Policy Innovations for Food Systems Transformation in Africa
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CONNECTING THE DOTS: Policy Innovations for Food Systems Transformation in Africa A Malabo Montpellier Panel Report 2021 CONNECTING THE DOTS: Policy Innovations for Food Systems Transformation in Africa ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writing of the report was led by Meera Shah (Imperial College London), Mahamadou Tankari (Akademiya2063), Sarah Lewis (Imperial College London) and Katrin Glatzel (Akademiya2063) the Panel’s program director, under the guidance of Ousmane Badiane and Joachim von Braun, co-chairs of the Malabo Montpellier Panel. The input and advice of Panel members Debisi Araba, Noble Banadda, Elisabeth Claverie de Saint Martin, and Sheryl Hendriks is especially acknowledged. We would also like to thank John Asafu Adjaye (ACET), Charles Chinkhuntha (Malawi Ministry of Agriculture), Amos Laar (University of Ghana), Lloyd Le Page (Tony Blair Institute for Global Change), Mohamed Moussaoui (Mohammed VI Polytechnic University), Fatima Ezzahra Mengoub (Policy Center for the New South), Greenwell Matchaya (IWMI), David Spielman (IFPRI), and John Ulimwengu (IFPRI) for their input and feedback on the report and the case studies. This report was designed by Tidiane Oumar Ba (Akademiya2063) with support from Minielle Nabou Tall (Akademiya2063). iii Malabo Montpellier Panel Report July 2021 FOREWORD The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the food system transformation and will also help ensure pinch points in Africa’s food and agricultural sectors. that policies respond to the needs of all stakeholders, Disrupted supply chains, job losses (especially including the most vulnerable and marginalized. informal employment and jobs in urban areas), rising In Africa, food systems are now at a crossroads. Threats food prices, and a reversal in dietary diversity have and challenges persist, but there are ways to address all severely undermined recent development gains. them, either individually or collectively. This will, however, Even so, the sectors have proven to be a vital lifeline require a more integrated and nuanced approach than for urban residents and a form of social security for has been employed until now. This report—Connecting millions of people. COVID-19 has, in one fell swoop, the Dots: Policy Innovations for Food Systems dramatically exposed the interconnectedness and Transformation in Africa—draws on the experience and shared vulnerability of different sectors, including food at times visionary leadership of four African countries: and agriculture, nutrition and health, and environment. Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, and Rwanda. It focuses on Business as usual is no longer an option, neither in how their policy and institutional innovations, which have we understand the sectors nor in how we recover from moved the needle toward systems-level change and this systemic shock. transformation. Now and after COVID-19 we need to embrace a food Importantly, by transforming so rapidly and continuously, systems approach to policy design and implementation. Africa’s food systems generate their own imbalances— Food systems thinking needs to be at the heart of any demographic, sociocultural, political, infrastructural, future continental and global strategies for economic technological, and environmental. The need to reduce growth, food security, climate, and development. Indeed, these imbalances must be placed at the center of new 2021 has been labeled the “super year”, playing host to and innovative food systems policies, which will naturally several large global meetings on issues relevant to food present synergies and trade-offs. Developing a shared security and improved nutrition. While the UN Food understanding of the science and evidence among food Systems Summit is an ideal moment for stakeholders systems stakeholders will be key to promoting inclusive, to coalesce around a shared understanding of Africa’s agile, and transparent policy processes that will benefits food systems, the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) Africa’s rural and urban populations and create much- of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, needed employment opportunities for young people. the UN Biodiversity Conference, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP15 all provide While 2021 can mark a turning point in the transformation opportunities to align ambitions and targets. of Africa’s food systems, the momentum must be maintained well beyond the UN Food Systems Summit At the same time as global food systems challenges in order to ensure follow through on the commitments are being addressed, at the African continental and and targets that are being set and on stakeholders’ sub-regional levels specific attention needs to be paid shared ambitions. to transforming food systems in a way that enhances nutrition outcomes, improves livelihoods and protects The Malabo Montpellier Panel convenes 17 leading and enhances the environment. This can be achieved experts in agriculture, engineering, ecology, nutrition, through policies and interventions targeted at food and and food security; its aim is to facilitate policy choices agriculture trade, infrastructure development, finance, by African governments in order to accelerate progress science and technology for food systems, as well as toward food security and improved nutrition. The Panel capacity and skills strengthening. identifies areas of progress and positive change across the continent and assesses what successful countries This will be a step change from current methods and will have done differently. It identifies the institutional and require evidence-based and guided experimentation, policy innovations and program interventions that can policy innovations, and innovative technical solutions best be replicated and scaled by other countries. The as well as commitment from the highest levels. Mutual related Malabo Montpellier Forum provides a platform accountability mechanisms such as the Comprehensive to promote policy innovation; it uses the evidence Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) produced by the Panel to facilitate dialogue among Biennial Review Reports will be crucial for generating high-level decisionmakers on African agriculture, improved policies and achieving better outcomes on nutrition, and food security. Ousmane Badiane Joachim von Braun Co-Chair, Malabo Montpellier Panel Co-Chair, Malabo Montpellier Panel Malabo Montpellier Panel Report July 2021 iv THE MALABO MONTPELLIER PANEL The core mission of the Malabo Montpellier Panel, a group of leading African and international experts from the fields of agriculture, ecology, food security, nutrition, public policy and global development, is to support evidence-based dialogue among policy makers at the highest level. The Panel’s reports seek to inform and guide policy choices to accelerate progress toward the ambitious goals of the African Union Commission’s Agenda 2063, the Malabo Declaration and the global development agenda. The Panel works with African governments and civil society organizations to provide support and evidence-based research that facilitate the identification and implementation of policies that enhance agriculture, food security and nutrition. Ousmane Badiane Joachim von Braun Senegal | co-chair Germany | co-chair Executive Chairperson, Akademiya2063 Director, Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn Sheryl Hendriks - South Africa Debisi Araba - Nigeria Head, Department of Agricultural Economics, Managing Director Extension and Rural Development; and African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) Director, Institute for Food Nutrition and Well-being, University of Pretoria Tom Arnold - Ireland Ireland’s Special Envoy on Food Systems Muhammadou M.O. Kah - The Gambia Chair, Irish 2030 Agri-Food Strategy Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost Committee and Professor of Information Technology & Computing, American University of Nigeria Noble Banadda - Uganda Agnes M. Kalibata - Rwanda Chair, Department of Agricultural and President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Bio Systems Engineering, Makerere University Africa (AGRA); UN Special Envoy to the 2021 Food Systems Summit Elisabeth Claverie de Saint-Martin - France Director General for Research and Strategy Nachilala Nkombo - Zambia and CEO at CIRAD (Agricultural Research Country Director for the World Wildlife Fund Centre for International Cooperation) (WWF) Gordon Conway - UK Professor for International Development, Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg - Kenya Imperial College London Former Director, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Gebisa Ejeta - Ethiopia Distinguished Professor of Plant Breeding & Genetics and International Agriculture, Ishmael Sunga - Zimbabwe Purdue University CEO, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) Karim El Aynaoui - Morocco President, Policy Center for Rhoda Peace Tumusiime - Uganda the New South Former Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission (AUC) Ashok Gulati - India Infosys Chair Professor for Agriculture at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) v Malabo Montpellier Panel Report July 2021 CONTENTS FOREWORD ............................................................................................................... IV 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 2. ACTION AGENDA .................................................................................................. 3 WHAT WORKS AT COUNTRY LEVEL? .....................................................................................................