Excellences,
Mesdames et Messieurs les Ministres,
Collègues scientifiques,
Mesdames et Messieurs,
Chers collègues.

Permettez-moi tout d'abord de remercier le Président de l'Académie M. Amadou Lamine Ndiaye de m'avoir invité à prendre la parole aujourd'hui.

C'est un grand honneur pour moi d'être accueilli au sein de l'Académie nationale des sciences et des techniques. L'Académie est encore jeune mais a déjà beaucoup œuvré dans les domaines de maîtrise des crues, en réhabilitant des terres salinisées et en étudiant les avantages et problèmes posés par les biotechnologies.

Le thème de la discussion d'aujourd'hui me tient beaucoup à cœur. Non seulement la recherche joue un rôle manifeste et puissant dans la lutte contre la pauvreté en Afrique, mais elle est un de nos meilleurs alliés pour combattre la pauvreté.

Evidence

As a scientist, I like to base my conclusions on solid evidence, so let me share some numbers with you from the International Food Policy Research Institute:

In China, one person was lifted out of poverty for every US$109 spent on agricultural research.

In Uganda, the impact of research was even more dramatic, with one person lifted from poverty for every US$16 spent on research.

A separate report by the CGIAR indicates that US$1 spent on agricultural research produces US$9 worth of added food in developing countries.

Clearly, there is a direct and strong link between investment in research and the elimination of poverty and hunger.

The power of scientific discoveries

Historically, the greatest human progress has been led by science, from Newton to Einstein.

Science and technology are the foundation of agricultural development because they can generate pro-poor technologies.

For example, it was research that generated Quality Protein Maize. QPM has been widely used by farmers and is reducing malnutrition among adults and babies in developing countries.

It was also research that generated high yielding cassava varieties in West Africa.

And it was research – that I’m proud to say I had a hand in – that led to the elimination of the cassava mealy bug through an Africa-wide Biological Control Programme.

 As a result of this IFAD-funded research programme, at least 20 million lives were saved in the cassava belt of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as about US$2.2 billion in production. The total cost of the programme was only US$20 million.  In other words, for every dollar spent one life was saved.

 Agricultural research successfully drove the first Green Revolution in Asia. And it is agricultural research that must now drive a Green Revolution in Africa, as we work to feed a growing population at a time when climate change is starting to affect agricultural productivity in many developing countries.

 Poverty is a multi-faceted problem that demands a multi-faceted research response. Agricultural research and development – whether to boost crop productivity, or to improve water and soil usage – is essential.  But so, too, is research in other areas. Medical research, for example, can improve the health and the productivity of poor rural people.

NERICA

As many of you will know, I have spent much of my career in agricultural research. Before joining IFAD, I worked for thirty years at the CGIAR. For twenty of those years, I was a research scientist. For another ten years I managed the research scientists at the Africa Rice Centre.

 It was during my tenure as Director General at Africa Rice that the development of NERICA took place. The first progenies, or hybrids, were just ready for testing in farmers’ fields when I became Director General of Warda – as the Africa Rice Centre was called then – in late 1996.

 There are now hundreds of new NERICA varieties being grown throughout Africa, including here in Senegal.

 The fact that African research is being applied in Africa to benefit African people fills me with pride and with hope.

Do not squander Africa’s potential

Our continent is known for being rich in natural resources but it is also rich in human resources and potential. Some of that potential is here, in the scientists gathered together in this room today.  Some of that potential is to be found in the farmers here in Senegal, and throughout Africa.

Yet leaders are undermining the importance of science and technology by not investing sufficiently in research. 

 A report published earlier this year by IFPRI found that spending on agricultural research and development is still woefully inadequate in too many Africa countries.

 Funding is falling. Our universities are losing good people. The quality of education is declining.

 This has to change.

 We cannot rely on research done in developed countries to address the needs of developing countries. And who is better placed to know the conditions on the ground in Africa and to discover the solution to the challenging conditions in Africa than African scientists themselves?

 But for our scientists to be world class and competitive, they must go beyond the traditional path of acquiring advanced degrees and diplomas from the developed world. They must take their knowledge -- whether acquired abroad or at home – and put it to work.  For this to happen, they need the right incentives, both financial and material; they must have modern equipment, so that they have the tools to do their job, and they must be linked in to the global storehouse of knowledge.

