2013 Annual ReSAKSS ConferenceDakar, Senegal | 12-13 November, 2013

Tracking Investments in CAADP’s Pillar IVPublic agricultural R&D spending trends inAfrica South of the Sahara

Nienke Beintema and Gert-Jan StadsInternational Food Policy Research Institute

asti.cgiar.orgWhy monitor agricultural R&D resources? (1)

• Many challenges in Africa south of the Sahara (SSA):- Food insecurity / malnutrition- Population growth- Climate change- Degradation of land and water resources- Food price volatility

• Agricultural R&D is a major contributor to productivity growth, food security, and poverty reduction

asti.cgiar.orgWhy monitor agricultural R&D resources? (2)

• Quantitative data are essential for agricultural R&D stakeholders to be able to analyze trends in agricultural R&D investments; identify gaps; set future investment priorities; and better coordinate agricultural R&D across institutes, regions, and commodities

• R&D indicators are also an indispensable tool when assessing the contribution of agricultural R&D to agricultural growth and to economic growth more generally

asti.cgiar.orgAgricultural S&T Indicators (ASTI) initiative

• Collects national-level investment and human resource capacity data as well as institutional developments in agricultural R&D:– Focus on low- and middle-income countries;

incl. 40 SSA countries– Through institutional survey rounds (primary

data)

• Large network of national, regional and international partners; led by IFPRI

• Provides:– Trends over time at country / regional levels– Comparisons within and across countries /

regions

asti.cgiar.org

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011

Spen

ding

(bi

llion

200

5 PP

P do

llars

)Public agricultural R&D investments, 1981–2011

• In 2011, spending totaled $1.7 billion (in 2005 PPP prices)

• Spending increased by more than one third during 2000–2011

• Growth is driven by a handful of countries

(Public = government, higher education, nonprofit)Nigeria

Uganda

Ethiopia Ghana Kenya Tanzania

2000-2011 growth

asti.cgiar.orgChallenge: Underinvestment

Target (UN/NEPAD): Allocation of at least 1% of GDP to R&D

• On average, 0.5% of SSA’s AgGDP was spent on public agricultural R&D in 2011

• Declined since 2008 due to relative stronger AgGDP growth

• Caution when analyzing intensity ratios

Preliminary data for some countries

012345

Gui

nea-

…G

abon CA

FCo

ng, D

RN

iger

Mad

agas

car

Gui

nea

Sier

ra L

eone

Ethi

opia

Suda

nZa

mbi

aEr

itrea

Nig

eria

Moz

ambi

q…Bu

rkin

a Fa

soTo

goLi

beria

Côte

d'Iv

oire

Tanz

ania

Buru

ndi

Mal

iBe

nin

Leso

tho

Rwan

daG

hana

Sene

gal

Chad

Mau

ritan

iaCo

ngo,

Rep

.G

ambi

a, T

heM

alaw

iCa

pe V

erde

Keny

aU

gand

aSw

azila

ndSo

uth

Afric

aBo

tsw

ana

Nam

ibia

Mau

ritius

Aver

age

Shar

e (%

) Public agricultural R&D spending as a share of AgGDP, 2011

asti.cgiar.orgChallenge: Uneven investment growth

Target (UN expert group): 5% annual spending growth over the next decade

• 2000–2011 marked by spending decline or stagnation in about half of the 30 countries with timeseries data

• However, more than one third of the countries experienced increased agricultural R&D spending during 2008–2011

Preliminary data for some countries-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

Eritr

eaG

uine

aG

abon

Togo

Zam

bia

Gam

bia,

The

Sout

h Af

rica

Cote

d'Iv

oire

Burk

ina

Faso

Mau

ritius

Mal

iSe

nega

lM

adag

asca

rEt

hiop

iaBo

tsw

ana

Mau

ritan

iaM

alaw

iZi

mba

bwe

Nam

ibia

Keny

aN

iger

Suda

nN

iger

iaG

hana

Buru

ndi

Beni

nCo

ngo,

Rep

.U

gand

aTa

nzan

iaSi

erra

Leo

neAv

erag

e

Annu

al g

row

th (%

) Annual public agricultural R%D spending growth, 2000–2011

asti.cgiar.orgCountry examples of underinvestment

• DR Congo spent $16 million or 0.17% of AgGDP on agricultural R&D in 2011

• Ethiopia spent $78 million or 0.22% of AgGDP on agricultural R&D in 2011

• These levels are extremely low considering population levels (SSA’s 2nd and 3rd largest countries)

• Spending needs to increase sixfold in DR Congo and fivefold in Ethiopia to reach the UN/NEPAD 1% target

2009 2010 20110

20

40

60

80

100

mill

ion

2005

PPP

dol

lars

2009 2010 20110

100

200

300

400

mill

ion

2005

PPP

dol

lars

DR Congo

Ethiopia

Actual public agricultural R&D spending

Required spending to reach 1% target

asti.cgiar.orgCountry examples of sustainable investment

• Uganda: High and continued government commitments to agricultural research combined with donor support

• Côte d’Ivoire: Unique funding mechanism involving private sector funding, which has resulted in stable research investment levels over time

Total public agricultural R&D spending trends, 1996-2011

0

30

60

90

120

1996 2001 2006 2011

Uganda

0

15

30

45

60

1996 2001 2006 2011

Côte d’Ivoire

asti.cgiar.orgChallenge: Investment volatility

• Annual agricultural R&D spending in SSA has been considerably more volatile than in other developing regions

• Volatility is more pronounced in donor-dependent low-income countries

• Donor/development bank funding is generally short-term and ad-hoc (and 2-3 times more volatile than government funding)

asti.cgiar.orgChallenge: Fragmentation

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1981 1991 2001 2011

Government Higher education Nonprofit

• More than 600 agricultural R&D agencies scattered across the region

• Enhanced role of universities

• …but increased fragmentation of agricultural R&D

• Economies of scale are lower than in other (developing) regions

asti.cgiar.orgChallenge: Staff turnover and composition

• Number of researchers (in full-time equivalents) increased by about 50%: – Initially driven by recruitment of junior BSc holders– Since 2008, increase in MSc holders too– Increased role of universities (Nigeria, Sudan)

• Many small countries lack a critical mass of researchers (especially PhD holders)

• In about half of the sample countries more than 50% of PhD holders is 50 or older; more pronounced in West Africa

• Urgent need to recruit and train next generation of scientists in these countries

asti.cgiar.orgConcluding remarks

• To achieve future growth targets, national governments will need to provide sufficient and stable financial resources, adequate human resources in terms of numbers and quality, and support institutional improvements in agricultural R&D

• There are encouraging signs that SSA is moving (although slowly) in the right direction in terms of agricultural R&D– Expansion in its agricultural investment and capacity– A number of countries are putting measurements in place to

address current investment and capacity challenges– Enhanced recognition of the importance of agricultural R&D

by national governments and international community– Latter resulted in the development of the Science Agenda for

Agriculture in Africa

Coming soon• New series of country fact sheets• Regional publications• Various enhancements to www.asti.cgiar.org• Dissemination and outreach activities