ISSUE: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
D. The Implementation Process
284. Africa's economic malaise is first and foremost a malaise of the inability of its agriculture to continue to contribute productively to the overall economic growth process. The decline in food and agricultural production over the years has became synonymous with the region's stagnation, social decline and marginalization in the world. Unless renewed measures are taken by the governments and people of the region to dramatically increase agricultural production, there will be continued food insecurity and economic deterioration and stagnation throughout the region. Concerted efforts are needed not only from within the region but also from the international community to implement the policies and programmes outlined above.
285. The building of the critical capacities described in this section will require the clear commitment of African governments and a close working relationship with institutions, agencies and organizations of the international community which have an interest in supporting the development of African agriculture. African countries must unequivocally assume membership of the implementation process through demonstrated political and budgetary commitments and a consultative and participatory process that involves the farmers and strategic members of the rural population in the implementation process. The international community should enter into partnership with African governments through meaningful consultations during sector investment programming. This should be followed by coordinated long-term donor support for implementation, through an internalization of the process and explicit financial backing.
-BUILDING CRITICALCA~ACITIESFOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN AFRICA AGENDA FOR ACTION MATRIX
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REGIONALACTIO~" ",'
PQuty
_ASQlWS , NATIONAL ACTIONI
INTERNATIONAL ACTION
1. Empower farmers and therural population
Strengthen farming localitiesandfarming communities.
Open up political systems to effective popular participation
Encourageruralparticipation in the political process,
Encourage publicairingof policy positions of interest to farmersand criticism of existing polices,
Include policy questions of interests to farmers in intra- and inter-party ,parliamentary debate.
Assist
in
the formation of viable farmer groupsAssist farmer groups in formulating well articulated policy positions on issues of vital interest.
Support farmer groups with funds andtraining,
Provide opportunities forthe exchange of experiences among different countries on how to turn
policy issues of interest to farmers into key items inintra- and inter-party politicsanddebate.
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Promote andsupport the
democratization process in Africa.
Encourage Governments to open up their political systems to effectiverural participation,
Provide fundingandtrainingto build the professional capabilities of farmer groups.
2. Building local policy analysis and management capacities for attaining national food security goals.
NATIONAL ACTION
Provide funding for organizing training programmes for policy analysts and managersand for other capacity enhancing activities.
Encourage communicationandinteraction among different ministriesandamong all levels in the hierarchy of
command.
Strengthen programmes forthetraining of policy analysts andmanagers.
Create and/or strengthennational capacity for developing, testing, and applying models and other analytical tools for effective policy analysis and planning.
Streamlinetransactions between the ministries of Agriculture, Finance, and Central Planning.
Put in place personnel polices to attract and retain competent staffandensure that competent younger people areable to move into positions of responsibility.
Ensure high levels of transparencyandaccountability at all levels.
I
REGIONAL ACTION Provide training in policy analysis and management.
Assist Governments in reconciling inconsistencies between sectoral growth objectivesandthe dissuasive effects ofmacro-economic, fiscal and trade policies.
Assist national Governments in developing, testing, and applying appropriate models and other analytical tools thataretailor-made for African situations and realities.
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INl'ERNATIONAL ACTION Provide technical assistance in the building of analytical skills involving the use of policy analysis tools such as PAM, the CAPPA simulation model developed by the FAO, the World Bank's RevisedMinimum Standard Model (RMSM-X), multi-sector models for sectoral planningand analysis, etc.
Provide technical and financial support to regional organizations and national Governments in the development, testing, and application of new modelsandanalytical tools thataretailor-made for African situationsand realities.
Providetechnical assistance and support to African Governments and regional organizations in the design andmanagement of coherent socio-economic policies.
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POLiCY MEASum NATIONAL ACTION
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REGIONAL ACTION lNTEIlNATlONAL ACTIONt
3, Generating improved farm technologies that are relevant andappropriate for the different agro-ecological zones.
Put in place master plans for the development of new agricultural technologies for crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, etc.
Increase funding for on-farm adaptive research inclnding research on different farming systems.
Promote the efficient nse of fertilizers.
Ensure adeqnate and sustained funding of operational activities at national research centres
Provide funding for adeqnate staffing of research staff.
Encourage national networking among
"all national institutions carrying out
"agriculmral research (research institutes, faculties of agriculture of universities, colleges of agriculture, etc.).
Strengthen lines of interaction between research and policy making"
Encourage private sector involvement in agriculmral research.
Encourage regional transfer of new productionandprocessing
technologies.
Promote regional agricultural research collaboration.
Promoteandsupport regional and subregional agriculmral research networks.
Provide training for agricultural research staff.
Encourage regional priority-setting and research programming.
Promote cooperation between regional andnational research centres.
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Enconrage international transfer of new prodnctionand processing technologies.
Support the creation of international networks.
Support long-termand higher level training of research staff.
Provide funding for international, regional, andnational agricultural research.
Promote cooperation among international, regional, and national research centres.
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Encourage competition and widespread
participation in the marketing of agricultural inputs and outputs,
l>QL1CY MEASURES If
4. Improving the performance of critical institutions.
N&1:'l()Ni\LACTlON Ensure adequate investments in agricultural institutions.
Improve the effectiveness of extension systems.
Promote competitive input delivery systems and encourage easy access toseeds andother agricultural inputs.
Create market information and quality grading systems.
Remove obstacles to connnodity movement.
Eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers
REGIONAL ACTION Seriously apply existing regional integration agreements.
Promote better market intelligence.
Encourage increased intra- and inter-regional trade.
Promote intra-regional competition.
Devise regional strategies for future global trade negotiations.
r-INTERNATIONAL ACTION Promote better understanding of the workings of global markets.
Encourage the opening up of global marketsto African products.
Provide technical assistance to national and regional effortsaimedat developing better negotiating African skills in agricultural trade.
Provide technical assistance to regional organizations in the design of strategies for the next global trade negotiation.
Encourage the establishment of private connnercial banking inturaIareas.
Provide lines of credit tu the rural sectorand support schemes to minimize default risks.
Encourage the development of strategically located storage facilities.
Support agro-processing enterprises.
Improve the effectiveness of land tenure institutions.