Introduction
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) ex-Pillar IV Africa Regional and Sub-regional Organizations for Agricultural Research and Innovation project (CAADP XP4) is part of a programme administered by IFAD in support of CAADP ex Pillar IV organizations. The project is funded by the EU under the initiative “Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture” (DeSIRA) Programme and managed by IFAD.
ASARECA is one of the five partner organisations benefiting from the CAADP Programme. The other benefiting organisations are: the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), and the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA).
Goal
The goal of the project is to contribute to the implementation of Agenda 2030. It will contribute to the progressive achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2 – zero hunger) and to the action to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 13). It promotes progress towards ending poverty (SDG 1), gender equality (SDG 5), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12). The project will additionally contribute to Agenda 2063 and the Malabo Declaration of the African Union (AU).
Objective
The objective is to enable agricultural research and innovation, including extension services, to contribute effectively to food and nutrition security; economic development and climate mitigation in Africa. This will be achieved by improving the capacity, effectiveness and positioning of the Regional and Sub regional Agriculture research and extension organizations as well as National-Agriculture Research-Systems, and by promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing among the organizations.
Specific objectives
The Specific objectives are to:
Strengthen the operational capacity of ASARECA and its sub regional partner organizations.
Improve collaboration within and among the national, sub-regional and continental agriculture research and extension organizations.
Promote policy enhancement in agricultural research and innovation; (iv) create climate-relevant innovations
Promote investments and market linkages;
Enhance knowledge generation and dissemination in support of decision making, advocacy and innovation sharing.
Target Countries
The project will target the Eastern and Central African countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Direct and Indirect Target Group
The direct target group comprises the national agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (NAKIS), the private sector, farmer organizations, extension and advisory services, universities, and NGOs in target countries as well as the Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The indirect target group of the transformation of these agricultural knowledge and innovation systems comprise the rural poor comprising smallholder farmers, women and youth agripreneurs and pastoralists, as well as other marginalized communities.
Expected Outputs and Outcomes
Output 1: Capacities of ASARECA and partner organizations strengthened in competencies required for the successful implementation of the Project such as technical and organizational capacities in coordination, multi-stakeholder project management, resource mobilization, fiduciary processes, and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL).
Output 2: Multi-stakeholder partnerships for innovation established and in operation. Output 3: Policies in support of climate-relevant agriculture and food systems transformation formulated, investments increased, advocacy and market linkages strengthened.
Output 3: Policies in support of climate-relevant agriculture and food systems transformation formulated, investments increased, advocacy and market linkages strengthened.
Output 4: Knowledge management (KM) and communication systems for decision-making and sharing of innovation and for advocacy related to climate-relevant agriculture transformation established.
Output 5: Planning, coordination, MEL and reporting within ASARECA and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) as well as within sub-regional organizations (SROs), AFAAS, FARA and other multi-stakeholder partners, thus minimizing existent weaknesses.
Expected Outcome
The expected outcome of the project is an effective African agricultural research knowledge and innovation system, demand-driven public policies on agricultural research and extension services, and enhanced knowledge sharing and technology development for climate change adaptation and mitigation in agriculture.
Critical links: Learn more about the CAADP-XP4 project via:
DeSIRA Project website
New Program with Strong Climate Focus Set to Start
ASARECA, AFAAS, CCARDESA, CORAF, FARA meet to harmonise project implementation
ASARECA kicks off implementation of CAADP-XP4 project targeting Climate Change mitigation