CLOSING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY GAP THROUGH TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SYSTEMS

Dr. Nicholas Ozor Executive Director

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

Paper presented during the 5th Annual Africa Food Security Conference & Agri -Exhibition held from 27-28 September 2017 at the Royale Orchade, Azuri, Kenya

Outline of the presentation

• About ATPS

• Introduction

• What is Technology Transfer?

• Models of Technology Transfer

• Challenges in Technology transfer

• What needs to be done to strengthen technology transfer

• Best agricultural practices and value addition technologies

• Components of a well-linked agricultural research

• More Technologies or better processes?

• Recommendations for effective technology transfer systems

• Conclusion

About ATPS

ATPS is a

• Trans-disciplinary network of researchers, policy

makers, private sector actors, and civil society

actors…..

• promoting the generation, dissemination and use

of science, technology and innovation (STI) for

African development, environmental sustainability

and global inclusion.

Building Africa’s STI capabilities for sustainable development

Improving the understanding and functioning of STI policy research and policymaking processes and systems to strengthen capabilities, social responses, and governance of STI-led sustainable development in Africa

Our Mission

Our focus

Our approach

Where we work

Introduction

• Agriculture especially in Africa faces multiple challenges. It must produce more food to feed the growing African population.

• It must adapt to climate change

• Technological advancement has paved way for the introduction of new agricultural technologies and innovative practices that are improving farmers’ capacity to make wise management decisions to improve productivity

• Many countries in Africa still depend on food aid now and then as people continue to rely on rain-fed agriculture

• Funding of agricultural research trend in Africa has been stagnant over the years compared to other continents

What is Technology Transfer?

• Is a multi-level process of communication involving a variety of senders and receivers of ideas and materials (Katz et al., 1963).

• Technology transfer generally refers to the sharing or introduction of technology from one country to another followed by the spread or expanded utilization of the new technology

•What gets its way into the ordinary practice of farmers and villagers often is severely modified or adapted to local conditions and preferences.

Source: World Bank 2010

Models of Technology Transfer

•Traditional supply-driven: Provided and financed by government & donors ƒ

•Demand-driven, participatory & pluralistic extension services: Financed by government, donors & other funders and provided by public, NGOs & private providers ƒ models

•Participatory Extension Approaches-Integrated into farming systems research and extension eg. Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and Junior Farmer Field Schools

•Private extension services: Provided by private extension agents & financed by cooperatives; farmers, NGOs, etc

•NGOs: Financed by NGOs, provided by private or public agricultural extension agents (AEA)

•Market-Oriented Extension Approaches-Commodity-Based Advisory Systems-eg. Coffee, tea- and Innovative, Market-Driven Extension Approaches

•A combination of Models

Farmer-Based Extension Organizations

Junior Farmer Field Schools

Farmer Field Schools Approach

Market-Oriented Extension Approaches

Commodity-Based Advisory Systems-eg. Coffee, tea

Innovative, Market-Driven Extension Approaches

1. Shift towards commercialization

2. Commercial transformation requires expanded mandate of the

extension service

• Ultimately a combination of models offers the best solution

• Different crops require different levels of attention and expertise

• High value crops and cash crops have specific requirements based on the market

Combination of models

Challenges in Technology Transfer

• Negative impact when farmers have limited knowledge of its proper use due to the lack of guidance.

• The improper use of technology results in acceptance issues for farmers during technology transfer.

• Cost of providing services is usually very high

• Limited number of extension agents- The ratio of EA to farmer in Africa is 1:2500

• Low education level of farmers mostly makes the provision of extension services very difficult.

What needs to be done to strengthen technology transfer in Africa?

• Improving research-extension linkages and bringing research institutions together with extension workers

• It is crucial to educate and empower farmers to verify suitable agricultural technologies while encouraging local extension and research institutions to adapt to local conditions, improve their approach and build farmers' confidence in technology.

• Governments need to recognize that certain technologies are indigenous products of farmers.

• African farmers need to promote technology themselves to motivate others.

• Finally, public-private partnerships need to be promoted for both business and technology transfer to achieve sustainable development outcomes.

Best Agricultural practices and Value addition technologies

• Improved seed

• Best agricultural practices

• Post harvest handling

• Processing, Grading/Labelling

• Certification

• Packaging

• Blending

Components of a well-linked agricultural research system for developing countries

International

agricultural

research centers

and NGOs

Public

agricultural

research in

developed

countries National and local

public experiment

stations

On-farm research

and extension

Private

companies

producing

research results

More technologies or better processes?

• Improved processes, models and policies can be highly effective if these are pro-poor and include sustainability dimensions.

• If government policies are not supportive and protective of smallholder farmers, taking into account economic and social aspects, farmers will be helpless and any change will be difficult.

Way forward

• Improving technology transfer to achieve national food Security, especially for the major food crops

• Intensifying and/or diversifying the farming systems of small-scale farmers to increase farm income

•Building social capital within rural communities

•Educating farmers about sustainable natural resource management (NRM) practices

•Training rural women about family nutrition, hygiene, health care, and family planning practices

Recommendations for effective technology transfer system in Africa

Promotion of demand driven farmer accountable extension. Improve participatory technology development through better

research and extension linkage. Use of information communication technologies in extension. Farmer based organization for self-employment generation, input

supply and marketing. Empower farmers through establishing revolving funds encouraging

savings micro-financing, bulk purchasing etc. Training of farmers through participatory approaches such as farmer

field school to understand and solve problems under real farm situation.

Introduce new technologies such as information days, crop clinics and agriculture campaigns.

Establish accounting system to monitor impact of technologies.

•Technology transfer approaches need to adapted based on the targeted group

• It should allow flexibility based on the needs and circumstances.

•Need to provide short-term training, workshops and networking – extension services poorly networked within and across countries

•Governments should enact laws that favour improved investment in farming, provide more resources for extension and provide the required infrastructure for research and extension.

Conclusion