved seed and 

technology distribution in Africa; and helping to 

develop relevant markets. 

In order to guarantee the necessary freedom 

to operate, a comprehensive “technology due 

diligence” assessment was conducted pro-bono 

on behalf of AATF by an experienced lawyer 

of the Belgium-based bio-pharmaceutical firm, 

Innogenetics, Inc. The Project’s promise has also 

attracted support from the UK’s Kirkhouse Trust, 

which is supporting efforts to improve the capacity 

of the region’s national agricultural research 

organisations to apply marker-assisted selection 

techniques during the Cry1Ab gene introgression 

phase of the Project. In addition, the West and 

Central African Council for Agricultural Research 

and Development (CORAF/WECARD) has 

embraced the project and has a seat on the 

proposed 7-member steering committee that is 

overseeing the Project’s progress. 

The Cowpea and Striga Projects exemplify the 

kinds of initiatives that AATF views as central to 

achieving its mission. 

Financial Projections 

AATF’s expenditures over time will of course 

depend on the scale, nature and timing of its 

various activities. However, all the Foundation’s 

activities embody and reflect two fundamental 

operational maxims: 

• Make the most of AATF’s ability to leverage 

small investments into significant impacts; and 

• Always strive to be cost-effective. 

AATF’s primary role is that of facilitating the 

transfer of proprietary technologies by building 

public–private partnerships designed to get new 

30


and existing technologies into the hands of those 

who can use them to generate positive impacts on 

poverty and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. 

As a facilitator, the Foundation’s direct investments 

in establishing project partnerships can lead 

to huge benefits, both for those engaged in the 

partnerships and for the region’s resource-poor 

farmers. Benefits accruing to project partners 

themselves are generally not financial. They 

revolve around the realisation of humanitarian 

objectives, practical scientific advances, longterm 

market development, and the increasingly 

popular adage, “doing well by doing good.” For 

the ultimate beneficiaries of these efforts, however, 

the benefits are more tangible: notable increases in 

farm-level productivity, growing profitability, and 

greater food security over time. 

AATF’s project investments are designed 

to attract significant additional contributions 

by project partners. These contributions take 

several different forms – financial, as well as a 

variety of in-kind investments of technology, 

know-how, and human capital. Operationally, the 

Foundation’s investments are weighted towards 

covering project development and start-up costs, 

including project planning, and the transfer, adaptation 

and obtaining regulatory consent for new 

technologies. Relatively more of the downstream 

costs (actual implementation) are to be covered 

through resource mobilisation efforts that will 

involve the public and private sector partners in 

each project. The Foundation’s operational model 

also anticipates covering all follow-up costs, such 

as monitoring compliance with licensing terms, 

fulfilling AATF’s stewardship obligations, and any 

other project assessment work. Expenditure patterns 

vary from project to project, but in general 

they adhere to the blueprint shown in Figure 5. 

Funding from donors, governments and the 

private sector (including foundations) 

Total AATF funding 

AATF Overheads Expenditure 

AATF 

AATF Project Expenditure 

100% 

Overheads 

75% 75% 25% 100% 

Total Project Costs 

Staff, Operating, 

Direct, Set-up Costs 

Project 

Development Costs 

Upstream 

Project Costs 

Downstream 

Project Costs 

Follow-up Costs 

25% 25% 75% 

Matched funding (contributions in cash and in 

kind from public and private sector partners) 

Figure 5: Indicative blueprint for the allocation of funds provided in support of AATF’s work. 

31


While the Foundation forecasts a growing 

demand for its interventions over time, 

it does not anticipate a material increase in 

its staff or operating budget. Its focus on 

cost-effectiveness – on the wise and effective 

use of donor funds – and on integrating the 

valuable lessons that come with project experience 

into its ongoing efforts will enable it to 

meet growing demand without substantial 

increases in funding for its own operations. 

The vast majority of additional funds that 

come to AATF will be devoted to covering its 

direct investments in project activities. In fact, 

the Foundation’s overheads, as a proportion of 

total project costs, are projected to fall from 

their current level of about 51% during AATF’s 

start-up to between 10–12% by 2012. Thus, 

as the Foundation mobilises new resources for 

project activities, very little of any new funding 

obtained will be allocated to maintaining the 

organisation itself; growth will instead occur 

in project activities that lead to payoffs for 

intended beneficiaries. 

