Framework for African Agricultural Productivity (FAAP) - FARA

f r a m e w o r k f o r a f r i c a n a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t i v i t yExecutive summaryAfrica’s leaders see agriculture as an engine for overall economicdevelopment. Sustained agricultural growth at a much higher rate thanin the past is crucial for reducing hunger and poverty across the Continent,in line with Millennium Development Goals. The African Union’sNew Partnerships for African Development (AU-NEPAD) has issued aComprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)which describes African leaders’ collective vision for how this can beachieved. It sets an ambitious goal of 6% per annum growth for the sector.A key component of the vision calls for improving agricultural productivitythrough enabling and accelerating innovation. CAADP Pillar IV constitutesNEPAD’s strategy for revitalizing, expanding and reforming Africa’sagricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption efforts.Currently, chronic shortcomings afflict many of the Continent’s agriculturalproductivity programmes. This explains the historical underperformance ofthe sector and the current plight of African farmers. Consultations withagricultural leaders, agricultural professionals, agri-business, and farmersshows substantial agreement that institutional issues such as capacityweaknesses, insufficient end user and private sector involvement, andineffective farmer support systems persist in most of Africa’s agriculturalproductivity programmes and organizations, hampering progress in thesector. These problems are compounded by the fragmented nature ofsupport and by inadequate total investment in agricultural research andtechnology dissemination and adoption.Executive Summary