Newsletter

PAAP Policy arena (Status of policies, laws and regulations for key agricultural sub-sectors in ECA)

2012 Global Hunger Index | Summary 5World hunger, according to the 2012 Global Hunger Index (GHI), has declined somewhat since 1990 but remains “serious.” The global average masks dramatic differences among regions and countries. Regionally, the highest GHI scores are in South Asia and Sub-Saha-ran Africa. South Asia reduced its GHI score significantly between 1990 and 1996—mainly by reducing the share of underweight chil-dren—but could not maintain this rapid progress. Though Sub-Saha-ran Africa made less progress than South Asia in the 1990s, it has caught up since the turn of the millennium, with its 2012 GHI score falling below that of South Asia.

This issue of the newsletter highlights the key areas of the Technology Uptake and Upscaling Support Initiative (TUUSI) strategy 2008-2013. The strategy defines the strategic niche for TUUSI and priority projects that will contribute to ASARECA’s goal, purpose and to objectives of  the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Pillar IV with respect to agricultural extension in the eastern and central Africa (ECA). Note that details of ASARECA’s rebranding will be published in a later edition of this newsletter.

Something decidedly new is on the horizon in Africa, something that began in the mid-1990s. Many African economies appear to have turned the corner and moved to a path of faster and steadier economic growth. Their performance over 1995–2005 reverses the collapses over 1975–85 and the stagnations over 1985–95. And for the first time in three decades, African economies  are  growing  with  the  rest  of  the  world.  Average  growth  in  the  sub-Saharan economies was 5.4 percent in 2005 and 2006. The consensus projection is 5.3 percent for 2007 and 5.4 percent for 2008. Leading the way are the oil and mineral exporters. But 18 non- mineral economies, with more than a third of the sub-Saharan African people, have also been doing well. Global economic growth has been fairly steady over the last 10 years-at 3.2 percent.

Towards the end of last year, the World Bank released the 2007 Africa Development Indicators report exploring the patterns of growth in sub-Saharan Africa over the past three decades. It finds that the volatility of growth has been greater than in any other region. Volatility has dampened expectations and investments-and has obscured some periods of good performance for some countries. The report shows that pickups in growth were seldom sustained, hence, Africa’s flat economic performance over this period. The challenge for economic policymakers in Africa, is how best to sustain the pickups in growth. The report shows that avoiding economic declines is as important as promoting growth.

In the previous issue of the newsletter, we published a review of a selection of participatory tools in the analysis, synthesis, and decision making related to natural resource management and policy. In this issue, we present a case study on the impact of social capital and conflict management in multiple resource regimes. The study describes the status of natural resources in Kabale and their different property regimes, examines the prevalence and the different types of conflicts over the use and management of natural resources and the role, strengths, and limits of social capital mechanisms for managing conflicts. Finally, the study proposes a framework for strengthening the synergy between social capital and policy, and building local capacity for alternative conflict management.

In this issue: Livestock and crops the excellent mix; Involve farmers in research minister urges EAAPP scientists; Fruits and vegetables for the whole year; Harmonized seed policies begin to bear fruit; Xanthomonas wilt, the banana enemy confirmed in Burundi Research update; Gender mainstreaming in agriculture is an urgent call; People and their surrounding; ASARECA senior managers and heads of programmes and units; ASARECA book shelf.

In this Issue: Boosting capacity for research; EAAPP: The big push for rice, wheat, cassava, dairy; The longer it climbs, the more beans; Scientists list milestones in fight against striga; Cassava, potato playing-field, benefits set to expand; A basket of goods from Napier project; How ENDIISA, a computer-based decision support tool for feeding dairy cattle, is set to change livestock productivity; Orange-fleshed sweet potato ÔÇô the darling potato; ASARECA book shelf.

Eyes on drought tolerant maize:The announcement at the close of 2011 of the successful transformation of nine transgenic maize lines by scientists supported by ASARECA has generated excitement across the continent. Plants transformed with drought tolerance genes, show more tolerance to water shortage. Some of the genes once incorporated into the maize genome, are capable of helping maize to return to full recovery after completely drying up; Climate smart initiatives; Call for more relevant agricultural institutions

In this issue: QPM the crop of hope; practical experiences from doctors of the soil; Stop Cassava brown streak disease; The promise of high value non-staple crops.