By David J. Spielman, Fatima Zaidi, and Kathleen Flaherty. Presented at the ASTI-FARA conference Agricultural R&D: Investing in Africa's Future: Analyzing Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities - Accra, Ghana on December 5-7, 2011. http://www.asti.cgiar.org/2011conf

1. Changing Donor Priorities and Strategies
For Agricultural R&D in Developing Countries:
Evidence From Africa
David J. Spielman, Fatima Zaidi, and
Kathleen Flaherty
International Food Policy Research Institute

2. A stylized history of agricultural R&D funding
• The “good old days” – late 1960s to early 1980s
• The “lean years” – mid 1980s to early 2000s
• Loss of faith
• Loss of patience
• Project completion
• Regionalization
• Competition
• Complacency
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

3. Donor commitments to agricultural development and public
spending agricultural R&D, Sub-Saharan Africa, 1973-2009
8,000 25
DAC countries’ commitments to agriculture
7,000
20
Constant (2007) US$m
Constant (2005) US$m
6,000 Agricultural R&D spending in
Sub-Saharan Africa
5,000
15
4,000
10
3,000
2,000
5
Multilateral agencies’ countries’ commitments to agriculture
1,000
0 0
1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008
Source: Authors, based on data from OECD (2011) and Beintema and Stads (2011)

4. A stylized history of agricultural R&D funding
• The “good old days” – late 1960s to early 1980s
• The “lean years” – mid 1980s to early 2000s
• Loss of faith
• Loss of patience
• Project completion
• Regionalization
• Competition
• Complacency
• The “renewal years” – early 2000s to present
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

5. Donor commitments and public spending on agricultural
R&D in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1997-2009
80 800
Constant (2005) US$m
Constant (2009) US$m
70 700
60 600
50 500
40 400
30 300
20 200
10 100
0 0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
DAC country assistance to agricultural research excluding France (3-year moving average)
Multilateral donor assistance to agricultural research (3-year moving average)
Public expenditures on agricultural research in Sub-Saharan Africa (3-year moving average)
Source: Authors, based on data from OECD (2011) and Beintema and Stads (2011)

6. Renewed commitments to agriculture
• 2000
• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• 2001
• New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
• 2003
• Maputo Declaration
 Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP)
• 2006
• Framework for African Agricultural Productivity (FAAP)
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

7. %
12
14
16
18
10
0
2
4
6
8
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
CAR
Chad
DRC
Cote d'Ivoire
Djibouti
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Seychelles
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
budgetary expenditure, selected countries, 2007
Togo
Public expenditure on agriculture as a share of total
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Source: Fan (2009), IFPRI RESAKSS (2011).

8. New donor landscape (1)
• 2005
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) enters
agricultural development space
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

9. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funding for agricultural
development and agricultural research, 2003-2011
2,000
1,822
1,800
1,600
Number, US$ million
1,400
1,200 1,142
1,000
800 642
600
400 269
200 152
80
0
Agricultural development Agricultural development Agricultural R&D in Africa
in Africa
Grants (no.) Grants (US$ million)
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE Source: Authors, based on data from BMGF (2010).

10. New donor landscape (1)
• 2005
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) enters
agricultural development space
• 2006
• BMGF and Rockefeller Foundation fund the Alliance for
a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
• 2007-09
• World Bank agricultural productivity programs
(EAPP, WEAPP)
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

11. International commodity prices, major staples,
2005-2011
0.80
Maize Wheat Rice
0.60
US$/kg
0.40
0.20
0.00
Jul-05 Jul-06 Jul-07 Jul-08 Jul-09 Jul-10 Jul-11
Source: Fan (2011), based on data from FAO (2011)

12. Renewed donor commitments
• 2008
• US Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative (GHFSI)
• 2009
• L’Aquila Summit
 Global Agriculture & Food Security Program (GAFSP)
 US Feed the Future (FTF) Initiative
 Increase in European commitments to agriculture
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

13. New priorities and strategies?
• Strengthen the international agricultural research system
• Reform CGIAR governance and management
• Increase funding for critical research
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

14. Donor funding to the CGIAR, 1980-2010
BMGF
3,000
Netherlands
Switzerland
2,500
EC
Japan
2,000 Denmark
US$ millions
Netherlands
UK
Switzerland
EC Germany
1,500
Italy Japan Canada
Switzerland
EC
Japan UK
UNDP Germany
1,000 UK
IADB Canada World Bank
Germany
Canada
World Bank
500 World Bank
USA
USA USA
0
1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2010
Source: CGIAR (2011)

15. New priorities and strategies?
• Strengthen the international agricultural research system
• Reform CGIAR governance and management
• Increase funding for critical research
• Strengthen regional and sub-regional organizations
• FARA, ASARECA, CORAF, SADC
• EAAPP, WEAAPP
• Cultivate private sector investment
• Crop-science, agri-food industries
• Open the doors for new donors
• Brazil, India, China?
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

16. Discussion
• Diversification of donors, priorities, strategies
• Accompanied by greater donor coordination?
• Greater recognition of need for policy reform?
• Reallocation of funding from R&D projects to institution building?
• Greater interest in donor funding to private sector?
• Will donor constituents give support?
• Sufficient recipient country voice in donor programs?
• NEPAD, CAADP √ ; other donor investments √−
• Sufficient absorptive capacity in recipient countries?
• Risks of replicating past failures
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

17. Thank you
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE