S. Attaluri

1
Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research
Institutions (APAARI)
Tracking Investment in AR4D in the Asia-Pacific
Region
S. Attaluri Coordinator, APARIS APAARI, Bangkok
Stakeholder Workshop on Tracking Investment in
Agricultural Research for Development 20 January
2012, Berlin.
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Presentation Outline

• Context
• Challenges
• Reorienting AR4D in the Asia-Pacific Region
• Knowledge on Investment and Human Capacities
• Data Management, Analyses and Institutional
  Issues
• Planned Activities in 2011-2012
• Recommendations

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APAARI Objectives

• Promote the exchange of scientific and technical
  know-how and information in agriculture
• Facilitate the establishment of appropriate
  research and training programs based on regional,
  bilateral or national needs and priorities
• Assist in strengthening research organization and
  management capacity of member institutions
• Strengthen cross-linkage among national, regional
  and international research centers organizations
  including universities through jointly planned
  research and training programs.

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Japan
Republic of Korea
Bhutan
Chinese Taipei
South East Asia
Vietnam
Thailand
Iran
Philippines
Middle East
Malaysia
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Nepal
Pakistan
Fiji
Bangladesh
India
Sri Lanka
South Asia
Australia
New Caledonia

• APAARI Members
• Regular (NARS)20
• Associate (CG Centers/IARCs)17
• Affiliate 11
• Reciprocal8
• Total 56

The Pacific
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The Context

• 58 of the Worlds population
• 74 of the Agricultural population
• 80 of the Worlds small and marginal farmers
• 50 of the Worlds poor (lt1/day)
• 38 of the Worlds agricultural land

(APAARI, 2010)
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The Context

• Asia-Pacific is a major supplier of food,
  accounting for
• 38 of the worlds arable land
• 90 of the worlds rice, 40 of its cereals and
  40 of its meat
• 70 of the global food and vegetable market
• 80 of the aquaculture market
• Asia feeds nearly 60 of the worlds population
  from 1/3rd of geographical area

7
Challenges

• 70 of the Worlds undernourished children and
  women
• Income divide between farmers and non-farmers
  continues to widen 12 (1970) to 14 ( 2010)
• Fast declining water and agro-biodiversity
  resources with environmental footprint of
  agriculture intensifying
• Climate change- extreme weather, increased risk,
  bio-insecurity and vulnerability
• Global economic downturn and market volatility
• Competing land use food grain vs fuel vs feed.

(APAARI, 2010)
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Challenges

• 70 of the Worlds undernourished children and
  women
• Income divide between farmers and non-farmers
  continues to widen 12 (1970) to 14 ( 2010)
• Fast declining water and agro-biodiversity
  resources with environmental footprint of
  agriculture intensifying
• Climate change- extreme weather, increased risk,
  bio-insecurity and vulnerability
• Global economic downturn and market volatility
• Competing land use food grain vs fuel vs feed.

(APAARI, 2010)
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Expert Consultation on AR4D in Asia - Pacific
The Way AheadBangkok, 30-31 October, 2009
Reorienting AR4D in the Asia-Pacific Region
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Key Messages

• Clients small farm holders, poor producers, poor
  consumers
• Primary production level
• (i) Ecosystems framework diversification
• (ii) Integrated natural resource management -
  especially land and water
• (iii) Climate change adaptation and mitigation
• Holistic food supply chain (inputs sector?
  primary production ? post harvest/ processing/
  marketing ? markets )
• Cross cutting knowledge based, socio-economic,
  policy research, participatory .

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Not Business as Usual

• Innovative partnerships and networking (NARES,
  NGO, Private Sector, Farmers)
• Outscaling of innovations in a participatory mode
• Value chain development and management for
  linking farmers to market (Farmers Self Help
  Groups/ Associations/Cooperatives/ Companies)

Investments in agricultural research in the
region need to be doubled from its current level
of about US10 billion.
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Knowledge on Investment and Human Capacities

• Accelerated science and innovation-led
  agricultural growth through better understanding
  of socio-economic factors, effective management
  of human and financial resources
• Agricultural research planning, priority setting,
  monitoring and evaluation and impact assessment
• Policy formulation and policy debate
• Strengths, weaknesses, and potential
  opportunities of agricultural ST systems at
  different levels (institutional, sectoral,
  national, regional, international)

13
Bridging Knowledge Gaps
Implementing GCARD Roadmap with the support of
GFAR

• Assessment of regional investments and capacity
  building for AR4D Southeast Asia-
• Assessing the current support for AR4D
  investments
• Partnerships built among stakeholders for
  sharing information
• Comparison of investments will help in
  increasing resource allocations for AR4D
• Better understanding of research development
  initiatives among stakeholders established.

