African Forum for Agricultural
Advisory Services
Workshop for the formalization of the West and Central Africa Network of Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services (RESCAR-AOC)
Group photo at the opening ceremony of the RESCAR-AOC workshop
The workshop for the formalization of the West and Central Africa Network of Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services (RESCAR-AOC) started today at Ivotel in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. This is three days’ workshop from 18th - 20th February 2015. It is attended by 54 participants working on extension and advisory services coming from western and central Africa countries, development partners, regional networks, Country Fora, ANADER, CORAF, AFAAS, and GFRAS. The official launch was conducted by Mr. Coulibaly Siaka, representing the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. AFAAS is represented by Dr Mercy Akeredolu, Board Member and Mr. Emmanuel Atenga, Communications Officer.
The overall objective of the workshop is to provide the West and Central Africa Network of Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services with relevant institutional and operational tools to support the transformation of the agricultural and rural sector in WCA.
The specific objectives are to:
- Present the results of the diagnostic study of RAS in WCA to clarify the added value and areas of intervention to better support rural actors in the transformation of the agricultural and rural sector in WCA;
- Validate the operational set up and action plan of RESCAR-AOC to ensure an efficient and coherent implementation of its strategic orientation;
- Consolidate the RESCAR’s 2015 action plan;
- Identify opportunities and conditions for the application of subsidiarity and synergy with rural development institutional stakeholders hence contributing to the transformation of the agricultural and rural sector in WCA;
- Validate and set up RESCAR-AOC governance systems (statutes and guidelines, decisional and operational bodies).
The AFAAS 12th Board Meeting, 24 November 2014, Johannesburg, South Africa
Group Photo of AFAAS Board Members and staff at the end of the board meeting
World Bank Support Supervision Mission to AFAAS
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AFAAS Secretariat staff and Dr.Tekola Dejene from WB during their session.
Conducted by Ms. Brem Nathan and Dr.Tekola Dejene from the World Bank, the main objective of this mission was to review progress in implementation of AFAAS Strategic Plan 2011-2015. The specific objectives were: i) review the implementation of AFAAS Annual Workplan & Budget, Procurement Plan 2014, ii) provide technical support to AFAAS Secretariat in finalizing the WP & Budget, Procurement Plan and Training Plan 2015, iii) review key legal documentation (AFAAS grant guidelines, Grant Agreement, standard conditions, disbursement letter, MDTF Launch Aide memoire etc.) and iv) discuss joint monitoring and evaluation (role of FARA, GFRAS). The mission took place at AFAAS Secretariat in Kampala, Uganda from 12th -13th November 2014.
UFAAS National Annual AEAS Stakesholder's Workshop
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Group Photo at the opening ceremony of the UFAAS National Annual AEAS Stakeholder's Workshop, 29Oct. 2014-Kampala, Uganda
This workshop held in Kampala, Uganda from 29th to 30th 2014 under the theme : "Uganda’s Agriculture at Crossroads: Critical issues in the Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) System". The main purpose of the workshop was to bring together a broad range of actors to take stock of the current critical issues affecting Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) in Uganda. UFAAS needs to continuously advocate for the value and relevance of AEAS and also continuously build the capacity of its members to be up to date with the emerging issues and approaches. It is also imperative that UFAAS initiates the process of setting standards for the extension and advisory services in Uganda and advocates for their adoption by MAAIF which has the mandate for this function.
Review of the progress in implementation of the AFAAS Strategy and Medium Term Operational Plan (MTOP) workshop
Group photo at the opening ceremony of the AFAAS Review Workshop, 14Oct. 2014-Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
First follow up meeting on IAR4D Institutionalisation in Uganda
Members of the committee in discussion
Kampala, 18 September 2014
At the end of the Training on Enhancing the Capacity to Implement IAR4D Concept for AFAAS Members and NARS in Uganda, held in Kampala from 9th to 12th September 2014, a National Committee in charge to take forward action on IAR4D Institutionalisation in Uganda was formed. The first meeting of that Committee took place yesterday (18th September 2014) at AFAAS Secretariat in Kampala. This Committee is formed by members from AFAAS, UFAAS, NARO, NAADS and CIAT (Humidity Tropics). Additional members are proposed to be brought on Board. The outcomes of this first meeting are the following: task force set up, TOR drafted, Committee settled, Action Plan (September-December 2014) drafted.
Training on Enhancing the Capacity to Implement IAR4D Concept for AFAAS Members and NARS in Uganda
Group photo at the opening Ceremony of the Enhancing the Capacity to Implement IAR4D training for AFAAS Members and NARS, Kampala, Uganda- 9th Sept.2014
AFAAS in collaboration with FARA, UFAAS and MAAIF will organise a four days training workshop on the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) and the Innovation Platforms (IP) for the AFAAS stakeholders and strategic National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in Uganda from 9th – 12th September 2014 at Global Hotel Kampala, Near Makerere University. More
Mathematics helps find food crops' climate-proof genes
Researchers are developing mathematical models to identify genetic material that could help improve food crops' resilience to climate change.
