Agriculture Research Policy: Governance and Support for Agriculture Research

1. Agriculture Research Policy: Governance and Support for Agriculture Research Dr. Miltone W. Ayieko, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, Egerton University Conference on: Priority Setting in Agriculture Research: Closing the Gaps Towards Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security 13th - 14th September 2018

2. Outline of Presentation • Contextualizing agricultural transformation • The Policy – research nexus • Interaction between policy and research • Enabling environment for agricultural research • Constraints to agriculture research • Support for agriculture research

3. Contextualizing agricultural Transformation • Kenya economy is heavily dependent on agriculture • Transformation is key to overall economic growth • Shift from subsistence to commercial production • Shift from diversification to specialization • Increasing agricultural productivity • Value addition • Food & nutrition security • Income diversification • Research critical to achieving ag transformation

4. Contextualizing agricultural Transformation • Role of research in agricultural transformation • Develop appropriate technologies, innovations and knowledge • Scale up adoption & commercialization of these technologies • Promote efficiency of ag production especially for smallholders • Cost (cost of production, time, profit margins) • Environmental adaptation (disease, pest, soils, rainfall, temps) • Provide evidence on transformation and opportunities for further investments • Policy makers • Private sector

5. The Policy – Research Nexus: How Policy influences Research • Direct engagement with policy makers (demand-driven) • Engage with policy makers to learn priority policy challenges (gaps) • Undertake demand-driven research to address gaps • Research findings fed into policy engagement • Policy impact • Mostly reactive • Supply-driven • Researchers generate impactful ideas and knowledge that then influences the policy making process • Proactive • Useful in discovery of new innovations and overcoming known barriers

6. Evidence-based vs evidence-informed Policy making • Evidence-based: • Coherent, self-evident research evidence that can be translated into policy measures • Evidence-informed: • Shift towards process-based rather than outcome-based understanding of evidence use • Policy should be made in light of available evidence, but also permit the recognition of political nature of decision-making

7. Interaction between policy and research Consultation Research need to respond to policy gaps to be relevant Policy influences the research agenda Policy needs evidence based for effectiveness and impact Research provides evidence to influence policy Dissemination

8. Enabling environment for agricultural research • Policies to transform agriculture already developed: • Vision 2030; ASDS/ASGTS • Specific policies • Regulation - AFA, KEPHIS • Production – Inputs e.g. seed, fertilizer, mechanization, • Knowledge – NARs, STI, University charters • Information – National Agricultural Sector Extension Policy (NASEP) • A key challenge has been implementation and learning • Hence failure to achieve food security

9. Enabling environment for Ag research • Enabling environment requires: • Consultation and dialogue • Agenda setting • Intellectual property • Incentive researchers • Adequate funding for research • Utilization of findings – Knowledge, information and communication • Effective dissemination • Demand by policy makers • Access and Benefit Sharing

10. Constraints to Agricultural Research • Policy Constraints: • Inadequate policies • Few NAIPs have allocated sufficient resources to agricultural research • Inadequate resourcing • Human, Financial, Physical • Weak coordination and collaboration between: • national and international research organizations • research and extension • researchers and users

11. Constraints to Agricultural Research • Long run effects vs Short run effects • Returns in Ag R&D take time to manifest, therefore its overlooked for ‘quick win’ programs • Farmers’ lack of political bargaining power • Donor vs Government priorities • Although donors support R&D, key focus is on areas of interest. • Govt funding barely focuses on long term research priorities & needs • In the devolution era, funding for research and extension have significantly declined

12. Researchunderfunded

13. Support for agriculture research • Funding for agriculture research inadequate, declining

14. Ag Researchers (FTE) per population (mn)

15. R&D spending as a share of Ag GDP (%)

16. Trends in Ag TFP growth in Kenya • Factors affecting Total Factor Productivity (TFP): • National agricultural research • Economic policy reforms (e.g., amount of funding to agriculture) • Agricultural extension

17. Strengthening research for Agricultural transformation • Adequate funding for agricultural research • Efficiency of public expenditures • Support training and capacity development for research & innovations • Support devolved public extension systems • Human and financial resources • Build effective models of extension • Design of extension systems suited to local environment & needs • Responsive to local demands • Enhance role of the private sector in Ag R&D • Financing models • Uptake of innovations • Supporting environment to support Ag R&D • IPR • Demand for evidence & research • Promote learning

18. Thank you ______________________ Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, Egerton University Provider of credible evidence and knowledge for accountability and learning to catalyze agriculture and rural transformation www.tegemeo.org