32


Building Public–Private Partnerships 

The formation and management of dynamic and 

lasting public–private partnerships will make 

the difference between success and failure 

in achieving AATF’s goals and objectives. The 

Foundation is itself the result of a unique partnership 

between the public and private sectors in 

Africa, Europe and North America. The primary 

reason for creating the organisation – the need 

to negotiate access to and transfer of proprietary 

and other technologies held by both the public 

and private sectors – also points to the need for 

efficient networks to manage the deployment 

of these technologies at all stages along the 

product value chain. 

In general terms, AATF’s role is that of a muchneeded 

honest broker, one that can act as the 

“responsible party” in facilitating continuing collaboration 

and alliances. Enduring partnerships 

rest on the desire to work with others to achieve 

mutually beneficial outcomes, and the belief that 

more can be achieved jointly than separately. 

Building such relationships involves facilitating 

negotiations among different organisations at 

different stages of project development, entering 

into agreements and looking into issues of 

regulatory compliance. 

To date, AATF has focused its efforts on 

building alliances that expedite access to, and 

the delivery of, appropriate new technologies. 

The Improving Cowpea Productivity Project 

described on pages 29 and 30 is the Foundation’s 

flagship initiative relative to enhancing access. 

The Foundation’s work relative to technology 

delivery is best exemplified by a project aimed 

at reducing the impact of the parasitic weed 

Striga on maize production, described on pages 

28 and 29. In both cases, AATF is participating as 

a neutral third party, taking into account the interests 

of all partners, including the resource-poor 

smallholders who are, in the end, expected to 

reap the benefits of these collaborative efforts. 

The building of enduring alliances among 

diverse public- and private-sector organisations 

requires partners to recognise and embrace each 

other’s relative strengths – and to earn one another’s 

trust – as they join forces to achieve mutually 

beneficial goals. AATF’s experience shows that a 

neutral third party can ensure that the interests of 

different partners are served without jeopardising 

the overall goals of the alliance. It also clearly demonstrates 

that the best partnerships are those that 

are based on equality. If partner organisations are 

not on an equal footing, the alliance will not endure. 

The Foundation’s experience as a neutral third party 

shows that it is essential to clearly define in advance 

the roles and responsibilities of each partner. This 

builds respect for each other’s strengths and provides 

each collaborator with an important sense of 

belonging and of adding value to the relationship. 

Indeed, a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities 

is the best arbitrator of disagreements that 

inevitably arise in complex public–private partnerships; 

such clarity helps everyone involved to focus 

on truly relevant issues, including where, how, and 

by whom progress is being made. 

The trend towards public–private partnerships 

is essential to achieving sustainable agricultural 

development in sub-Saharan Africa. Partnerships 

that are well thought out, carefully planned, efficiently 

implemented and fairly managed benefit all 

parties equally. Clearly, however, while the principles 

that underpin such partnerships are essentially 

the same from one to the next, no two partnerships 

are the same. The diversity of goals, objectives, 

values and organisational cultures that characterise 

such relationships must be explicitly recognised 

by those who manage each alliance, and become 

a genuine source of strength and inspiration for 

everyone involved. 

33


Project Portfolio Summary 

Projects Underway 

Striga Control in Maize 

Aptly referred to as “witchweed,” Striga is an 

aggressive parasitic weed that seriously affects 

the production of maize throughout sub-Saharan 

Africa. Other important cereals are also affected, 

including millet, sorghum, upland rice and Napier 

grass. Striga infests as much as 40 million hectares 

of smallholder farmland in the region and causes 

yield losses ranging from 20% in a normal year to 

as much as 80% under severe infestation. It affects 

the livelihoods of more than 100 million people, 

causing annual crop losses estimated to be worth 

US$1 billion. 

Crop damage starts before Striga emerges 

from the soil, during which time it produces 

phytotoxins harmful to its host crop. The parasitic 

weed drains photosynthates, minerals and water 

from its host plants, resulting in stunting and 

withering that leads to yield losses. Thus Striga 

survives by literally sucking “life” out of its hosts. 