 As I advocate for more investment in research, let me be clear – research for the sake of research is wasteful and pointless.  Research, ultimately, needs to have an application. But in order for it to move from the lab to the field, it needs to be supported by enabling policies that link research to products and markets. Research into applications that benefit both the public and private sectors can foster partnerships that are essential in building sound societies.

Examples of good practice in Africa

 There are, already, splashes of hope. In my own country, Nigeria, the new government is emphasizing a Transformation Agenda that has agriculture at the top of its list of priorities.

 During my visits to IFAD-supported projects in many parts of Africa, I have met dozens of people whose lives, and communities, have been transformed.  Prior to my arrival in Senegal, I visited Togo and Burkina Faso where I saw farmers that had adopted low-input, yet high-output, pro-poor innovations. 

 Here in Senegal, yesterday I met Mamadou Ndiaye and Mme Fatou Sakho in Keur Bakathe.  These are two individuals whose lives have been transformed through IFAD-supported projects. 

Such actions also require government support.  Here in Senegal, the government took a number of steps to bring down domestic food prices during the 2008 food price crisis and has declared food self-sufficiency a strategic response to high prices.

These are encouraging indications of political commitment. They must be followed through on, and they must be echoed by every nation throughout the continent.

The Gansu example

Africa still has a long way to go, even when it comes to using simple green technologies that already exist and are being used elsewhere.

Let me give you an example. I recently visited the South Gansu province of China. It is an area that suffers from frequent drought, from limited water for irrigation and from severe soil erosion.  These are conditions seen in many parts of Africa. And they are a serious threat to food security.

Yet in Gansu province, in spite of the harsh conditions, farmers are not only able to feed themselves and their families, they are also increasing their incomes. I met one farmer whose income had risen from only US$2 a day in 2006 to US$35 a day last year.

The farmers in the programme are thriving in a harsh environment because they have had the right policy support. They are thriving because they have had the right training. They are thriving because they have access to financial services and new agricultural technologies.  

In short they are thriving because of massive investment from the local and central government of China and commensurate commitment from the local population themselves.

They are also following simple but effective environmental practices that can be implemented elsewhere, such as rainwater harvesting, mulching maize, terracing and using trees to improve soil quality and moisture content. This restores the ecological environment and increases resilience. 

 If it can be done in the South Gansu province of China, it can be done in other drought-prone areas, including the Horn of Africa.

 Of course, there are also pockets of Africa where technology is already being used to good effect. This summer I met farmers in Ethiopia taking part in a small-scale irrigation scheme. Before, their land was dry. Now, thanks to the irrigation project, and training in using different seed varieties, they are able to earn a living from their land  able to feed themselves and their families.

Our challenge is to take what we know works, to develop what we know is needed, and to apply our knowledge, country-by-country, region-by-region, throughout Africa.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest share of the world’s uncultivated land with rain fed crop potential, so there is room for agriculture to expand. And there is also enormous potential to increase yields on existing cultivated land through better soil and water management, and by increasing the use of fertilizer, improved seeds and irrigation.  But this must be done through an environmentally sustainable "green" approach.

Sustainable intensification and climate change

 As we look at increasing yields, we must do so in a way that is sustainable, not just for today and tomorrow, but for many decades to come. We will need to increase yields in a ways that do not pollute, diminish the land over time or contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

 In other words, we must have sustainable intensification. This means complementing conventional approaches to increasing productivity with a much stronger focus on soil and water management and overall farm production systems.

 In the years ahead, more research in science and technology will need to be directed towards climate change adaptation and mitigation.

 Poor rural people are often the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Many live on ecologically fragile land and depend on agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry. We are already seeing the impact of climate change on agriculture in many areas where we work. Crop failures and livestock deaths are causing higher economic losses, contributing to higher food prices and undermining food security with ever-greater frequency.

 Agricultural research can ensure that the smallholder, the fisherman, the pastoralist, the forest dweller and the herder have the means to adapt to climate change. It can ensure that poor rural people, whose lives and livelihoods depend on the earth’s productive capacity, have the means to produce more and to produce it better.

