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Gender Mainstreaming Guide for the Africa Biogas Partnership Program ENERGIA has developed a Gender Mainstreaming Guide for the Africa Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP).

The Guide targets non-gender specialists in recognizing and addressing gender issues in their work, with the intention of demystifying gender, and clarifying the concept and practice of “gender mainstreaming” within ABPP. Accompanied by a Resource Kit, this Guide uses experiences from Asia, as well as Africa. The guide is not only limited to the ABPP and can be used by other biogas interventions as well. The Africa Biogas Partnership Programme is a six country initiative for supporting the construction of some 70,500 biodigesters over a period of 5 years.

Agriculture: Where Poverty Reduction, Food Security and Climate Change Intersect

Statement of Outcomes from Agriculture and Rural Development Day
12 December 2009, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen

A group of more than 300 policymakers, farmers and scientists meeting in Copenhagen today urged on negotiators at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to recognize agriculture’s vital role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The group strongly endorsed the proposed target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to avoid a temperature increase of more than 2 degrees C. They stressed that reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture is essential for achieving the target. Farmers and researchers are already finding climate change solutions. On that basis, the agricultural community intends to play a proactive role in actions aimed at reducing emissions, while increasing the productive capacity of agriculture through the development of sustainable practices.

Agriculture faces the challenge of nearly doubling food production in order to meet the food needs of a population expected to reach 9 billion by mid-century but without increasing the sector’s emissions. Across most of the tropics, agriculture will continue to face the enormous challenge of adapting to harsh and unpredictable growing conditions.

To meet the climate challenge, substantial additional financing and investment will be needed across the entire rural value chain. New investments must be handled transparently to ensure that adaptation and mitigation are not undermined by reduced support for global food security and rural development. In addition, new investment must be accessible to all stakeholders, including researchers and members of civil society, and especially to farmers and their associations.

Specifically, the group urged climate negotiators to agree on the early establishment of an agricultural work program under the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).

Agriculture & Rural Development Day was organized by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, the Faculty of Life Sciences, the University of Copenhagen, the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Global Forum on Agricultural Research, and the Earth System Science Partnership.

This statement was also posted on the CGIAR climate blog. For photos, videos, and other live blog posts from Agriculture and Rural Development Day, please visit Rural Climate Exchange at http://cgiarclimatechange.wordpress.com/.

Paris, 23 November
Number of researchers in developing countries is rising, according to UNESCO study, but women researchers still a minority

* © UNESCO/Niamh Burke

The number of researchers, on the rise world-wide, jumped by 56% in developing countries between 2002 and 2007, according to a new study published by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). In comparison, their number increased by only 8.6% in developed countries during the same period*.

In five years, the number of researchers in the world rose significantly, from 5.8 to 7.1 million. The greatest gain was made in developing countries: 2.7 million researchers were counted in 2007, versus 1.8 million five years earlier. These countries increased their global share of researchers from 30.3% in 2002 to 38.4%.

The biggest increase was seen in Asia, whose share went up from 35.7% in 2002 to 41.4%. China is mainly responsible for the gain, having gone from 14 to 20% in five years. The increase in Asia occurred at the expense of Europe and the Americas, whose shares went down respectively from 31.9 to 28.4% and from 28.1 to 25.8%.

“The increase in the number of researchers, notably in developing countries, is good news. UNESCO welcomes this development, although the participation of women in science, which UNESCO promotes notably through the l'OREAL-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science, is still too limited,” said Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO.

According to the new UIS study, women represent slightly more than one quarter (29%) of the researchers in the world,** although the average hides numerous regional disparities. The proportion is much larger in Latin America, where 46% of researchers are women. Gender parity has been achieved in five countries: Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela.

In Asia, women represent only 18% of the number of researchers, with considerable heterogeneity: 18% in South Asia while South East Asian countries reported 40% and most countries in Central Asia around 50%. In Europe, only five countries have attained gender parity: the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova and Serbia. In the Community of Independent States, women’s participation in research is 43%. In Africa, it is estimated at 33%.