When it emerges, Striga produces characteristically 

“pretty” pink flowers that belie its devastating 

effects. At maturity the weed sets and eventually 

sheds its seed, which are so tiny (< 0.3 mm) that 

a single plant can produce anywhere from 50,000 

– 200,000 of them. The seed can remain dormant 

yet viable in the soil for up to 20 years. With 

every planting season, some of the dormant seeds 

germinate, attach to host plants and produce 

millions of new seeds, making the problem even 

worse during subsequent cropping seasons. 

The good news is that researchers from the 

CIMMYT and KARI, in collaboration with 

the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) and 

with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation 

and BASF (a multinational producer and supplier 

of chemicals), have developed improved 

maize varieties for the control of Striga in 

maize. The varieties are resistant to a group 

of herbicides known as imidazolinones. One 

of them, supplied by BASF under the name 

Imazapyr (brand name StrigAway ® ), when used 

as seed coating, kills Striga when it attaches to 

and starts feeding on germinating maize seed. 

Extensive testing has shown that the use of IR 

maize to control Striga leads to considerable 

yield increases – from 38 to 82% in field trials 

in Africa – compared to traditional varieties 

grown under the same conditions. 

The overall goal of this project is to control 

Striga in maize in Africa. Achieving this goal 

will require that smallholder farmers have access 

to improved, Imazapyr-resistant (IR) maize 

seed. 

AATF’s role is to facilitate the deployment 

of the technology to ensure that it reaches 

smallholder maize producers. The Foundation 

helped establish a network of local NGOs to 

facilitate farmer education and testing of the 

new maize seed in farmers’ fields. It is negotiating 

agreements with private seed companies for 

multiplication of the new seed and its eventual 

commercialisation, and is also working with a 

maize marketing movement – initiated by the 

Sustainable Agriculture Centre for Research, 

34


Extension and Development in Africa 

(SACRED-Africa) – to provide smallholder 

maize producers with better access to commercial 

markets so they can quickly and efficiently 

sell their surplus maize. 

Partner Institutions 

• African Agricultural Technology Foundation 

(AATF) 

• International Maize and Wheat 

Improvement Center (CIMMYT) 

• Kenya Agricultural Research Institute 

(KARI) 

Improving Cowpea Productivity 

Cowpea is the most important food grain legume 

in the dry savannas of tropical Africa, where it 

covers more than 12.5 million hectares. It is rich 

in high-quality protein and contains almost as 

much energy by weight as cereal grains. Cowpea 

is consumed by nearly 200 million Africans. It 

provides cash income to smallholder farmers, 

serves as nutritional fodder for livestock, and 

provides an ideal way to complement proteindeficient 

diets. Unfortunately, cowpea productivity 

in traditional African farming systems is 

greatly reduced by biotic and abiotic stresses. 

“Cowpea is the most important food grain 

legume in the dry savannas of tropical Africa. 

It is consumed by nearly 200 million 

Africans…provides cash income to smallholder 

farmers, serves as nutritional fodder 

for livestock, and provides an ideal way to 

complement protein-deficient diets.” 

• BASF (a multinational producer and 

supplier of chemicals) 

• Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel 

• The Western Regional Alliance for 

Technology Evaluation (We-RATE) 

consortium of NGOs, community 

based organisations and farmers’ 

organisations 

• Seed companies – Lagrotech, Kenya 

Seed and Western Seed 

Research is underway at the International 

Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and in 

various African and other research institutions to 

develop improved varieties of cowpea that perform 

better in the face of these stresses, have higher 

yield potential, and have even greater nutritional 

value. AATF’s involvement in the project was 

at the request of the Network for the Genetic 

Improvement of Cowpea in Africa (NGICA) – a 

consortium of individuals and institutions working 

to increase cowpea productivity in Africa. 

35


The overall goal of the AATF cowpea 

project is to facilitate the development, distribution 

and adoption of appropriate technologies 

that will substantially increase cowpea productivity 

and utilisation in sub-Saharan Africa. In 

order to achieve this goal, smallholder cowpea 

farmers in the region need higher yielding 

varieties that can perform well under adverse 

conditions and, in particular, that are genetically 

resistant to major insect pests, such as 

the Maruca pod borer. Farmers also need to 

learn and apply new cropping systems that can 

significantly increase cowpea productivity and 

profitability. 

