Volume 9, Issue No. 1, 2019 FROM THE CHAIR, icipe THOUGHT LEADERSHIP COLUMN 2 GOVERNING COUNCIL BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL 3 Agriculture in Africa: Time to be brave Dr Lukas Bertschinger, Dr Segenet Kelemu Chair, icipe Governing Council Director General, icipe 5 INSTITUTIONAL NEWS 5 RECENTLY FUNDED RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS 8 RECENTLY PUBLISHED: SELECTED PAPERS 7 CAPACITY BUILDING AND INSTITUTIONAL 10 FROM OUR PARTNERS 9 DEVELOPMENT 12 icipe IN PICTURES 11 § BIOINNOVATE AFRICA PROGRAMME § RCU-RSIF 15 STAFF NEWS icipe BY NUMBERS Download a copy: 40 34 217,048 http://www.icipe.org/ publications/annual-reports Countries Peer reviewed farmers using the icipe is working in journal papers Push-Pull technology [email protected] www.icipe.org @icipe facebook.com/icipe.insects FROM THE CHAIR, icipe GOVERNING COUNCIL Dr Lukas Bertschinger, Chair, icipe Governing Council Dear Colleagues and Friends, e are pleased to present the icipe driven science initiative, and as the Regional e-bulletin for January – May 2019, Coordination Unit (RCU) of the PASET Wwhich opens with a strong call to Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund action on agriculture in Africa by the Centre’s (RSIF). Director General (DG), Dr Segenet Kelemu. In her Thought Leadership column, the DG In response to the expanding range of icipe’s urges for a determined and bold decision to initiatives, the Centre continues to strengthen strategically invest in agricultural research its team with no less than 15 new colleagues and development, to resolve the challenges joining us since the beginning of the year, as facing the sector once and for all. highlighted under the New Appointments section. The merit of such strategic investments icipe continues to is aptly illustrated in From Our Partners, One of icipe’s goals is to support the Centre’s column where Stephen Wathome, staff to maintain balance in their personal and expand its partnerships, Programme Manager, Agriculture, Job professional lives. In line with this vision, on Creation and Resilience, Delegation of the March 8, International Women’s Day, icipe with a range of new grants European Union (EU) to Kenya, discusses launched a crèche, a facility where staff signed across the Centre’s the solid partnership between the EU and members will be able to care for their young icipe towards strengthening agriculture as children during work hours, as the need programmes during the past a core and effective component in Africa’s arises. development. five months. We hope that the facility will enable the Centre Overall, icipe continues to expand its to respond to one of the major challenges investment partnerships, with a range of faced by women staff and graduate new grants signed across the Centre’s students; the ability to care for their young programmes during the past five months. children while maintaining their productivity at work. icipe also recognises that child care Meanwhile, our ongoing initiatives are is increasingly becoming gender neutral, progressing steadily, and continue to impact and the crèche is also open to male staff global knowledge production and livelihoods, members, thus allowing them to contribute as evidenced in the selected Recently to better balanced families. Published journal articles and Research Highlights sections. We wish you happy reading of these and other sections of this e-bulletin. In this publication, we also highlight icipe’s evolving role in strengthening science, We also invite you to download a copy of our technology and innovation for socio 2018 Annual Report, available at http://www. -economic transformation in Africa. The icipe.org/publications/annual-reports Centre is contributing towards this goal through BioInnovate Africa Programme, Dr Lukas Bertschinger, one of Africa’s largest regional innovation- Chair, icipe Governing Council [email protected] 2 www.icipe.org THOUGHT LEADERSHIP COLUMN BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL Agriculture in Africa: Time to be brave Dr Segenet Kelemu Director General, icipe s a young student in Ethiopia, I recall vividly learning about African Aagricultural constraints with a list that included: poor soil fertility, diseases and pests, lack of access to improved seeds, shortage of skilled manpower, inadequate infrastructure and market access, over- reliance on rainfed agriculture, and poor Move beyond the rhetoric that variously compensation for scientists, among other touts agriculture as the backbone of the factors. ‘Risky’ choices will be necessary to put African economy, engine for growth and an end to perrenial problems of agricultural so on, as well as promise laden terms Several decades later, this list – this litany research, including intermittent funding, like agribusiness, agripreneurs – fads that of woes – is still being taught in classrooms knee jerk approach (for example, in disappear as soon as they appear. The role across the continent. The question then response to funding calls), and incomplete of agriculture in food security, growth and begs: since we know what is wrong; since agricultural innovation value chains that prosperity in rural areas is undebatable and we have ideas about what needs to be confine research to pilot stages or laboratory must continue to be supported. In tandem, done to improve agriculture, why have we shelves. On the one hand, institutions and proper linkage between agriculture and not been able to crack the code? And, how their researchers must become defiant: social economic transformation – the sectors can we resolve these challenges once and they must develop initiatives based on centrality to the ideal of holistic and inclusive for all? clearly identified agricultural priorities and development – needs to be embraced and Africa-led models, and fight for their place in mainstreamed into development agendas In my view, the answer lies in the bold and development agendas. more effectively. determined decision to invest in research for development in a sustained, strategic On the other hand, governments and and long-term along with the creation and development partners should invest in the implementation of enabling policies. I make research and innovation continuum: from this recommendation aware of the fact basic science, technology design and that, indeed, the solutions for agricultural trials, to commercialisation and scaling challenges in Africa extend beyond scientific up. Consideration should also be given innovations, especially when we consider to aspects like research infrastructure Unpack the agricultural value chain, a broader issues like those associated with and equipment, overhead costs, training vogue idea that remains poorly understood. land tenure and access to agricultural and capacity building, and incentives for Ideally, a value chain should facilitate flow financing. researchers. of products, knowledge and information, finance and payments, and synergestic And this is just the point: to succeed, we How can we resolve organisation of participants. Ultimately, the must steer clear off the same beaten track result should be high-quality agricultural and commit to a strategy that encompasses agricultural challenges once products and more income for all issues beyond the traditional research and participants. To get to this point, we need development architecture and for all? We must make to re-examine the basics; to conceptualise bold and determined decisions ideal value chain models for different crops Towards such a vision, I propose the and regions, and expose key players and following seven points. for research and development. address their vested interests. [email protected] 3 www.icipe.org THOUGHT LEADERSHIP COLUMN BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL The politics and policies of agriculture will have to change drastically. For example, agriculture is often confined to line ministries and their institutions. And yet, Stem external and internal brain drain: Lessons from Brazil, China and Russia: the determinants of agricultural productivity Every year, thousands of young African A net importer of agricultural products in and growth, like land, inputs such as seeds researchers graduate from local and the 1970s, Brazil now ranks among the and fertilisers, machinery, energy and water; international institutions. Unfortunately, many world’s five largest agricultural producers access to information and technologies; of them are not able to fulfil the dreams that and exporters. The Brazilian “miracle” is technical support; price and trade policies; first inspired them into a career in agricultural the result of a dynamic and comprehensive and public and private investments, often research. Researchers trained overseas policy to support agriculture, from upstream fall outside the jurisdiction of agricultural often have to make the difficult decision to downstream, with numerous intervention ministries. between risks and rewards – that is, either channels, as well as ambition to become a to remain abroad, or to return home and global agricultural power. face challenges of lack of infrastructure, being under-utilised, limited opportunities Meanwhile, China is feeding one fifth of for professional success, and low pay the world’s population with less than 10 (some times even lower than the stipends percent of world’s arable land, and ranks they received as students abroad). Local first globally in production of cereals, cotton, graduates are not spared either. Due to lack fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, eggs and of opportunities, many end up accepting fishery products. Since 1978, China has any available opportunities,