What research should we be undertaking?

What research should we be undertaking?

Presented by Richard Jones at the Workshop on Defining a Strategic Agricultural Research Agenda on Post-Crisis/Post-Shock Recovery in

Highly Stressed Systems, Nairobi, May 22-23, 2008

Presented by Richard Jones at the Workshop on Defining a Strategic Agricultural Research Agenda on Post-Crisis/Post-Shock Recovery in

Highly Stressed Systems, Nairobi, May 22-23, 2008

OverviewOverview

Defining disasters Consequences of disasters on

agriculture What does the CGIAR do? Relevance to stressed systems Weaknesses in our model How should we adapt? Thinking about innovation

Defining disasters Consequences of disasters on

agriculture What does the CGIAR do? Relevance to stressed systems Weaknesses in our model How should we adapt? Thinking about innovation

Defining disastersDefining disasters

Two basic categories (Grunewald, 1998)

Natural disasters

Man made disasters

Natural and man made disasters can occur together

Two basic categories (Grunewald, 1998)

Natural disasters

Man made disasters

Natural and man made disasters can occur together

Natural disastersNatural disasters

Drought

Floods

Volcano eruption

Earthquake

Typhoons

Tsunami

Locust infestation

Land slides

Large-scale outbreak of fire

Drought

Floods

Volcano eruption

Earthquake

Typhoons

Tsunami

Locust infestation

Land slides

Large-scale outbreak of fire

Man made disasterMan made disaster

International war

Political internal war

Ethnic conflict

Results of refugee influx

Failure of economic policies

Political sanctions

Technological disaster

International war

Political internal war

Ethnic conflict

Results of refugee influx

Failure of economic policies

Political sanctions

Technological disaster

Consequences of disasters on agricultureConsequences of disasters on agriculture

Natural disastersShort-term disruption of agricultural productionLong-term disruption of agricultural production

Man made disastersAs aboveDisruption of institutionsLoss of knowledge and technical capacity

Natural disastersShort-term disruption of agricultural productionLong-term disruption of agricultural production

Man made disastersAs aboveDisruption of institutionsLoss of knowledge and technical capacity

What does the CGIAR do?What does the CGIAR do?

The CGIAR Mission

To achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through scientific research and research-related activities in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, policy, and environment

The CGIAR Mission

To achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through scientific research and research-related activities in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, policy, and environment

Contd…Contd…

The CGIAR generates cutting-edge science to foster sustainable agricultural growth that benefits the poor through stronger food security, better human nutrition and health, higher incomes and improved management of natural resources.

The CGIAR generates cutting-edge science to foster sustainable agricultural growth that benefits the poor through stronger food security, better human nutrition and health, higher incomes and improved management of natural resources.

What differentiates the CGIAR from others?What differentiates the CGIAR from others?

International public goods (IPG’s)

Are public goods whose provision or associated benefits spill over national boundaries

National public goods (NPG’s)

Benefit only residents in a country

CGIAR traditionally focuses on development of IPG’s while national agricultural research systems focus on NPG’s

International public goods (IPG’s)

Are public goods whose provision or associated benefits spill over national boundaries

National public goods (NPG’s)

Benefit only residents in a country

CGIAR traditionally focuses on development of IPG’s while national agricultural research systems focus on NPG’s

Is this model still relevant?Is this model still relevant?

Research and technology dissemination are not linear processes

IPGs and NPGs are not so easily separated

Donors are demanding measurable impacts

IPG’s need to be used and make an impact

Research and technology dissemination are not linear processes

IPGs and NPGs are not so easily separated

Donors are demanding measurable impacts

IPG’s need to be used and make an impact

Innovation systemsInnovation systems

Innovation involves the extraction of economic and social value from knowledge. It involves putting ideas, knowledge and technology to work in a manner that brings about a significant improvement in performance. It is not just an idea—but rather it is an idea that has been made to work

Innovation involves the extraction of economic and social value from knowledge. It involves putting ideas, knowledge and technology to work in a manner that brings about a significant improvement in performance. It is not just an idea—but rather it is an idea that has been made to work

Relevance to stressed systemsRelevance to stressed systems

Human capacity, institutions and supporting infrastructure affected

Without the above generation and application of IPG’s problematic

Traditional partnership model is difficult because of no partners

Long-term strategyCapacity building and institutional development

What about the short- and medium-term?

Human capacity, institutions and supporting infrastructure affected

Without the above generation and application of IPG’s problematic

Traditional partnership model is difficult because of no partners

Long-term strategyCapacity building and institutional development

What about the short- and medium-term?

What is the way forward?What is the way forward?

Avoid countries/situationsDemand for knowledge and technologies

Get involved in generation of NPG’sExpensive and limited capacity

Seek new partnerships to deploy IPG’sHow and with whom?

Restrict interventions to capacity building and institutional developmentDoes not address short-term needs

Avoid countries/situationsDemand for knowledge and technologies

Get involved in generation of NPG’sExpensive and limited capacity

Seek new partnerships to deploy IPG’sHow and with whom?

Restrict interventions to capacity building and institutional developmentDoes not address short-term needs

Reconciling demand with our mandateReconciling demand with our mandate

Identify and support technology spillovers

Engage with new partners but in clearly defined roles

Carry out action research to learn lessons for more effective interventions

Contribute to the humanitarian literature and shape relief policies

Identify and support technology spillovers

Engage with new partners but in clearly defined roles

Carry out action research to learn lessons for more effective interventions

Contribute to the humanitarian literature and shape relief policies