AATF’s role in this project includes 

negotiating access to the cry1Ab gene, which 

confers resistance to the Maruca pod borer; 

providing liability protection to the technology 

provider; ensuring high quality seed production 

and availability; licensing improved seed and 

technology distribution in Africa, and helping 

to develop relevant markets. The Foundation 

has supported three consultative meetings with 

stakeholders that defined project activities, roles 

and responsibilities to deliver expected outputs. 




• Network for the Genetic Improvement of 

Cowpea for Africa (NGICA) 

• Monsanto Company 

• The Kirkhouse Trust 

• National Agricultural Research Systems 

(NARS) in West Africa 

• Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial 

Research Organization (CSIRO), Plant 

Industries, Australia 

Projects under Development 

Improving Banana and Plantain 

Productivity 

Bananas and plantains are major food sources for a 

number of African countries. There are two major 

types of varieties used as staple foods: the East 

African highland bananas, which produce mainly 

cooking (matoke) and “beer” bananas, and the 

plantains, mainly found in the lowlands of West 

and Central Africa. The productivity of bananas 

and plantains in sub-Saharan Africa is severely 

constrained by a range of pests and diseases including 

nematodes, banana bacterial wilt, banana weevils, 

Fusarium spp., and the leaf-spotting disease known 

as black Sigatoka. Modern biotechnology tools 

are now being used in the region to improve the 

productivity of bananas and plantains. 

A number of laboratories outside Africa, working 

in collaboration with researchers in Africa, are using 

novel approaches to develop bananas and plantains 

with resistance to prevalent diseases and insect pests. 

The overall goal of this initiative will be to 

provide smallholder farmers with access to suitably 

adapted high-yielding banana and plantain varieties 

with resistance to abiotic and biotic constraints. 

AATF’s role in this project is intended to focus 

primarily on resolving the IPR issues associated 

with obtaining access to and using advanced transgenic 

crop improvement research methodologies, 

ensuring regulatory compliance, as well as project 

stewardship. 


AATF is in the process of negotiating with project 

partners. So far consultations are going on with the 

following institutions: 

• National Agricultural Research Organisation 

(NARO), Uganda 

36


• Academia Sinica, Taiwan 

• Institut de recherche agronomique et zootechnique 

(IRAZ), Burundi 

• International Institute of Tropical Agriculture 

(IITA) 

• National Agricultural Research Systems 

(NARS) in the Great Lakes Region of Africa 

[particularly Burundi, Democratic Republic of 

Congo (DRC) and Rwanda] 

Mycotoxins Reduction in Food Grains 

Food safety is a major health and economic 

concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Outbreaks of food 

poisoning, sometimes resulting in the loss of life, 

are not unusual in the region. Fungal contamination 

of food crops reduces their quality and leads 

to the production of high levels of dangerous 

toxic substances, known as mycotoxins. Research 

has shown that mycotoxicoses contribute to the 

development of liver cirrhosis and cancer, and 

compromise the immune systems of people and 

animals, making them susceptible to infection 

by other diseases. In addition to health risks, 

mycotoxin contamination in foods poses considerable 

economic risks to agricultural producers who 

must meet very stringent regulatory requirements 

of importing countries in order to sell their crops 

on the international market. 

The fungi that produce mycotoxins are ubiquitous, 

yet there are methods for planting, harvesting, 

storing and processing food crops that can 

greatly reduce the dangers they pose. Intellectual 

property issues, however, currently limit the 

availability to sub-Saharan African countries 

of potentially useful technologies for reducing 

mycotoxin contamination in food crops. 

The overall goal of this project is to reduce 

contamination of food grains with moulds that 

produce mycotoxins thereby contributing to 

reduced food spoilage and improved human 

health 

AATF’s role in this initiative will focus on 

addressing IPR issues associated with obtaining 

access to technologies for reducing mycotoxin 

contamination, sub-licensing and project stewardship. 