Impacts such as drought, pests and diseases could hit harvests and undermine global food security. Scientists hope the models will speed up the process of identifying traits, such as drought resistance, allowing breeders to grow climate-proof crops. Find full story here
International Conference on agricultural Extension and Food Security in Africa
The importance of agricultural extension in Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda cannot be overemphasized. Smallholder farmers make up over 70 percent of the continent’s one billion population. For the vast majority of these farmers agricultural extension is their gateway to information on modern farming methods. However, extension systems in Africa, and throughout the developing world for that matter, face dire challenges, such as large farmer-to agent ratio, and poor working conditions, but most significantly, the paucity of their training. The Center for African Studies (CAS), Ohio State University Extension (OSUE) and Office of International Programs in Agriculture (IPA) at The Ohio State University cordially invite papers for their international conference on Agricultural Extension and Food Security in Africa. more
Awareness and use of Web 2.0 technologies in sharing of agricultural knowledge in Tanzania
‘The Knowledge Management & E-Learning: An International Journal (KM&EL), published in their Vol.6, No.2. Jun 2014 the article “Awareness and use of Web 2.0 technologies in sharing of agricultural knowledge in Tanzania”, written by researchers Wulystan P. Mtega, Frankwell W. Dulle, Andrew W. Malekani, Angela M. Chailla.
As suggested by the title, this interesting paper assess the level of awareness and use of Web 2.0 by agricultural knowledge workers...more
FAO calls for action to accelerate economic transformation and development in Africa
Focus on smallholder farmers and family farming as Regional Conference for Africa gets under way
A woman winnowing kernels of maize in Chimoio, Mozambique.
Despite important economic progress and agricultural successes, Africa remains the world’s most food insecure continent, with relatively low levels of agricultural productivity, low rural incomes, and high rates of malnutrition, FAO said today. Read more...
Small farmers' loss of land increases world hunger
The world is increasingly hungry because small farmers are losing access to farmland. Small farmers produce most of the world's food but are now squeezed onto less than 25 percent of the world's farmland, a new report reveals. Corporate and commercial farms, big biofuel operations and land speculators are pushing millions off their land. More...
Small farmers - like Ndomi Magareth, planting beans here on her land in Cameroon - "are losing land at a tremendous rate. Credit: Monde Kingsley Nfor/IPS
Sudan CF Established
The Sudan country forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (SUDFAAS) was established amidst colour and glamour in their capital Khartoum on 6-7th May, 2014. The two day event attracted a number of high ranking officials from the government most notable whom was the Honourable Federal Minister for Agriculture and Innovation who pledged his total support support towards the cause. The event was also attended by the Executive Director of AFAAS as well as the Technical Assistant to the ED.
AFAAS MULTI DONOR TRUST FUND LAUNCH IN KAMPALA
African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) is a continental body that brings national Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services under one umbrella. The AFAAS’ goal is to enhance utilization of improved knowledge and technologies by agricultural value chain actors for improving productivity oriented towards their individual and national development objectives.
In October 2013, AFAAS second Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) was established under the World Bank (WB). More
Given that...
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Most Africans still live in rural areas and are largely dependent on subsistence agriculture
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Most African economies are also greatly dependent on agriculture
... it is logical to conclude that improved agricultural performance will:
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Uplift both physical and economic access to food
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Raise the purchasing power of households
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Generate investment
Virtual Social Network News
Recent AFAAS Reports
- Climate, Agriculture and Knowledge in Africa: Agricultural Research and Advisory Services in the Face of Climate Change.
- Report on the MEAS Rapid Scoping Mission - Strengthening Pluralistic Agricultural Extension in Malawi
- Sensitization on establishment of AFAAS. The Gambia Country Forum Notes - 20 June 2012
- Accessibility and Quality of Public and Private Extension Services in Rwanda July, 2012
- UFAAS Progress report - Sept 2012
- Persevering for public-private partnership in agriculture
- Establishing and strengthening of AFAAS Country Forums - Guidelines
- Concept and learning framework for the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS)
- AFAAS Flyer
PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT MANUAL
AFAAS PROCUREMENT POLICY AND GUIDELINE
Upcoming Events
Workshop for the formalization of the West and Central Africa Network of Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services (RESCAR-AOC)
| When | 18 to 20 Feb 2015 |
| Where | Abidjan (Côte d'ivoire) |
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iCal
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published: 2015-01-22
AFAAS
Agricultural Extension Week
| When | 5 to 10 Oct 2015 |
| Where | Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) |
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iCal
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published: 2014-09-24
CONSULTANCY
AFAAS seeking professional Graphic Designer
Terms of reference
Call for proposals
GFRAS seeking qualified evaluator for extension and advisory services project
Click the link below for details
DAAD-RUFORUM in-region scholarships 2014
RUFORUM Secretariat is pleased to announce that a few PhD scholarships for Plant Breeding and Biotechnology programme are available through DAAD in region programme support. The scholarships are tenable for 2014/15 academic year at Makerere University, Kampala- Uganda. More
AfricaRice seeks Director General
AfricaRice is one of the 15 international agricultural research Centers that are members of the CGIAR, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (http://www.cgiar.org). It is also an autonomous intergovernmental association of 24 African member countries (http://www.africarice.org).