Challenges and opportunities for Africa: Connecting systems approaches, sustainable

intensification and scaling out

Accelerating Sustainable Intensification in Africa: A farming systems framework for targeting investment

FARA AASW Side eventAccra, 16 July 2014

John Dixon Principal Regional Coordinator

South Asia & Africa, ACIAR

Contents

Challenges

The opportunity:Sustainable Intensification Systems

Identifying ways forward ..

Challenge 1: future food demand“feeding 9 billion”

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1990 2010 2030 2050

Glo

bal F

ood

Dem

and

(Pet

acal

/day

)

Year

71% increase 2010 to 2050

129% increase 1970 to 2010

Source: Keating et al 2012

Challenge 2: current hunger & poverty“improved food & income for 1 billion”

The opportunity (imperative?)

Sustainable intensification systems Increased productivity without resource degradation

Requiring added attention to ...

Systems and farming systems

Innovation systems and information sharing

Policies and institutions (incl markets)

Metric and monitoring

African extensification cf Asian intensification

Source:World Bank, 2008

How much productive agricultural land in Africa is under-utilized?

?

Some African small farm constraints …

Low productivity

Scarce biomassLand degradation

Poor markets & institutions

Climate variability Limited resouces

Pathways out of smallholder poverty: (target “intensification” before “diversification”?)e.g., maize mixed farming system

Intensification20%

Diversification30%

Exit

10%

Off-Farm Income20%

Farm Size 20%

Connecting initiatives

Systems R&D adding ‘cross-disciplinary’ value to commodity/NRM programs for sust intensification

African farming systems framework for efficient targeting of agricultural investments in country and across countries

Integration of research and scaling out pathways to impact on farm households

Identifying ways forward ...

Sustainable Intensification Systems Workshop 10-13 July 2013 40-60 persons from FARA, ASARECA, CORAF,

CCARDESA, SSA CP, SIMLESA, SIMLEZA, Africa Rising, SARD SC, Systems CRPs, ICRAF, ACIAR, USAID, BMGF and 25 others orgs

Institutionalizing Farming Systems Frameworks in Science, Education, Policy and Investment Planning in Africa

14 July 201320 persons from FARA, NEPAD/CAADP, SROs,

NARS, World Bank, ICRAF, ACIAR/AIFSC

ACIAR

Now:

Farming systems framework

Workshop outcomes