The Foundation is striving to foster the 

formation of research consortia to address the 

complex problem of mycotoxins in food grains in 

Africa. 


AATF is in the process of negotiating with project 

partners. So far consultations are going on with 

the following institutions: 

• The Agricultural Research Service of the 

United States Department of Agriculture 

(ARS-USDA) 

• CircleOne Global International 

• The International Institute of Tropical 

Agriculture (IITA) 

Improving Cassava Productivity 

Cassava – a very hardy root crop – serves as a 

major subsistence staple in sub-Saharan Africa. 

It is also an important cash crop for many 

smallholder farmers in the region, and it plays a 

key role in famine situations. More so than other 

major food crops, cassava is tolerant to poor 

soils and adverse weather conditions. Cassava 

fits well into the farming systems of smallholder 

farmers in Africa. The carbohydrate yield from 

cassava per unit of land is higher than for other 

major staples, it thrives across a wide range of 

ecological zones, and it is normally available all 

year round, thus contributing to household food 

security. However, its roots, which represent 

37


its most economically valuable part, have poor 

keeping qualities and must be processed within 

three days. 

However, inefficient traditional African 

production practices and processing methods 

lead to comparatively high production costs and 

to cassava products that are of generally low 

quality. This limits the ability of African cassava 

products to enter local industrial markets or to 

compete with maize in global starch markets. 

Measures that will reduce the production costs 

of African cassava producers will help reduce 

poverty by making cassava farming more 

profitable while lowering the price of cassava to 

consumers. 

A technology needs assessment for improving 

cassava productivity was conducted during the 

2004 symposium of the International Society for 

Tropical Root Crops – Africa Branch (ISTRC- 

AB) to identify technological interventions that 

could increase cassava productivity in Africa. 

The results suggest that farm mechanization 

would make the greatest contribution to increasing 

cassava productivity. However, cassava farming 

and processing machinery producers from 

outside Africa are reluctant to sell equipment to 

African countries for fear that such equipment 

will be copied by local engineers, pointing to an 

IP issue that needs to be resolved. 

The overall goal of this project will be to 

improve cassava productivity through appropriate 

mechanisation aimed at optimising labour 

productivity during production and processing 

operations and opening up new market opportunities 

for cassava products. 

AATF’s role in this project is to clarify 

and seek to resolve key IP issues involved in 

the acquisition and deployment of proprietary 

machinery for cassava production and processing. 

Working with its partners, the Foundation 

will help organize a meeting of experts in 2005 

to develop a master plan for the industrialisation 

of cassava in Africa. This plan will be designed 

to facilitate the efforts of all stakeholders along 

the cassava value chain to promote cassava-based 

industries in Africa. 




• International Institute of Tropical 

Agriculture (IITA) 

• United Nations Industrial Development 

Organization (UNIDO) 

Discontinued Projects 

Pro-Vitamin A Enhancement in Maize 

Malnutrition is common in sub-Saharan Africa. 

About 40–50% of the region’s population remains 

malnourished each year and the region is worse 

off nutritionally today than it was 30 years ago. 

Many of the hungry and malnourished are the 

more vulnerable members of society – women 

and children. The most widespread micronutrient 

deficiencies in Africa are those of iron, zinc and 

vitamin A. In children, malnutrition often leads to 

diminished cognitive development and suboptimal 

functioning of their immune systems. In communities 

where vitamin A deficiency is endemic, 

improving availability of the vitamin can reduce 

child mortality by over 20% and mortality due to 

measles by as much as 50%. 

Building the required micronutrients into 

food through biofortification is both sustainable 

and cost effective. In this instance, a combination 

38


of approaches is being used to produce varieties 

of maize containing high levels of ß-carotene 

and other pro-vitamin A carotenoids. 

The overall goal of this effort is to provide 

smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with 

access to seed of maize varieties containing high 

levels of ß-carotene and other pro-vitamin A 

carotenoids in order to reduce the incidence of 

vitamin A deficiency. Project partners reviewed 

approaches to nutritional enhancement, from 

transgenic to conventional breeding. Institutes 

involved in attempts at biofortification of maize 

through genetic transformation are proceeding 

with these efforts. 

