India-Africa Partnerships in Food Security and Capacity-Building
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South-South Cooperation: India-Africa Partnerships in Food Security and Capacity-Building Renu Modi Dhaval D. Desai Meera Venkatachalam South-South Cooperation: India-Africa Partnerships in Agriculture South-South Cooperation: India-Africa Partnerships in Food Security and Capacity-Building South-South Cooperation: India-Africa Partnerships in Agriculture © 2019 Observer Research Foundation All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from ORF. The Observer Research Foundation NKM International House, 5th Floor, 178 Backbay Reclamation, Babubhai Chinai Marg, Mumbai - 400 020 Tel: +91 22 3555 6500 [email protected] www.orfonline.org ORF provides non-partisan, independent analyses and inputs on matters of security, strategy, economy, development, energy and global governance to diverse decision-makers (governments, business communities, academia and civil society). ORF’s mandate is to conduct in-depth research, provide inclusive platforms, and invest in tomorrow’s thought leaders today. Design and layout: Rahil Miya Shaikh Disclaimer: This report presents information and data that was compiled and/or collected by the Observer Research Foundation and the Centre for African Studies, University of Mumbai from the international seminar ‘South-South Cooperation: India-Africa Partnerships in Food Security and Capacity Building’ organised in Mumbai in January 2018 and from independent research. Data in this report is subject to change without notice. Although the ORF and the WEF take every reasonable step to ensure that the data collected is accurately reflected in this report, the ORF and the WEF, their agents, officers, and employees: (i) provide the data “as is, as available” and without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non- infringement; (ii) make no representations, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the data contained in this report or its suitability for any particular purpose; (iii) accept no liability for any use of the said data or reliance placed on it, in particular, for any interpretation, decisions, or actions based on the data in this report. ISBN: 978-93-89094-01-5 ISBN Digital: 978-93-89094-02-2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iii INTRODUCTION 1 1. SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION: INDIA-AFRICA PARTNERSHIPS IN 4 AGRICULTURE 2. INDIAN DIASPORA AND AGRICULTURE IN EAST AFRICA: 10 HISTORICAL CONTEXT 3. CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH TRILATERAL COOPERATION 14 4. THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN AGRICULTURE: CASE STUDIES 20 5. INDIA-AFRICA PARTNERSHIPS: EMPOWERING WOMEN 26 THROUGH W2W INITIATIVES 6. POLICY INITIATIVES: INDIA-AFRICA ENGAGEMENTS FOR 30 CAPACITY-BUILDING IN AFRICA 7. CONCLUSION: PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT 36 ANNEXURE 38 FOREWORD he reflection and discussion on the growing importance of the India- Africa partnership, and the use of South-South and Triangular TCooperation (SSTC) as an instrument to promote food security and capacity building were the ASHWANI MUTHOO core of the ‘India-Africa Partnerships for Food Director, Global Engagement & Multilateral Security and Capacity Building’ conference. i Relations Division International Fund for Agricultural Development, Rome The India-Africa partnership is fundamental for global prosperity. The historical ties between the two regions are well-known, but these have expanded over time also to include Western and Central Africa. There is a large Indian diaspora all across the African continent. India has become the largest trading partner of Africa, having allocated significant amounts of resources in the past decades. India is also seeking to enter into new agreements to import commodities and pulses from Africa, which makes the two countries as natural and reinforcing partners in their development pathways. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted to take a further step towards ending poverty; fighting inequalities; tackle climate change and ensuring hunger and malnutrition are not a problem any longer. The thematic focus of the conference – food security and capacity building – of great importance for the global community, was chosen in an effort Foreword to contribute to this important agenda. Around Moreover, in the Eleventh Replenishment of three billion people, i.e. around 40 percent of IFAD’s Resources (2019-2021 period), SSTC the total world population, live in rural areas in is going to gain even more importance as it has developing countries and a vast majority of those been identified as a privileged implementation people derive their income and livelihoods from modality to, among others, drive youth-led agriculture. Agriculture, thus, is fundamental inclusive rural transformation and rural finance to the world and so are the rural areas. This is and as a tool to boost private sector investment. why it is necessary for the global community to invest in agriculture development for food Such trends are also reinforced by the adoption security and capacity building. of the ‘Brasilia Declaration and Action Agenda’ during IFAD’s International SSTC Conference, While agriculture has an important role in held in Brasilia in November 2017. The the achievement of the SDGs, smallholder Brasilia Declaration underlines the increasing agriculture holds a special place in the 2030 importance of SSTC as a key development Agenda. In a majority of developing countries instrument to achieve the SDGs and includes – for example in Africa and Brazil – often specific action items that IFAD and others more than 70 percent of the food consumed in will undertake in the coming years to further the entire country is produced by smallholder leverage on SSTC for promoting sustainable farmers, which makes their role essential for and inclusive rural transformation. SSTC is, eliminating hunger, poverty and malnutrition. therefore, seen as the preferred method to support the Fund to compile, share and adapt SSTC is being increasingly recognised by the financial and commercial solutions and possibly development community as a fundamental broker new investment deals. instrument for promoting sustainable economic development throughout the world and for Against this backdrop, IFAD can reaffirm its ii reaching the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and commitment to strengthen its partnership with the Sustainable Development Goals. However, India and Africa, leveraging also the potential it is to be recognised that SSTC is not an offered by SSTC. Furthermore, the international end in itself, but a means to achieving better community should continue to engage to better livelihoods, food security and to promoting address the challenges that rural smallholder capacity building throughout the world. farmers across the globe are facing, and give special attention to food security and capacity As a specialised agency of the United Nations building, as two areas of great importance for and an International Financial Institution, the achievement of the SDGs. IFAD’s mandate is to promote sustainable and inclusive rural transformation, by investing Lastly, I would like to congratulate the Observer in programmes and projects that support Research Foundation, the University of Mumbai smallholder agricultural and rural development. and the Ministry of External Affairs of India Since 1978 – when IFAD started its operations – for this excellent report, which highlights the the Fund has invested more than US $15 billion success of an impactful conference, hoping in projects and programmes in developing that it will contribute to further stimulate the countries in all developing regions, and currently progress towards the SDGs. has more than 200 ongoing projects globally in around 100 countries. IFAD’s Strategic Framework 2016-2025 recognises SSTC as a central instrument for achieving sustainable rural transformation. Foreword EXECUTIVE SUMMARY two-day conference entitled, ‘South- South Cooperation: India-Africa Partnerships in Food Security and Capacity Building’ was organised by AORF in collaboration with the Centre for African Studies, University of Mumbai. This conference was generously supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), iii Rome, and the Economic Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, RwandAir and Tata Chemicals and Rallis India. It was attended by over 50 experts and stakeholders from India, Africa, Europe and North America. The meeting aimed to further explore and access the potential of India’s ongoing partnerships in capacity building through private and public sector bilateral and trilateral initiatives. The third India-Africa Forum Summit held in New Delhi in October 2015 – the largest of its kind – and the subsequent 52nd annual conference of the African Development Bank (AfDB) held in Gandhinagar in May 2017, underscore India’s commitment to strengthening people-to- people contacts and government-to-government engagement. India’s development compact with Africa in the field of agriculture is envisioned through four mechanisms: i. Bilateral Cooperation: Government of India-sponsored activities, such as grant disbursement, and the extension of Executive Summary concessional Lines of Credits (LoCs) and foreign direct investments channel finances and technologies for the development of agriculture and allied sectors in Africa. India and several African nations