Le Secrétariat du Forum mondial sur la recherche et l’innovation agricoles (GFAR) a le plaisir d’annoncer que son équipe de direction est désormais complète à la suite de l’intégration le 1er juillet du nouveau Secrétaire exécutif Pr Dr Hildegard Lingnau.
Hildegard aura la responsabilité de veiller au bon fonctionnement du Secrétariat du GFAR en s’assurant que le Secrétariat soutient les partenaires dans le cadre des campagnes de sensibilisation collectives du GFAR, en donnant voix au chapitre aux agriculteurs et en accordant une attention particulière à leurs besoins, en vue de renforcer et de transformer les processus et systèmes d’innovation dans les secteurs agricole et alimentaire.
Hildegard Lingnau est spécialiste en développement et a plus de 30 ans d’expérience dans le domaine de la recherche et de l’élaboration des politiques. Elle a occupé des postes de direction dans plusieurs institutions et dans différents pays du monde : au sein de l’un des dix plus importants groupes de réflexion sur le développement durable (l’Institut allemand de développement), avec des gouvernements en Amérique latine, en Afrique, en Asie et dans le monde arabe, avec le gouvernement allemand et des organisations chargées de la mise en œuvre (BMZ, AA & GIZ) et avec des organisations internationales (PAM, OCDE).
Avant de rejoindre le GFAR, Hildegard a exercé les fonctions de Directrice pays adjointe/Directrice pays par intérim du PAM en Palestine (2/2019-6/2021), Directrice du Bureau pour le Kenya et la Somalie de l’Agence de coopération internationale allemande pour le développement (1/2016-1/2019) et Responsable A5 à la Direction de la coopération pour le développement (DCD) de l’OCDE (11/2011-12/2015).
Hildegard est professeur à l’Université de Siegen (Habilitation). Elle est titulaire d’un doctorat en économie du développement et d’une maîtrise en sciences politiques de l’Université libre de Berlin. Elle a également étudié à l’Institut d’Études Politiques (IEP) de Paris et à l’Université allemande des sciences administratives de Speyer. Par ailleurs, elle a suivi des études de troisième cycle à l’Institut allemand de développement.
Hildegard est membre du Conseil consultatif de l’Institut de l’UNU sur les ressources naturelles en Afrique (UNU-INRA), du Réseau de pairs sur la pauvreté multidimensionnelle (MPPN) et de l’Association allemande des professeurs d’universités (DHV).
Après près de 35 ans au service de la recherche et du développement (R&D) en Afrique, le Professeur Abdulai Jalloh a pris sa retraite. La carrière du Professeur Jalloh l’a conduit à travers le système national de recherche agricole de sa Sierra Leone natale jusqu’au CORAF, où il a été Directeur du Programme de Gestion des Ressources Naturelles (2009-2015) et Directeur de la Recherche et de l’Innovation (DRI) de 2018 à 2021. De 2016 à 2017, il a coordonné un programme financé par la Fondation Bill et Melinda Gates (Initiative agronomique africaine du manioc) à l’Institut international d’agriculture tropicale d’Ibadan, au Nigéria.
Reconnaissance de sa contribution
La majeure partie de la carrière du Professeur Jalloh au cours de la dernière décennie a été consacrée à l’avancement de la mission et de la vision du CORAF, le plus grand instrument sous-régional de coordination de la recherche en Afrique.
Lorsqu’il a rejoint l’organisation en 2018, le CORAF était sur le point d’adopter sa nouvelle orientation stratégique axée sur l’amélioration de la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre. Au moment de l’adoption du Plan opérationnel actuel, son coût était estimé à plus de 60 millions de dollars. Avec beaucoup plus d’organisations en compétition pour les mêmes sources de financement, mobiliser ce montant peut être une tâche redoutable. Mais le Professeur Jalloh a apporté un soutien vital au Directeur exécutif du CORAF et à l’équipe du Secrétariat exécutif pour relever ce défi.
« Je ne saurais dire à quel point je suis reconnaissant d’avoir eu la chance de travailler avec vous pendant tant d’années. Elles ont été parmi les plus difficiles et pourtant parmi les meilleures de ma carrière » a déclaré Dr Abdou Tenkouano, Directeur exécutif du CORAF, lors de la cérémonie d’adieu en l’honneur du Professeur Jalloh.
Sentiment aigre-doux
Quitter une organisation que l’on a servie pendant plus de dix ans est difficile. « J’ai des sentiments mitigés », a déclaré le Professeur Jalloh alors qu’il s’apprête à prendre une retraite bien méritée. Il était ravi de rentrer chez lui pour retrouver sa famille et continuer à soutenir le développement de son pays mais se rappelait également avec nostalgie des bons moments passés avec ses nombreux collègues du CORAF.