AATF’s role in this project was to help 

access and negotiate IP on the required proprietary 

technologies, facilitate the selection of 

testing sites and the dissemination and adoption 

of proven technologies. 




• The HarvestPlus Consortium 

Insect Resistant Maize for Africa 

(IRMA) 

Maize is one of the most important sources of 

calories for the poor in Africa, second only to 

cassava. It is a significant part of the diets of 

millions of smallholder subsistence farmers, who 

grow it primarily in mixed cropping systems. 

Small- to medium-scale farmers – those who 

cultivate 10 hectares or less – grow 95% of the 

maize produced in Africa. Diseases and insect 

pests, particularly several different species of 

stem borers, cause significant yield losses in all 

African eco-regions where the crop is grown. 

Losses vary, normally ranging from 15 to 40%, 

but when conditions favour disease development 

and/or insect infestation, total crop failure can 

occur. 

A combination of traditional plant breeding 

and novel gene technologies is being used to 

produce maize varieties that are resistant to stem 

borers. The ubiquitous Bt bacterium contains 

genes which encode crystal (cry) proteins that 

are toxic to a variety of insect pests. The cry 

proteins are harmless to plants, are neutral to the 

environment, and have been used as the active 

ingredient in many different biological insecticides 

for nearly half a century. But challenges 

relating to IP, licensing and liability protection 

remain. 

The overall goal of the ongoing IRMA 

project is to provide sub-Saharan Africa smallholder 

maize producers with access to suitable 

Bt maize varieties that are resistant to the major 

insect pests (stem borers) that limit maize 

productivity in the region. 

AATF’s role in the project was to evaluate, 

advise on, and help resolve relevant IPR issues 

and to explore issues that may emerge from the 

commercialisation of Bt maize in the region. 




• International Maize and Wheat 

Improvement Center (CIMMYT) 

• Kenya Agricultural Research Institute 

(KARI) 

• Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable 

Agriculture 

39


Financial Report 

This is AATF’s first audited Financial Statement. 

It covers a period of 16 months (September 2003 

to December 2004) and provides comparative 

figures for the 5-month inception period from 

April 2003 to August 2003. 

Funding 

Total contributions from development partners 

amounted to over US$2.6 million, a testimony 

to the loyalty of our donors and the importance 

of our mission. AATF is sincerely grateful to and 

acknowledges the contributions made by all its 

development partners. 

Expenditures 

Overall expenditures for the period were US$ 2.1 

million. Supporting services expenditures for operations 

were 51% of this total. The high proportion 

spent on these services was due mainly to the costs 

associated with establishment and set up of the 

Foundation. However, AATF also got off to a good 

start with respect to its projects, which comprised 

42% of total expenditures. AATF is firmly committed 

to responsible stewardship of the funds entrusted 

to it and aims to achieve a significant increase in 

project spending in 2005 and beyond, while notably 

reducing its expenditures on support services. 

Summary Statement of Activities (abridged version) 

For period ended 2004 with comparative totals for 2003 

2004 

(US $) 

2003 

(US $) 

Income 

Grants 2,665,640 488,377 

Other Income 13,593 313 

Total Income 2,679,233 488,690 

Expenditures 

Project Costs 886,410 200,459 

Communication, Publicity & Advertising 148,927 6,516 

Operating costs 1,058,505 128,096 

Total expenditures 2,093,842 335,071 

SURPLUS FOR THE PERIOD 585,391 153,619 

40

Financial Report 

Statement of Financial Position (abridged version) 

As at 31st December 2005 

2004 

(US $) 

2003 

(US $) 

ASSETS 

Non current Assets 

Equipment and Motor Vehicles 93,075 22,986 

Intangible Assets 9,952 – 

103,027 22,986 

Current Assets 

Bank and Cash 469,208 – 

Accounts Receivables 312,393 177,528 

781,601 177,528 

Total Assets 884,628 200,514 

LIABILITIES AND FUND BALANCES 

Current liabilities 

Accounts payable & Accrued Expenses 145,618 46,895 

Total Liabilities 145,618 46,895 

Fund Balances 

Restricted 29,907 19,112 

Unrestricted 709,103 134,507 

Total Fund Balances 739,010 153,619 

Total Liabilities and Fund Balances 884,628 200,514 

Income 

Total Expenditures 

Other Income 

1% 

Communication, Publicity & Advertising 

7% 

Project Costs 

42% 

Grants 

99% 

Operating 

Costs 

51% 

41


Launching AATF 

The formal launch of AATF took place at the 

Foundation’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya on 

16th June 2004. The following are a selection of 

quotes from presentations made that day. 

