1.0
Introduction
African scientists, experts, policymakers, civil society organizations andrepresentatives of international organizations from over 24 African countries met in
Maseru, Lesotho, to deliberate on the perennial and persistent food insecurity problem
in sub-Saharan Africa and to provide African perspectives towards a holistic approach
to finding solution to the problem, including the use of relevant tools of science andtechnology.
The conference agreed and noted the following points:
Participants noted with satisfaction the fact that this conference was not only timely
but more importantly the only one among many on this critical issue with a deliberate,strong African perspectives;
The conference acknowledged that sub-Saharan Africa is the only continent
experiencing chronic food insecurity, largely because of the dependence on rainfed agriculture, in spite of the great advances in the agricultural science andtechnology;
The conference noted that food insecurity in Africa is as a result of several failures:the failure of the international and national agricultural research systems; domestic
policy failure, especially regarding science and technology; institutional weakness
and market failures as well as the failure to locate the food security problem within
an economy-wide innovation system;
The conference argued for the exploration of a new way of measuring theperformance of both the international and national agricultural research systems.
The new way would incorporate incentives that require scientists to look beyond thelaboratories and experimental systems, place less emphasis on published papers,

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ATPS Technopolicy Brief 11
encourage a move to a multi-disciplinary framework requiring more interaction withsocial scientists, ultimately to better appreciate policy imperatives and therequirements for moving from science to innovation;
Participants expressed concern that there are weak links or virtually none between
the international agricultural research systems and the national systems and urged
for stronger partnership and collaboration between the two in a manner that minimizes
the differences in status and the condescending attitude of the international systems
as generators of knowledge and the national systems as mere extension agents;
Participants compared the experience of Asia with that of Africa and noted that one
significant difference in the success of Asia’s green revolution was the criticalinvestment in water prior to the green revolution policies. Such investment is lacking
in Africa where access to water resources and irrigation technology is still limited.
This is an issue that is compounded by significant differences in ecological,
environmental and socio-cultural endowments within and across African countries
that make application of research results across countries very costly. In this respect,
the conference noted that scientists exaggerate the universality of agriculturalscience, often minimizing the costs of transferring or adapting research knowledge
from one ecological zone to another, and thus leading to frequent adoption failures;
The conference discussed the importance of new technology, and in particular,
how biosciences can be used to improve food security in Africa. It was noted that, ingeneral, bioscience research relating to livestock is expensive and under-funded.
Participants lauded the idea of establishing centers of excellence where facilities
and resources can be shared by many countries. These centers would in turn serveas hubs for the much needed public–private sector partnership both in the extension
services and in the investment for technology uptake. Again, the conferenceemphasized that African researchers and institutions should have key roles in thedesign and implementation of programs associated with these centers of excellence;
The conference noted with dismay that although Africa is largely agrarian, the poverty
reduction strategic papers (PRSP) already prepared in several African countries
have assigned no role to agricultural science and technology and the policy
imperatives associated with this;○2○○○

Science & Technology and Food Security in Africa
Participants reiterated that technology-led development is a leader-driven endeavor
and that African leaders must show greater interest and take charge of the processthat deploys science and technology to solve food insecurity in Africa, and ensurethat agricultural technological capabilities are built and that African scientists are
significantly utilized in this process;Participants observed that food insecurity in Africa is concern to African governments
and the international community but that donor dependence cannot lead to asustainable solution;
In their concluding remarks, the conference participants noted that Africans andAfrican institutions should be strengthened to find a lasting solution to food insecurity
because they better understand the African farmer, her cultural and environmental
setting and the institutional requirements for the transfer knowledge to the farmer;
andThe discussions of the conference were further guided by several commissioned
thematic papers on some of the key issues that affect agricultural performance in
sub-Saharan Africa: 1) WTO and the future of Africa’s agriculture; 2)From Scienceto Production: Transferring Knowledge to the Rural Farmer- What works and What
Doesn’t; 3) Integrating Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge for Improved Food
Security in Africa; 4) The Biotechnology Revolution and Its implications for Food
Security in Africa; 5) Agricultural Biotechnology and its implications for Food Security:
Lessons from Asia and Latin America; 6) Harnessing Information and Communication
Technologies for Improved Agricultural Performance in Africa; 7) Gender Dimensionsof the Current Agricultural Performance in Africa; 8) Why has Africa Fallen Short ofBuilding Dynamic Agro-processing Capabilities: Constraints, Options andProspects?; and 9) Markets, Institutions and Agricultural Performance in Africa.