At the same time, expenditure on research and development (R&D) is increasing. Globally, the percentage of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) devoted to R&D has gone up significantly in most countries.

In 2007, 1.74% of the world’s GDP was devoted to R&D (1.71% in 2002). While most developing countries invest less than 1% of their GDP in R&D, there are certain exceptions such as China (1.5%) and Tunisia (1%).

The average rate of expenditure in Asia reached 1.6% in 2007, influenced by the top investors: Japan (3.4%), the Republic of Korea (3.5%) and Singapore (2.6%). In contrast, India invested only 0.8% of its GDP in R&D in 2007.

In Europe, the percentage varies from 0.2% in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to 3.5% in Finland and 3.7% in Sweden. In Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland and Switzerland, it is around 2 to 3%.

In Latin America, Brazil is in first place (1%), followed by Chile, Argentina and Mexico.

Expenditure in R&D remains concentrated in industrialized countries: the European Union, the United States and Japan represented almost 70% of global R&D expenditure.

It is also noteworthy that in most developed countries, R&D activities are largely financed by the private sector. In North America, it finances more than 60% of all R&D activities. In Europe, the percentage is 50%. In Latin America and the Caribbean, it is generally between 25 and 50%. In Africa, however, research is financed mostly by the public sector.

These results indicate that many countries are now recognizing the importance of innovation, in the broader sense. “Policy makers seem to realize more and more that innovation is key for economic growth, to the point of setting R&D investment targets,” notes Martin Schaaper, programme specialist at the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, one of the authors of the study. “China is the foremost example of a country setting a target - 2% by 2010 and 2.5% or more by 2020 - and being well on its way to reaching it. Another example is given by the African Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA), which sets a target of 1% of GDP devoted to R&D. At the same time the European Union’s target of 3% by 2010 seems unattainable, considering the insignificant growth - from 1.76% to 1.78% - in five years.”

*****

* These percentages are expressed in absolute terms. In relative terms, expressed in number of researchers per 1000 inhabitants, the percentages are 45% in developing countries and 6.8% in developed countries.

** The data on women come from 121 countries on which data are available. Data are lacking from countries where the number of women researchers is high, such as Australia, Canada, China, the United States and the United Kingdom.

* Author(s):UNESCOPRESS
* Source:Press release No. 2009-139
* 23-11-2009

Courtney Paisley has taken up the position of YPARD Coordinator as of August 15, 2010. Her experience in the agricultural research sector includes the World Agroforestry Centre, where she worked to promote the sharing of agricultural training materials within the CGIAR and the wider agricultural research community.    She also has experience promoting environmental education and renewable energy initiatives in East Africa, working on communications strategies and moderating online discussion and supporting online learning initiatives through work with several organisations including SolarAid, ASB and Oxfam.

She received an MSc. from the University of Manchester in Environmental Governance and completed undergraduate studies in International Project Management and Environmental Studies. Her interests include increasing access to agricultural research, supporting improved and dynamic agricultural curriculum development and the promotion of youth in agricultural research for development.  She is very excited about her new position and is eager to work with YPARD to support young professionals in Agricultural Research for Development.

http://mace2010.wordpress.com/

Dear All,

you can now post comments on mace2010 blog regarding five major questions:

1. How is the increasing significance of food chains reflected in the curricula of higher education in agricultural economics/agribusiness (network managers, vertical integration)?

2. How can differences in quality and contents among participating institutions in Double Degree programs be handled?

3. Has the Bologna process on higher education system reached transition countries of the European Union? Has this facilitated mobility between countries?

4. How can a sufficient practical relevance of curricula be assured?

5. What is your opinion regarding International Education in Agribusiness: organization, access, supervision…?

To do so, please refer to the pages above related to each topic.

