The 7^th African Agriculture Science Week (AASW) and General Assembly (GA) of the Forum for Agricultural Research for Africa (FARA) has ended with the adoption of a six-point call-to-action to feed Africa.

This plan is to be implemented over the next three years to support efforts  to achieve the “Africa Feed Africa” initiative and also impact livelihoods on the continent.

The call to action was adopted by a high-level team of experts in Agriculture at the Kigali round table held as part of the 4 day  7^th AASW and FARA GA in Camp Kigali Rwanda.

Presenting the call to action, Dr Geraldine Mukeshimana, Minister of Agriculture and Animal resources of Rwanda, said participants at the event called on actors in African agriculture research and innovation to join forces. This is to facilitate increased adoption of appropriate technology and innovation by rural communities to sustainably increase their productivity. This can be achieved by spelling out innovative technology platform models across Africa.

They are to strengthen the capacity of research institutions to appreciate innovations of intermediary institutions and work with them to provide advisory services to end users to enable them adopt the innovations identified.

This should be supported by the enabling regulatory framework and policies under rural infrastructure required. There should be advocates for the management of the desired agricultural and food systems of the future

Actors are to identify, prioritise and develop the research innovation capacities and actions required at all levels to meet current and future needs.

This requires strategic and critical assessment of existing demand and to meet labour market needs. Attention should be given to developing strong processes for multi sectoral and stakeholder approaches towards building the needed synergies for greater buy-in for agricultural sector targets.

Institutional arrangement for coordinating agricultural corrective productions and capacity building at continental sub regional and national levels should be strengthened.

Key players and actors in agriculture were called upon to promote the  development of value chain agri-business and youth agri-preneurship. 

This will, in turn, ensure institutional support for the creation of viable small and large scale enterprises that add value to agricultural produce and deliver to market needs in environmentally sustainable and socially equitable ways. 

Actors should also ensure that the right policies and interventions are in place to promote intra regional trade. Focus should be given to institutional, financial and technical innovations that attract the youth into all stages of the agricultural value chain.

Industry actors are to develop data and knowledge systems to create a public evidence-based and new mechanism to clearly demonstrate the most impact and return on investment in national and international agriculture and food research and innovations. 

This will require advocates to push for open sharing of data and science applications in agriculture at national regional and global levels. It also requires cultivating a culture where decisions are informed by evidence.

Actors were called upon to generate appropriate indicators of agricultural science, technology and innovation indicators for food nutrition, security, economic, social and health and environmental benefit, recognizing the cost synergies and trade-offs.

Actors were also charged to establish the agric-science technology and innovation observatory.

Dr. Mukeshimana said the 7^th AASW and FARA GA recognized the pivotal role of research and innovation in agriculture for achieving the goals and targets set out in the continent’s policy framework on agriculture.

She noted that policy frameworks such as the comprehensive agricultural development programme agreed by stakeholders in the Malabo declaration to accelerate agricultural development and transformation through science, technology and innovation strategies for Africa; the African Development Bank’s “Africa Feed Africa” initiative and the UN’s sustainable development goals are all geared towards food security for Africa.

The Minister said it was felt that ending poverty, hunger and malnutrition in Africa require integrated agricultural innovation systems that are sustainable, equitable and economically viable for small holder farmers as well as ensuring equal opportunities for women,  the youth and the marginalized so that no one is left behind.

According to her, to capitalize on increased application of science and technology as a means to improve livelihoods in terms of food and nutrition security, wealth and job creation as well as natural resource management, the 7^th AASW brought together key actors in agriculture research and innovation to deliberate on the critical actions required to achieve this goal leading to the development of the call to action.

The science week deliberated on five thematic areas namely sustainable productivity, value chain in agribusiness and the youth, sustainable financing, data and knowledge systems and capacity for development.