« Ce dont je suis le plus heureux, ce sont les progrès accomplis dans la réalisation des objectifs que nous nous sommes fixés dans le plan opérationnel », a déclaré le Professeur Jalloh lors d’une entrevue de départ sur Agripreneur TV.
Le Professeur Jalloh a l’intention de passer plus de temps avec la famille et de se reposer davantage mais a déclaré qu’il consacrerait plus de temps à l’encadrement et au mentorat de jeunes étudiants.
Name of Project: CAADP-XP4
Activity Ref No: CAADP-XP4 Output 3/ Activity 3.5.2 / 2021
Procurement Ref: FARA/CAADP-XP4/CS/IC/2021/08
Date: Friday, July 16, 2021
1. The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) together with the Sub-Regional Agricultural Research Organizations (SROs) offer a strategic platform that fosters continental and global networking to strengthen the innovation capacities of Africa’s agricultural research system. FARA also has a mandate from the AUC to serve as its technical arm in the advancement of the Science Agenda in Africa’s Agriculture.
To achieve transformation in the agricultural sector, FARA has identified an increasing need for deeper collaboration among Agricultural Research for Development practitioners and private sector partners in Africa. FARA has therefore embarked on an inclusive process together with the Sub Regional Organizations (ASARECA, CCARDESA, CORAF) and AFAAS, to develop a new vision of collaboration and operationalization with private sector partners. This is being done through the European Union (EU) FUNDS under the Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA) initiative. The initiative aims to implement a 4-year project in Africa called CAADP Ex-Pillar 4 (CAADP-XP4).
Recent indication recommends that the export of agro-processed and other value-added goods made in Africa is greater in regional markets than in external markets, typically dominated by mostly low-value raw material exports. The 2013 World Bank estimates show that the value of Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness market could expand to USD 1 trillion by 2030. However, this growth is likely to be adversely affected by the COVID-19 shock.
Lessons learned from the pandemic crisis include maintaining open trade channels safely, policy coordination and transparency between member states and protecting essential workers to ensure that public health and food systems continue to operate.
Overall progress on achieving the Malabo Declaration commitments by 2025 and on regional integration, in general, has been slow due to country disparities in the levels of development, inconsistent and conflicting regulations and standards, as well as infrastructure and connectivity problems at the border and behind the border that add to the cost of doing business in Africa (Benin, 2020).
There is, therefore, the need to assess existing sub-regional trade mechanisms and develop a framework to support cross-border trade on the continent. To support Africa to better feed Africa, an enhanced framework on agricultural food and trade is needed. It seems that regional integration processes can be the key to this development, and this makes the role of continental organizations such as the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) important. Such organizations need to assess the trade in agricultural inputs and commodities to improve the implementation of existing trade policies to support cross-border trade among African countries.
2. The overall aim of this assignment is to conduct regional reviews of trade in agricultural inputs and commodities to improve the implementation of existing trade policies to support cross-border trade in Africa. This is aimed at enhancing cross-border or intra-continental trade among African countries.
3. This request for expression of interest aims at engaging a consultant to carry out the following functions:
a) Conduct studies aimed at assessing existing sub-regional agricultural trade mechanisms that influence cross-border agricultural commodities and inputs.
b) Develop a framework that supports cross-border trade for agricultural inputs and commodities.
The detailed terms of reference is in the link below:
4. The Executive Director of FARA invites interested consultants to express interest in carrying out this assignment.
5. Consultants interested in this call must provide an Expression of Interest no longer than 10 pages, outlining proposed methodologies, references related to the execution of similar contracts, experience in similar areas, or evidence of knowledge and a proposed timeline. Brochures, CVs, and other supplementary materials submitted shall not be accounted for as part of the 10-page limit.
6. The anticipated period of performance for this consultancy is 35 man-days spread over two months. The work shall be carried out from 12th August 2021 to 12th October 2021.
7. The individual consultant shall be selected based on procedures defined in the Procurement Guidelines of FARA.
8. Interested consultants may obtain further information from FARA’s Policy Officer, Dr. Kwaku Antwi [[email protected]], and copy the Procurement Expert, Mr. Callistus Achaab [[email protected]], during the following hours: 9h00 to 15h00 GMT.
9. Expressions of Interest should be submitted electronically to [[email protected]] and addressed to Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of FARA, No 9 Flower Avenue, New Achimota, Mile 7, Accra, Ghana, no later than Friday, 30th July 2021, at 14h00 GMT. Tel: +233 302 772823/744888
10. FARA Affirmative Action Statement on Recruitment: there is no discrimination based on gender race, religion, ethnic orientation, disability, or health status.