Sir Gordon Conway 

Former President 

(Rockefeller 

Foundation) 

“AATF is an acknowledgement 

that improvements 

in African agricultural 

productivity are not likely to be made in American 

or European labs – nor should they be – but in 

applied settings, most likely by African scientists 

drawing upon the best of the world’s expertise in 

real world situations. 

There is no magic solution that will solve 

Africa’s complex agricultural challenges, but 

the problem is so big that Africans should have 

the right to consider every possible tool at their 

disposal. 

[But]…we must examine the current system 

and ask ourselves, ‘How can those who care 

about the fate of the small-scale farmer make 

technological options more available?’ The rise of 

a sophisticated global intellectual property system 

covering many building block technologies has 

meant public researchers [in Africa] have little 

access to new ideas and tools in their field. Left 

to its own devices, the gap is likely to grow – with 

wealthy nations’ farmers using techniques that are 

ever more sophisticated and poor farmers left with 

the same tools they have used for centuries.” 

Hon. Kipruto arap Kirwa 

MP (Minister for 

Agriculture, Kenya) 

“The role of agriculture 

in the overall economic 

development of Kenya 

and indeed sub-Saharan 

Africa cannot be over-emphasised. Reforms 

in agricultural practices to boost production 

are, therefore, central to economic progress in 

many of our countries. The poverty situation 

in sub-Saharan Africa and the dependence on 

agriculture by the majority of our people is 

reason enough to give this sector all the support 

necessary. 

My ministry is charged with the responsibility 

of ensuring that we have the necessary 

mechanisms to encourage the application of 

new approaches in science and technology; 

either developed here or acquired from elsewhere. 

AATF is a well thought out initiative 

whose aims and goals address the African farmers’ 

problems from an African perspective. 

I am encouraged by the fact that AATF 

recognises the various players in agriculture, 

both public and private, respecting their 

contributions and good practices. I note that 

the Foundation will seek to engage these 

sectors in partnerships and collaboration that 

will ensure delivery of products to farmers at 

affordable costs and in the most effective manner. 

This kind of cooperative effort in development…motivates 

further support of donors and 

partners.” 

42

Launching AATF 

Dr Nick Hooton 

(Former DFID-UK) 

Dr Peter Ewell 

(USAID) 

“DFID is very pleased to 

play a part in the establishment 

of AATF as part of 

our broader strategy for 

supporting technology 

development and dissemination in Africa. 

This project is consistent with the commitment 

of African leaders to generate growth 

through agriculture in order to benefit the poor 

– a strategy embraced by the Comprehensive 

Africa Agriculture Development Programme 

(CAADP), which we are also please to support. 

DFID feel that the Foundation provides 

a much-needed mechanism for negotiating 

access to proprietary technologies held by the 

public and private sectors, both in OECD and 

in developing countries. Yet it is not enough to 

simply gain access to new technologies; it is also 

necessary to adapt them to African conditions, 

to assure regulatory approval, to demonstrate 

their performance potential, and to distribute 

end products in ways that make them affordable 

to millions of small farmers. To do all 

this requires new public–private partnerships 

aimed at transferring proprietary agricultural 

technologies to and within sub-Saharan Africa, 

partnerships which ensure that vital linkages 

among key players are developed and maintained 

over time. This is where AATF comes in 

– engendering new public/private research and 

development partnerships and helping to ensure 

that the benefits of such collaborative initiatives 

accrue to the resource-poor small farmers of 

sub-Saharan Africa.” 

“The vast majority of 

agricultural research in 

Africa is, and will remain 

for some time, in the hands 

of public institutions. Many 

private sector companies – both in developed 

and developing countries – are looking for ways 

to assist in Africa’s long-term development. We 

at USAID believe that public–private partnerships 

can and should play important roles. 

