Farmers Review Africa May/June 2017 Farmers Review Africa | Page 23

Insights could increase crop yields by 0.4 percent each by: environment for science year. · Identifying broad areas of science that can be developed in partnership In addition to this, governments need to step up is could save 80 million people from hunger · Strengthening national science and to the plate and increase their research budgets. technology institutions Combined with the commitment to work malnourishment. · Building human capacity together, the hope is that science will Africa is behind the curve on investing in · Diversifying funding sources to increasingly be used to create a more productive, support science efficient and competitive agriculture sector Facilitating partnerships between across the continent. is is critical to improve and protect ve million children from research to improve agriculture outputs. Even though all 54 countries of the African Union · have signed up to successive commitments – African institutions at a national and rural economies, where most people in Africa starting with the Maputo Declaration in 2003 – continental level live. to increase their agricultural research budgets · Sharing information, technologies, to at least 10 percent of their national budgets, information, facilities and staff for few have actually done so. common challenges and At the last count only 13 had met or exceeded opportunities, and the 10 percent target in one or more years since · Creating a favourable policy More cereals have been produced annually during the past 40 years than in any earlier period 2003. ere's an added problem. Africa relies on external capacity for most of its scienti c research in agriculture. is has undermined its capacity to use science to deliver solutions for problems unique to Africa. is needs to change. Scienti c research should be Africa- based, owned and led. Investment will be key – and so will solidarity among African scientists and governments. Using science to bene t people. In 2014 African heads of state renewed their commitment to the agriculture sector when the signed the Malibu Declaration. e core of its agenda is to connect science to bene t society [email protected] www.farmersreviewafrica.com www.sasa.org.za/sasri [23] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA May - June 2017