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IDRC contributes to the conversation about agricultural transformation in Africa at AGRF 2016

 

IDRC’s research and partnerships were in the spotlight at this year’s African Green Revolution Forum, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 5–9.

IDRC’s Cultivate Africa’s Future (CultiAf) project, and collaborating partner the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), organized the side-event Science and Innovation to Transform African Agriculture to kick off the forum. More than 250 researchers, policymakers, and private sector actors from across Africa attended the event, which explored the role of research, science, and innovation in transforming African agriculture. Participants discussed successful strategies to achieve impact at scale, the role of farmers and other partners (including women and youth) in agricultural transformation, and developing leaders (including women and youth) to drive transformation. Partners from the various CultiAf projects shared research results, innovations, and development outcomes for future scale-up and for informing policies and programs.

Dominique Charron, the director of IDRC’s Agriculture and Environment program, participated in a high-level panel that included Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the President of the African Development Bank. During the panel’s discussion of the role of policy in enabling public-private partnerships to transform African agriculture, Charron reiterated IDRC’s focus on building partnerships to achieve greater impact and stressed the role of innovation in achieving agricultural transformation.

Simon Carter, the regional director of IDRC’s regional office for sub-Saharan Africa (ROSSA), represented the Centre at a roundatable of numerous African ministers. The roundtable focused on the commitments of the Malabo Declaration and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Next year’s AGRF, in Abidjan, will be jointly hosted by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, AGRA, and the African Development Bank.