We are looking forward to sharing opinions on agricultural curricula!

http://mace2010.wordpress.com/

 

Dear Colleagues,

Science and Innovation for Development: a new book by Professor Sir Gordon Conway and Professor Jeff Waage

We are delighted to announce the launch of a new book, Science and Innovation for Development, co-authored by Professor Sir Gordon Conway and Professor Jeff Waage (LIDC), with Sara Delaney, and published by UKCDS.
In Science and Innovation for Development Conway and Waage take on the topic of the crucial role that science can play in the challenge of poverty reduction – with science acting as lever for change through both research and knowledge generation for policy guidance, and the development of innovative and appropriate technologies.
Visit www.ukcds.org.uk to order or download a copy.

The authors make the following five key recommendations to policy makers and development practitioners:

• Train and empower scientists
• Strengthen science innovation systems in developing countries.
• Ensure that new technologies are accessible to science for development.
• Design and deliver research for impact,
• Raise the profile of science in governments

Science and Innovation for Development looks at the importance of national scientific capacity, the different sources from which new science and technologies can be drawn, and the ever-expanding role of partnerships between stakeholders.

The book uses the Millennium Development Goals as a framework, pulling out three key topics for which science plays an important role – reducing hunger, improving health, and achieving environmental sustainability. The authors highlight the current challenges in each area, look at how scientific innovation has helped thus far, and consider in what areas further research or new, improved technologies are needed. These ideas are illustrated through a broad range of case studies from across the developing world.

For example, in the chapter on hunger, Conway and Waage argue that science for sustainable agriculture needs to focus on five broad needs:

1. New crop varieties (and livestock breeds) that are more productive and of better nutritional quality;

2. Improved soil fertility and crops and livestock better able to use existing nutrients;

3. Maximising water use;

4. Better pest, disease and weed control without environmental damage;

5. Cropping and livestock systems that combine these qualities in ways that bring benefits to both small and large farmers.

They emphasise that solutions for these needs should be drawn from the full range of sources for innovation, including conventional, traditional, intermediate and new platform technologies.

Finally, the authors explore the challenge of climate change, looking both what we do and do not know and how science can help to inform policy and make mitigation and adaptation possible.

Chris Whitty, Chief Scientific Advisor for DFID, has said ‘This book should be required reading for those who doubt the power of science to transform the lives of the poorest in the world, and show those undertaking research how much of a difference they can make if they address the major questions of developing countries.'

Jo Seed
Personal Assistant and Project Administrator to Professor Sir Gordon Conway
Africa and Europe: Partnerships in Food and Farming
Centre for Environmental Policy
Imperial College London
Tel. 020 759 41983
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

IFPRI Annual Report

Annual Report 2008-2009
http://www.ifpri.org/annualreport0809

Food-Security Risks Must Be Comprehensively Addressed
Annual Report Essay
Joachim von Braun
http://www.ifpri.org/publication/food-security-risks-must-be-comprehensively-addressed

Doha Round
IFPRI's work on Doha

Eight Years of Doha Trade Talks: Where Do We Stand?
David Laborde and Antoine Bouët
http://www.ifpri.org/publication/eight-years-doha-trade-talks


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Copyright © 2009 International Food Policy Research Institute. All rights reserved.

This latest publication of the KFPE presents 12 successful projects. The 12 practical examples show the advantages of cross-border research – also for Switzerland. Moreover, they underscore the continually evolving challenges of such efforts.

No country or national research organisation alone is in a position to find the right answers to the most pressing issues of our time. A characteristic of innovative research initiatives is their global networking. Cooperation with partners within and outside of the OECD area is part of this global orientation. The KFPE is committed to research partnerships with countries of the South and East both because it is important for the partner countries and because scientific collaboration is in Switzerland’s best interests. Rapidly spreading worldwide epidemics like bird and swine flu need to be contained at their source, not just at the border. Major challenges in the areas of health, climate change, energy, and resource management require international efforts, and they must include countries with poor resources. The 12 examples of Swiss research cooperation with countries of the South and East show that this is possible.

This publication can be ordered free of charge from the KFPE (German-French version only) or downloaded (English or German-French version).

http://www.kfpe.ch/key_activities/publications/success_stories/