Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

Agricultural research and development (R&D) investment is positively associated with high returns, but these returns take time—often decades—to develop.
Consequently, the inherent lag from the inception of research to the adoption of new technologies calls for sustained and stable R&D funding. In 2016, Africa invested just 0.39 percent of its agricultural GDP (AgGDP) in agricultural R&D, down from 0.54 percent in 2000. Even though in absolute terms total R&D investment has increased since the turn of the millennium—after a period of stagnation—most of the funds have been directed toward research staff expansion, salary increases, and rehabilitation of derelict research infrastructure and equipment, rather than actual research programs. In fact, in a large number of African countries, the national government funds the salaries of researchers and support staff, but little else, leaving nonsalary-related expenses highly dependent on donors and other funding sources.
Although African leaders recognize that agriculture is a critical engine for economic development, job creation, and poverty reduction, countries are still underinvesting considerably in agricultural research. Continued underinvestment will constrain long-term agricultural productivity growth and the capacity of countries to develop value chains, achieve self-sufficiency in a broader range of commodities, reduce poverty, and ensure food security. To address agricultural production challenges more effectively, governments need to substantially raise their agricultural research investment levels in the coming years, while donor funding needs to be better aligned with national and regional priorities. The private sector is still a relatively untapped source of funding for agricultural R&D. To provide much-needed higher and sustainable levels of funding into the future, innovative mechanisms need to be explored that tap into private funds for research on a broad range of commodities.
Funding for agricultural research not only needs to increase, but also be targeted more directly to priority areas. Given the relatively long lag between investing in research and reaping its benefits, the decisions countries make about the allocation of their agricultural research resources today will have profound implications on agricultural productivity for decades. The forward-looking projections presented in this report can support countries in assessing the risks and potentials of different research investment scenarios, and in establishing long-term research priorities and investment allocations that align with national and regional development and innovation plans.
This report presents evidence that economies of scale and scope are critical drivers behind the performance of agricultural R&D systems, emphasizing the critical importance of R&D collaboration and coordination among countries.
Small countries generally record much lower returns to agricultural R&D compared to their larger counterparts, and their R&D efforts have been less effective in reducing poverty and malnutrition, two of CAADP’s main goals.
Further integration of agricultural R&D at the sub-regional level is therefore essential, as it allows scarce R&D resources to be used more efficiently. It also allows countries with limited domestic research capacity to benefit from gains achieved in countries with more developed R&D systems. Continued support to regional bodies, networks, and mechanisms will further aid in defining, implementing, and funding a research agenda focused on issues of regional interest. Better coordination and a clear articulation of mandates and responsibilities among national, (sub-)regional, and global R&D players are key in ensuring that scarce R&D resources are optimized, research duplication minimized, and synergies and complementarities enhanced.