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2.0
The World Trade Organization (WTO) and theFuture of Africa’s Agriculture
The conference noted that generally trade liberalization potentially could benefit
Africa’s agricultural performance by opening markets. Yet, WTO as an institution
lacks complete transparency in its process and embodies in its structure, a great
deal of power asymmetry in representation between members. The conference,
therefore, noted that the key to effective participation in WTO lies in capacity buildingof negotiators, and in Africa using its best people in the negotiating process. Africa
must be fully engaged in the negotiations on the removal of agricultural subsidies byindustrialized countries as well as in shaping the WTO’s development agenda;
It was agreed that while this regime is important, there are other key factors thataffect the performance of agricultural commodities in the external market such as
investment in water and rural infrastructure, production techniques, standards andaccess to technology;

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Science & Technology and Food Security in Africa

3.0
From Science to Production
Transferring Knowledge to the Rural African Farmers
The conference noted that the key to the transfer of knowledge to farmers lies inunderstanding the African farmer, her environment, economic and socio-culturalcircumstances. The participants noted that some of the bottlenecks to successfultransfer of technology include inappropriate packaging of technology and information,lack of participation by recipients in the knowledge generation process; abrupt orlack of funding continuity; inefficient or inappropriate markets and institutions;
Participants also discussed successful transfer experiences in Eritrea involving theNational Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) and the International
Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the sorghum projectin Nigeria and the East African Uji Mix. It was agreed that lessons from successfultransfers will be documented in order to fully appreciate the players and institutions
involved and how these experiences can inform a national systems of innovation
approach to food security;○

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4.0
Integrating Indigenous and Scientific
Knowledge for Improved Food Security
The conference noted that scientific knowledge is validated based on experiments
while indigenous knowledge could be tacit and is validated based on experience.
The participants agreed that knowledge partnership is important, integrating both,and leading to innovation that capitalizes on the strength of both. Indigenous
technological knowledge (ITK) is affordable, adaptable, and sustainable for themost part, and provides for non-formal agricultural education. It therefore strengthens
farmers’ confidence and capacity to solve problems;
The participants noted that an experiment carried out in Kenya showed that some
ITK methods were as effective as scientific methods. The integration of both saw
farmers making informed decisions on crop management and production options
while enabling researchers to forge stronger links with the farmers, cultivate theirconfidence and established a stronger basis for further experimentation andintegration of both methods. The participants further noted that incentives must beput in place to encourage scientists to work with farmers and to link their work to ITK
in an institutional framework that recognizes the strengths of both knowledge
generating processes;

6○ ○ ○ ○ ○5.0
The Biotechnology Revolution and its
Implication for Food Security in Africa
The conference acknowledged the potential benefits of biotechnology in attaining
food security but noted that the danger lies in the absence of capacity in Africa tomake sophisticated choices, analyze and localize the benefits as well as the capacity
to manage the attendant risks; hence the need for investment in research andtraining. In most of Africa, the policy framework for evaluating and domesticating
biotechnology is lacking. The conference noted that this should be the first order ofpriority;
Participants noted that biotechnology is misunderstood in Africa leading tomisinformation, confusion, generalization and simplistic assumptions. Theconference noted that Africa should examine the whole spectrum from tissue culture
to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). They also noted that strong incentives
should be provided to encourage the formation of strategic alliances and theparticipation of the various key players in this field. These alliances would be usefulin influencing, for the benefit of Africa, the global governance regimes that areemerging, requiring flexible enforcement of intellectual property rights andresponsive regulatory policies that address the needs of Africa;

7○ ○ ○ ○ ○6.0
Harnessing ICTs for Improved Agricultural
Performance in Africa
The conference noted that ICTs could be used as strong tools to improve theperformance of agriculture in Africa through improved training, speedy access tomarketing information, extension services, and meteorological information.
Participants noted examples of agricultural skills formation among rural womenusing telecentres and the use of ICT to educate, successfully, rural women on
sustainable use of natural resources in food production;
The participants also noted that the benefits of ICTs to the rural farmer need to befurther interrogated to avoid “oversell”. Locating telecenters in rural areas does nottranslate into access and benefits. Of critical importance is the information content,
its relevance to the needs of the farmers and the integration of their socio-cultural
relevance in the packaging and delivery of the information;

8○ ○ ○ ○ ○7.0
Gender Dimension of Current Agricultural
Performance in Africa
The conference noted that women play significant roles in Africa’s agriculture. The
participants observed that in order to understand the gender dimension of Africa’sagriculture, one must examine it in the context of the role of women in Africa’sdevelopment, and the factors that militate against their leadership role in the economy
in all its facets. Women are the producers and laborers on the farm but the institutions
that support agriculture are led by men. This state of affairs is compounded byhaving extension services that are not sensitive to women’s learning behavior and toother constraints that confront women in an African society;
The participants recognized that the HIV/AIDS scourge with higher incidence among
women would affect adversely the performance of the agricultural sector, thenutritional status of women and children, and increase overall gender inequity. Thissuggests a strong need to examine the issues more holistically rather than sectorally;
The conference noted that the challenge in attaining gender equity was to deepen
democracy in Africa, including democratization of access to technology, integrate
women’s concerns in the political discourse, and ensure greater participation by
women with men and women working in partnership to address developmental
goals such as food security