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Planned Activities in 2011-2012

• Collaboration with ASTI to collect and assess
  data through
• Full force survey in 5 countries
• Cambodia, Loa PDR, Malaysia, PNG and Vietnam

Govt. and Non-Profit
Higher Education
A. Institutional details B. Human Resources
Researchers, Age, Retirement, Time spent on
research, Education, Staff, Female Researchers
and Staff C. Financial Resources Salaries,
Operating and Program, Source of funding, Donors
D. Research Focus Programs, Commodity,
Thematic Areas
A. University / Faculty Details B. Human
Resources Faculty, Age, Retirement, Time spent
on research Education, Staff, Female Faculty and
Staff C. Research Focus No. of Faculty assigned
for research, Programs, Commodity, Thematic
Areas D. Students Population- No. of Students,
No. of Students graduated
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Planned Activities in 2011-2012

• Macro-level survey in 3 countries
• Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand

Higher Education
Govt. and Non-Profit
1. Organizational details 2. Website 3. Research
Staff by Degree 4. Time spent on research 5.
Technicians by Degree 6. Female Researchers and
Staff
1. Institutional details 2. Website 3. Research
Staff by Degree 4. Time spent on research 5.
Technicians by Degree 6. Female Researchers and
Staff 7. Research Expenditure 8. Source of
Funding 9. Financial year
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Planned Activities in 2011-2012

• Workshop on Agricultural RD in the AsiaPacific
  region The Need to Monitor Investments,
  Capacities and Institutional Changes, 16-17
  February, 2012 in Bangkok
• Report on AR4D investments circulated among NARS
  partners in SE Asia
• New global update for the Global Conference on
  Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD2) in
  2012.

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Issues in Data Collection and Management

• No regular data collection and publications like
  FAOSTAT, WDI, or ST indicators for European
  Union/OECD countries
• Private sector data is missing or limited
• Extension and Advisory not covered
• Poor Research Management Information Systems
• Quality of data ?
• Data standards and definitions
• Updation of data Annual updates?

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Issues in Data Analyses

• Less role for National collaborators
• Data providers, but not data interpreters do
  they have capacities?
• Not much information for policy making / actions
  at national level
• Lack of understanding on users needs ( aid
  agencies, policy makers, stakeholder groups, data
  providers, general public etc.,)

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Institutional Issues

• Ownership of data collection and analysis or one
  time affair?
• Lack of awareness on the use of investment data
  and apprehensions about the purpose- close data
• Little response from agencies surveyed, some
  dont respond
• No clarity on wherefrom investment coming-
  multiplicity of funding sources
• Lack of political and institutional support
• Who will do?
• Lack of capacities in weak NARS

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Recommendations

• National Level
• Convincing Nations about the benefits of
  maintaining ASTI datasets through presenting
  evidence (pathways, cases, instances where data
  used in policymaking, research management etc.,)
• Institutionalizing and internalizing of
  monitoring investment at National level through
  National Focal Points
• Increasing the ownership of National
  collaborators by involving them in data analysis
  and synthesis

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Recommendations

• Developing capacities of National collaborators
  and staff involved in data collection, analysis
  and synthesis
• Embedding the process of data collection and
  analysis in the work plan
• Incentives for documenting investment and
  capacities
• Creating awareness on the use and benefits of
  ASTI data among participating agencies thru
  presentations in national level
  seminars/workshops etc.

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Recommendations

• Donor Level
• Advocating Openness in sharing data by Donors
  Open Data
• Regional Level
• Regional Fora should be more active in analyzing
  data, capacity building and dissemination for
  policy planning
• Compiling pathways, cases, success stories for
  advocating the use and application of data.
• Establishing Forum for Policy Dialogue on AR4D
  issues.

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Recommendations

• ASTI
• Involving the policymakers from the beginning to
  promote institutionalization of the process
• Organizing training / workshop programs for
  national collaborators on data collection,
  analysis and synthesis methods in collaboration
  with Regional Fora
• Co-sponsor meetings / seminars to popularize use
  and application of datasets
• Providing incentives and financial support to
  collaborating agencies at least for a reasonable
  time

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Recommendations

• Aggressive Information Dissemination through
  communication strategies
• Access to Data
• Making available and accessible minimum datasets
  in the public domain
• Harvesting Data from different sources
• Promoting Open Data approach with Donors and
  National collaborators
• Indicators
• Common indicators of investment

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Recommendations

• Clear guidelines to respondents
• Coverage of private RD, at least large companies
• Investment shares of basic, applied and adaptive
  research
• Information on process indicators, eg-IP
  management, partnerships, competitive funding
• Mechanism and Systems
• On-line system for data updation through National
  Nodal /Focal Points
• Easy search and download options of data for
  different purposes

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Recommendations

• Capacity Development
• Analysis and synthesis of data
• Interpretation, use and application of data by
  users
• Capacity to orient /sensitize respondents
• Dissemination
• Communication strategy to popularize the use and
  application of data/information
• Targeting policymakers through relevant
  information products/services with the
  involvement of National Nodal / Focal Points.

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www.apaari.org
Thanks