 So it is essential that we harness the best of pro-poor agricultural research and push back the frontiers of innovation. It is essential that we develop and diffuse innovative and climate-proof solutions, such as seeds that are more tolerant to drought or to floods, to assist resource-poor farmers. If we don’t, agricultural productivity will remain unacceptably low in too many African countries. 

Biotechnology is a tool, not an end in itself

 As we consider the capacity of agricultural research to reduce poverty, we have many tools at our disposal.

 One of these tools is biotechnology. Agricultural biotechnologies, including Marker Assisted Selection, Marker Assisted Breeding, tissue culture and embryo rescue techniques offer many benefits. They can boost productivity, improve the tolerance of seeds and plants to drought, temperature stress and pests, and make nutrient use more efficient.

 But we must recognise that biotechnology is only a tool. It is not an end in itself. In many developing countries, simply optimising conventional approaches such as the simple use of fertilizers and micro-irrigation can yield dramatic results.

 The challenge is in striking the right balance. As responsible scientists, we must also consider the need to nurture and preserve ecosystems.

 New breakthroughs in conservation agriculture and biotechnology can help farmers increase production in an environmentally sustainable manner.

At the same time, better understanding and adoption of agro-ecological approaches including integrated crop/pest/nutrient management systems and organic agriculture can help make intensification of agriculture more sustainable.

 Through our focus on pro-poor innovations, IFAD supports the development of sustainable agricultural technologies. And we recognise that technological change should support the natural resource base, not undermine it.

We need young people to be the farmers of tomorrow

 It is estimated that food production in developing countries will need to double by 2050 to meet projected demand. We will need the young people of today to be the farmers of tomorrow to help meet this demand.

 Young people under the age of 14 make up about 40 per cent of Africa’s population. Many of them live in rural areas. We need to create productive outlets for their energy in rural areas so that they are not forced to flee to cities in search of work. For this to happen, agriculture must be a viable and rewarding choice for young people.

 Investing in research to make agriculture more lucrative for small farmers is a crucial step in this process. And it must be coupled with investments in rural development.

For agriculture to be attractive to young rural women and men, the rural space must become more attractive. All too often, rural conditions are grim, with no electricity, no easy access to clean water, and only unpaved, dirt roads linking one village to the next. Rural areas need basic infrastructure – such as roads, transportation and electricity – and basic services, including schools, clinics and financial services. 

The power of agriculture

 The importance and promise of agriculture to Africa cannot be overstated. Agriculture has particular power when it comes to poverty reduction. Numerous studies show that GDP growth generated by agriculture is more than twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors.

 Agriculture remains critically important to Africa’s economies.  It accounts for about 30 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP and at least 40 per cent of export value. In most countries, agriculture accounts for more than 60% of employment.

 Vibrant rural areas can ensure a dynamic flow of economic benefits between rural and urban areas so that nations have balanced and sustained development.

And that is why IFAD has devoted close to 50 per cent of its total investment, around US$6 billion, to Africa over the last 33 years. Today IFAD’’s active portfolio in Africa amounts to US$2.2 billion, including funding to research institutions, NGOs, African farmer associations, among others. 

IFAD supported programs or projects focus on increasing production and productivity, natural resource management (especially soil and water), rural financing, empowerment of women, capacity-building and pro-poor technology oriented research.

Conclusion

 It is our job to ensure that science and technology contribute to the improvement of rural areas.

J'aimerais une fois de plus remercier l'Académie du grand honneur qu'elle me fait en m’admettant en son sein. Je suis impatient de pouvoir renforcer la coopération entre le FIDA et l'Académie nationale des sciences et techniques du Sénégal pour qu'ensemble nous fassions en sorte que la recherche joue son rôle dans l'élimination de la pauvreté et de la faim en Afrique.

Quand je regarde cette assemblée aujourd'hui, je vois bien des raisons d'espérer. Le capital humain est déjà en place. En travaillant main dans la main sans faillir dans notre détermination d'utiliser la recherche comme une alliée dans la lutte contre la pauvreté, nous serons en mesure d'instaurer les conditions qui permettront à l'Afrique non seulement de se nourrir mais également d'exporter un excédent et de contribuer à la sécurité alimentaire du monde.

Merci.

Dakar, Senegal, 11 October 2011