Tropical Agriculture Platform facilitating capacity development in agricultural innovation in the tropics

- a G20 Initiative

Tropical Agriculture Platform: progress report

• Summary of the TAP concept

• Building the partnership

• Implementation

The Problems at Stake Numerous interventions addressing gaps in capacity and

knowledge in agricultural innovation in tropical areas have:• Insufficient alignment with country/regional policies &

needs• Insufficient coordination and synergy between them • Small-scale activities with high transaction costs and

limited impact• Inadequate analysis of interdisciplinary needs and the

demands of agricultural markets.

The TAP objectiveGreater coherence of capacity development and knowledge sharing to improve agricultural production and productivity in the tropics, with a particular focus on smallholders.

The TAP Approach

Multilateral, multi-sectoral facilitation mechanism

Convening stakeholders at global and national level

Enabling actors to contribute through partnerships

Creating more coherent actions with greater impact

Aligning with national, regional and global policy frameworks

FAO acting as a global facilitator and convenor

The TAP Target Groups

Target Groups (directly affected): • Policymakers and institutions

in agricultural innovation (research, extension, education etc),

• Private sector and civil society active in innovation systems

• Relevant development agencies, fora etc.

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Assessment of Current Capacities and Needs

Enhanced Policy Dialogue

Effective Capacity Development Partnerships

Enhanced Knowledge Exchange

Strategic Action Plan

Common Framework for CD

The TAP Outputs

The difference TAP will make

• Partnerships and shared visions fostered to promote:– capacity development interventions more coherent and

aligned with national plans and demands– national leadership and ownership acknowledged

• Capacity development solutions developed at scale and with lower transaction costs

• Knowledge and experiences shared between broad constituencies of stakeholders

Tropical Agriculture Platform: progress report

• Summary of the TAP concept

• Building the partnership

• Implementation

TAP genesis

• Concept approved by G20 Agriculture Ministers Declaration, Paris, Jun 2011

• Discussed at G20 Conference on Ag. Research for Development, Montpellier, Sep 2011

• Developed by Informal Stakeholder Consultation, Rome, Dec 2011

• Endorsed by G20 Agriculture & Development Working Groups, Mar-May 2012, and by G20 Leaders’ Summit, Mexico, Jun 2012

• Recognized by the G-8 Summit, USA, May 2012• Launch at G20 MACS, Mexico, Sep 2012• First meeting of partners in Punta del Este, Oct 2012

The initial steps• Constituency formed– 37 partners – More announced– Others support

• Operational framework– General Assembly– Steering Committee

• Program of work for the inception phase

TAP Partners April 2013

Global Fora Regional Fora International Organizations

Others

GCHERA AARINENA IFAD AGRA

GFRAS APAARI World Bank Agrinatura

GFAR CAACARI IICA ITPGRFA

YPARD FARA CTA

AFAAS

TAP PartnersApril 2013

National Institutions International Research Institutes

AGREENIUM France

EMBRAPA and ASBRAERBrazil

INTA Argentina

CGIAR Consortium

ICIMODNepal

ARC South Africa

IAARD Indonesia

JIRCASJapan

CABIUK

ICIPEKenya

CAAS and CATASChina

INIASpain

NRIUK

CATIECosta Rica

CRA and INEAItaly

INIFAPMexico

Wageningen UniversityNetherlands

ICBAUAE

Tropical Agriculture Platform: progress report

• Summary of the TAP concept

• Building the partnership

• Implementation

Resource Mobilization• Total budget required for 3

years: $5 million• Inception Phase: $625,000

Contributions from China, France, and FAO Multi-Disciplinary Funds

• Operational Phase: Resource mobilization in progress

Promotion• Activities to date

– TAP Web site design– Brochures– Marketplace at GCARD2– Dgroups communities for partners

• Future activities– Develop communication plan with partners– Expand website as services develop

Inception Phase Workplan• Output 1 - Assessment of

Current Needs and Capacities– Africa Regional Assessment:

facilitated by FARA– Asia Regional Assessment:

facilitated by SEARCA– Latin America/Caribbean

Regional Assessment: facilitated by CIAT

• Online collaboration spaces• December 2012 – May 2013

Inception Phase Workplan• Output 1: TORs of Needs and

Capacity Assessment – Desk studies: priorities, capacities

& needs of stakeholders to strengthen agro-innovation systems

– Stock-taking of existing initiatives in capacity development (CD) incl. S-S

– Regional Synthesis Reports on CD with gaps and interventions identified for TAP

Inception Phase Workplan• Output 2 – Strategic Action Plan

– Definition of Services related to Outputs 4-6

– Focus: geographic & thematic– Alignment with other initiatives– Definition of partners’ contributions– Definition of benefits for partners

• Venue: Global Consultation, to be defined

Key points• TAP is a facilitating mechanism for

greater coherence• TAP will build on and complement

existing mechanisms• TAP will be neither an

implementing mechanism nor a funding mechanism

• TAP will span the capacity dimensions i.e. enabling environment, organizations and individuals

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TAP

Services

(starting from c.

July 2013)

Policy Dialogue Space: convening multi-stakeholder interactions to enhance clarity and coherence of national policies for capacity development in tropical agricultural

innovation

Marketplace: brokering effective capacity development approaches and partnerships in tropical agricultural

innovation which aggregate existing demands/offers, and facilitate up-scaling

TAPipedia: information system(s) that enhance knowledge flows in support of capacity development of tropical

innovation systems, on success stories, impacts, lessons learned, and the outputs of innovation

Thank you for your attention