AATF is designed specifically to identify and 

build on the common ground that exists among 

public and private organisations involved in 

agricultural development. It is a neutral third 

party that can and will negotiate in good faith 

the transfer of proprietary technologies to 

the benefit of resource-poor African farmers. 

USAID is proud to be a founding donor and 

partner in this innovative initiative.” 

Mr Paul Okong’o 

(Kenyan farmer) 

“ The maize variety to 

fight Striga …the farmers 

have seen it work. I am not 

talking of imaginary things. 

Those of you who have 

visited my farm have seen – we have managed 

to put Striga out!” 

43


Board Advisory Committee 

The Board Advisory Committee advises the AATF Board on a wide range of strategic issues relating to 

AATF operations. 

Gerard Barry 

Golden Rice coordinator 

International Rice Research Institute 

Manila, Philippines 

Douglas Gibson Brew 

Senior Natural Resources Adviser 

UK Department for International Development 

(DFID) 

UK 

Giselle Lopes D’Almeida 

President 

Interface Network 

Dakar, Sénégal 

Josué Dioné 

Chief 

Sustainable Development Division 

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 

Aleke Dondo 

Managing Director 

K-Rep Development Agency 

Nairobi, Kenya 

Monty Jones 


Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa 

(FARA) 

Accra, Ghana 

Josette Lewis 

Biotechnology Advisor 

US Agency for International Development 

(USAID) 

Washington, DC, USA 

Peter Joseph Matlon 

Director, Africa Regional Program 

The Rockefeller Foundation 

New York, USA 

John Mugabe 

Advisor to NEPAD 

Secretary, NEPAD’s African Forum on Science 

and Technology for Africa’s Development 

Pretoria, South Africa 

William Niebur 

Vice President, Product Development 

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. 

Johnston, Iowa, USA 

44

Left to right: George Njogu, 

Phelix Majiwa, Maina Running Gathu, Head 

Mpoko Bokanga, Joan Abila, 

Jacob Quaye, Nancy Muchiri, 

Peter Werehire, Nancy Okita, 

Richard Boadi. 

Seated: Martha Tilahun 

The AATF Team 

(as of 31st December, 2004) 

Mpoko Bokanga 


Phone: +254 (0)20 422 3725 

Email: m.bokanga@aatf-africa.org 

Samuel Kariuki 

Administrative Assistant 

Phone: +254 (0)20 422 3740 

Email: s.kariuki@aatf-africa.org 

Joan Abila 

Executive Assistant to the ED 

Phone: +254 (0)20 422 3725 

Email: j.abila@aatf-africa.org 

George Njogu 

Driver 

Phone: +254 (0)20 422 3742 

Email: g.njogu@cgiar.org 

Nancy Muchiri 

Communications and Partnerships Manager 

Phone: +254 (0)20 422 3733 

Email: n.muchiri@aatf-africa.org 

Richard Boadi 

Legal Counsel 

Phone: +254 (0)20 422 3735 

Email: r.boadi@aatf-africa.org 

Martha Tilahun* 

Administration and Finance Manager 

Nancy Okita* 

Administrative Assistant 

Jacob Quaye* 

Consultant & Interim Finance and Administration 

Manager 

Peter Werehire 

Publications and Website Officer 

Phone: +254 (0)20 422 3731 

Email: p.werehire@aatf-africa.org 

Phelix Majiwa* 

Consultant, Project Manager – Technical Operations 

Maina Gathu* 

Consultant Accountant 

* On staff as of 31st December 2004, but have since left the 

Foundation’s employ. 

45

African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) 

c/o International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) 

P.O. Box 30709 – 00100 

Nairobi, Kenya 

Internet: 

Email: aatf@aatf-africa.org 

Website: www.aatf-africa.org 

Telephone and Fax: 

Direct 

AATF Switchboard: +254 (0)20 422 3700 

AATF Fax: +254 (0)20 422 3701 

Via USA 

Phone: +1 650 833 6660 3700 

Fax: +1 650 833 6661 3701

AATF Inaugural Report - African Agricultural Technology Foundation

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