More Aid for African Agriculture: policy options for ... - UK Food Group

■ renewed aid effectiveness through the harmonization of donors’ agendas for
rural development 16 ; and
■ the need to forge better public-private partnerships.
All donors consider the adoption of the MDGs, together with the commitment made to
pursue these objectives more effectively, to be the cornerstones of the new agreed
development agenda.
Donors appear to agree on such broad principles (GDPRD, 2006 17 ), but they often
disagree on the substance of such principles. Most donors agree, for example, that
growth within the agricultural sector should be employment promoting. However, on
the components of agricultural growth, the relationship between increasing labour
productivity and yield increases, for instance, donors tend to disagree. FAO, for
example, argues that increased agricultural productivity is a consequence of
improved land productivity, which in turn can be developed fairly easily through
existing technologies (Sarris, A. 18 , 2006). Others argue that one of the major issues
related to agricultural growth is increased labour productivity. Nonetheless, the
majority agree on the need to develop productive capacity, notably through better
scientific knowledge and technological capacity.
This is just an example of the complex intertwining of terms and meanings encountered
during this research. The following analysis is aimed at giving a flavour of this policy
discourse on rural and agricultural development for Africa and is intended to be used
as an initial tool to help the reader navigate this complex web. The summary and
analysis therefore needs to be looked at in connection with the evidence gathered in
the online report, as well as with the profile of each of the institutions scrutinized (see
Annex 1c of online report).
16 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005).
17 In 2006, the GDPRD members agreed that there are certain drivers that hold up, or move, rural development
processes. These drivers include: people-centred development; local governance; economic drivers; natural
resources; rural infrastructure; rural service systems; and economic governance from global to local levels.
18 Alexander Sarris, director, Commodities and Trade Division, FAO.
‘…increased
agricultural
productivity is a
consequence of
improved land
productivity, which in
turn can be developed
fairly easily through
existing technologies.’
FAO
11