The Secretariat of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAR) has the pleasure of announcing that our leadership structure is now complete, with the onboarding of Prof. Dr. Hildegard Lingnau as Executive Secretary on July 1st.
Hildegard will take responsibility for the efficient functioning of the GFAR Secretariat and make sure that the Secretariat supports partners in GFAR’s collective advocacy and actions – with particular attention to the voices and needs of farmers – to strengthen and transform agri-food innovation systems and processes.
Hildegard Lingnau is a development professional with more than 30 years of experience in research, policy development and management positions in institutions and countries all over the world: with one of the top ten sustainable development think tanks (German Development Institute, GDI), with governments in Latin America, Africa, Asia and in the Arab World, with German government and implementing organizations (BMZ, AA & GIZ) and with international organizations (WFP, OECD).
Before joining the GFAR, Hildegard served as WFP Deputy / Acting Country Director in Palestine (2/2019-6/2021), as Head of German Development Cooperation for Kenya and Somalia (1/2016-1/2019) and as A5 Manager with the Development Co-operation Directorate (DCD) of the OECD (11/2011-12/2015).
Hildegard qualified as a Professor at Siegen University (Habilitation) and holds a PhD (Dr.rer.pol.) in Development Economics and a Masters (Diplom) in Political Sciences from the Freie Universität (FU) Berlin. She also studied at the Institut d’Études Politiques (IEP) Paris, the German University of Administrative Sciences (HfV) Speyer and completed postgraduate studies at the German Development Institute (DIE).
Hildegard is a member of the Advisory Board of the UNU Institute for National Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN) and the German Association of University Professors (DHV).
ENTEBBE: The ASARECA Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Enock Warinda as the Interim Executive Director of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA).
The appointment that became effective on 20thApril 2021 places Dr. Warinda at the helm of the 14 member country institutions, with a well cut out job for him, especially in providing leadership in the development of strategic initiatives for resourcing ASARECA to fulfill its Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) mandate. His appointment also comes at a time when institutions have to innovate to maintain productivity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reacting to the appointment, Dr. Warinda said, “I am extremely humbled by the trust the Board of Directors has given me to steer the Association whose mandate is to ensure improvement of agriculture-based livelihoods in the sub-region. I pledge to live up to the expectations of our Board, the Development Partners and the stakeholders across the region.
The Board noted that Dr. Warinda will serve in the position until the process of selecting a new substantive Executive Director is completed. This comes after the out-going Executive Director, Prof. Jean Jacques Mbonigaba Muhinda announced that he would be leaving the institution to take up another assignment in Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
In an exit brief to the ASARECA constituents and partners, Prof. Mobigaba said, “I can tell with confidence that I am leaving behind a strong and hardworking team that will deliver the ASARECA program expectations.” He further stated that, “I take this opportunity to thank all our partners for the wonderful collaboration we enjoyed together in making ASARECA better.”
(L-R) Dr. Warinda; Dr. Imelda Kasaija, ASARECA National Focal Person for Uganda; Prof. Mbonigaba; and H.E Rhoda Tumusiime, the Chairperson ASARECA High Level Advisory Panel (HLAP) during a ceremony to bid farewell to Prof. Mbonigaba and to welcome Dr. Warinda
Until his latest appointment, Dr. Warinda has been serving as Deputy Executive Director, ASARECA since his elevation to that position on 1stNovember 2019.
Dr. Warinda has a PhD in Agricultural Economics and Master of Arts in M&E (among other qualifications), and substantial experience in ASARECA, the Eastern and Central Africa sub-region as well as within the Continental AR4D sphere.
He has worked in the AR4D arena for the last 23 years. He served the Association from February 2010 to August 2015 before leaving ASARECA briefly to join the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) in South Africa as the Work Package Manager.
Thereafter, he joined the Continental AR4D apex body, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) as Lead Specialist – Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. He rejoined ASARECA in November 2017 to continue serving the Eastern and Central Africa sub-region as the Theme Leader—Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management in ASARECA.
The appointment comes at the time when ASARECA is aggressively making a case for unflinching commitments by the African Governments to finance regionally facilitated AR4D agenda to enhance food and nutrition security as well as to enhance the livelihood of smallholder farming households. ASARECA is also making a case to the Development Partners to complement Government efforts to address trans-boundary issues such as pests and diseases, trade policies, access to markets, and generation and transfer of priority regional and national technologies and innovations, among others.