9○ ○ ○ ○ ○8.0
Why has Africa Fallen Short of Building
Dynamic Agro-Processing Capabilities
Constraints, Options and Prospects?
The participants noted that a dynamic agro-processing capability was essential in
improving the performance of agriculture in Africa and for overall improvement infood security. Agro-processing introduces dynamism in agriculture throughtechnological linkages, improved learning and organization in the supply chain andthe inevitable increase in the income of farmers. The conference noted that robust
economic and technology policies that engender this structural shift, from theproduction of raw materials to its processing, and a strong implementation culture
could be the key to Africa’s growth and development;
The conference noted that, unfortunately, past and present economic policies ofgovernments in the region failed to recognize that technology arising from newknowledge was the engine of growth. The participants noted that some of theeconomic polices were anti-technology and anti-innovation. Thus, the structuralshift that could have boosted the agro-processing industry failed to materialize as aresult;Participants noted that to build a strong agro-processing capability, economic andtechnology policy must be integrated; trade and production have to be linked;
technological capability building, technology transfer and domestic content must
be emphasized for all firms particularly multinationals. A country with a national
system of innovation approach would be better able to overcome the constraints
and stimulate better economic performance

10○ ○ ○ ○ ○9.0
Markets, Institutions and AgriculturalPerformance in Africa
The conference noted that African farmers face problems of transaction costs,
missing markets, poor infrastructure, and other institutional constraints that limit thebenefits from engaging in agricultural production;
The participants further noted that these issues were not adequately recognized in
the design and implementation of the structural adjustment or current liberalization
programs. There were renewed debates around the wisdom of abolishing marketingboards in Africa and how it could have denied farmers a source of new knowledge,
credit guarantee, quality control, price stability and rural infrastructure. Theconference agreed that the previous assumptions that the private sector would fill
any necessary vacuum created by the demise of the marketing boards have failed tomaterialize. As well, the huge supply response from higher farm-gate prices nevermaterialized; andThe conference noted that indigenous approach to developing market and market
information are essential for enhanced agricultural sector performance. Suchcollective and concerted efforts among farmers, agro-processors, and governments
must target the re-establishment of grades and standards, provision of market
information, access to credit, reconfiguration of agricultural support institutions andrural infrastructural development.

11○ ○ ○ ○ ○Communiqué Issued at the end of The Conference on Science & Technology andFood Security in Africa held in Maseru, Lesotho, between 10 and 11 November,2003 under the joint auspices of The African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS) And The Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology (MCST) ofthe Government of Lesotho

ABOUT THE AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY POLICY STUDIES NETWORKThe African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multi-disciplinary networkof researchers, policy makers, actors in the private sector and other end-users
interested in generating, promoting and strengthening innovative science andtechnology policies in Africa. With a regional secretariat in Nairobi, the network
operates through national chapters in 23 African countries, with an expansion plan
to cover the entire sub-Saharan Africa.
One of the objectives of the network is to disseminate research results to policymakers, legislators, the organized private sector, civil society, mass media andfarmers’ groups through publications, dialogue and advocacy. Among its range ofpublications are the Working Paper Series (WPS), Research Paper Series (RPS),
Special Paper Series (SPS) and the Technopolicy Briefs.
Technopolicy Briefs Series are commissioned short papers written byexperts from all over the world specifically to address current science andtechnology policy concerns and questions in Africa. The briefs are also
summaries of technical papers published under our WPS, SPS and RPS
written to highlight significant policy recommendations. These briefs arewriten with the busy policymakers and non-specialists in mind. The materials
are designed for general readership and help advance the advocacy andknwoledge brokerage roles of the ATPS.
ATPS is supported by a growing number of donors including the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC), SIDA-SAREC, the Carnegie Corporation of
New York, the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank, the OPEC Fund, Ford
Foundation, Coca-Cola Eastern Africa, the African Development Bank, and the RoyalDutch Government.

Acronyms
GMOs
ICRISATICTITKNARES
WTO

Genetically Modified Organisms
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
Information and Communication Technologies
Indigenous Technological Knowledge
National Agricultural Research ad Extension Systems
World Trade Organization

Published byThe African Technology
Policy Studies Network,P.O. Box 10081, 00100 General Post Office,Nairobi, Kenya.
© 2005 African Technology
Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

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ISBN: 9966-916-10-5

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TECHNOPOLICY BRIEF 11

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND FOOD
SECURITY IN AFRICA

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
Ministry of Communications, Science & Technology(MCST), LesothoAFRICAN TECHNOLOGY POLICY STUDIES NETWORKFor more information this series and ATPS Contact:

The Executive Director
The African Technology Policy Studies Network
3rd Floor, The Chancery, Valley Road
P.O. Box 10081 00100 General Post Office
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254-2-2714092/168/498
Fax: +254-2-2714028
Email: info@atpsnet.org
Website: http://www.atpsnet.org

Table of Contents
1.0

Introduction

12.0

The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Future ofAfrica’s Agriculture

43.0

From Science to Production

54.0

Integrating Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge forImproved Food Security

6The Biotechnology Revolution and its Implication forFood Security in Africa

7Harnessing ICTs for Improved Agricultural Perfomancein Africa

8Gender Dimensions of Current Agricultural Performancein Africa

9Why has Africa Fallen Short of Building Dynamic
Agro-processing Capabilities

10Market, Institutions and Agricultural Performance in Africa

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