1. COVID-19 Impacts

by Philippe Petithuguenin (CIRAD)

As this newsletter comes online, I am aware that most of you are seeing their daily life currently seriously affected by the Covid19 pandemic: many are confined to their home (as I am!), forbidden to travel to visit family and friends, trying to work remotely but, in many cases, unable to carry out some of the planned activities and looking for mitigating alternatives, as much as possible.

This is also what is happening to the LEAP4FNSSA activities, though thanks to the efforts and the adaptability of all partners, we have achieved a lot even in recent weeks. And in this time of hardship and turmoil, my first thought is to hope that this newsletter will find you well, you, your relatives, friends and colleagues.

My second thought is to hope that you will find reading this newsletter interesting and the information it contains relevant to your centers of interest… and even possibly to your concerns in relation to this pandemic! Indeed, I see at least three links between the Covid19 health crisis and the partnership in Research and Innovation between Europe and Africa on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture.  

The first link is the domain of Research and Innovation (R&I). Finding the adequate response to this pandemic will mobilize existing scientific knowledge and research capacities, both well trained human resources and up-to-date research infrastructures. It will require transforming these capacities and knowledge into solutions, for testing, curing, and, hopefully soon, vaccinating. It also requires a fruitful dialogue, a mutual understanding between the scientists, who can present what they know and also what is not known, and the policy makers who have to take informed decisions on how best to protect their citizens.

Programming research, mobilizing scientific knowledge to nurture innovation processes, facilitating dialogue with decision makers are all activities at the heart of LEAP4FNSSA.

The second link is international R&I partnership. As the pandemic reaches a new country, much valuable time is gained in that country if it can access information on previously affected countries. We also see scientists across the world going beyond their usual “competition” mode and instead, aligning their protocols and collaborating to gain time in this race against the pandemic. These collaboration values are also those of the R&I Partnership between Europe and Africa for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture.

The third link is the nexus between Health and Agriculture and Nutrition. Evidence is beginning to emerge that inadequate nutrition, both under nutrition and over nutrition (often leading to diabetes), can be seriously complicating factors for patients affected by Covid19. And many commentators are also warning of a possible “food” crisis after the health crisis, if farmers are not able to tend their fields at the right time in the growing season. Here as well, Research and Innovation will have to be mobilized to answer these threats.

As we continue our work in the LEAP4FNSSA project, these are a few reasons to wish you a pleasant reading of this newsletter.  

Nutrition Security

Can COVID-19 create momentum for sustainable and resilient food systems?
The impact of COVID-19 is revealing the fragility of many systems, including the global food system that connects Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa – but also more local food systems in European and African countries, albeit differently. Paulina Bizzotto Molina, Valeria Pintus, Koen Dekeyser and Cecilia D’Alessandro, argue that COVID-19 can be a turning point towards building more resilient and sustainable societies.
(via ECDPM)

Food Security

The Desert Locust situation in the Horn of Africa
The Desert Locust situation remains extremely alarming in the Horn of Africa, specifically Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia where widespread breeding is in progress and new swarms are starting to form. This represents an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods because it coincides with the beginning of the long rains and the planting season.
(via FAO Locust Watch)

Sustainable agriculture

The complex link between trade, food and climate change
If we want to tackle the problem of malnutrition and climate change, we need to understand its links with trade agreements and understand how they can support a food system that guarantees nourishment while also being fair and environmentally sustainable.” The statement is made in the journal Nature Food by three experts from the Australian National University in Canberra.
(via Barilla Foundation)

by Jean-Michel Sers (CIRAD)

Ursula von der Leyen, said: “Today's Strategy with Africa is the roadmap to move forward and bring our partnership to the next level. Africa is the European Union's natural partner and neighbour.
Together we can build a more prosperous, more peaceful and more sustainable future for all.” 
High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission for a stronger Europe in the World, Josep Borrell 

Towards a comprehensive EU strategy with Africa

On 9th of March, the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, presented the communication “Towards a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa” which proposes the basis for a new strategy between the two continents. The communication reflects the EU’s proposals for the ongoing exchanges with African partners in view of defining a more ambitious partnership agenda at the upcoming EU-AU Summit in October 2020.
It fits into the Africa-Europe Alliance for sustainable investment and jobs launched in 2018 as well as the 2017 Summit Declaration.

What are the new features of this strategy?

The communication sets out proposals to intensify cooperation through partnerships in five key areas: (P1) green transition and energy access, (P2) digital transformation, (P3) sustainable growth and jobs, (P4) peace and governance, (P5) migration and mobility. In addition, the need to take into account youth and women as well as their potential as agents of change is strongly emphasized.

For each thematic partnership, a series of actions and delivery mechanisms are identified to provide clear value at cross-regional, continental or global level.


How can LEAP4FNSSA contribute to this strategy?

The R&I partnership on FNSSA is expected to directly contribute to this strategy which mentions many times collaborations in research and innovation and the agriculture domain.

Ensuring food security and rural development is listed in the introduction part of the document as a key area of mutual interest and responsibility.

When describing the five partnerships key areas, the strategy invites the EU and Africa to join efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger and address the challenges of nutrition and food security by boosting safe and sustainable agri-food systems (P1); it also highlight that both the EU and African countries have a common interest in increasing investment in key sectors such as sustainable agriculture (P3); and it proposes to increase access to quality education, skills, research and innovation as one of the four priority fronts of the “partnership for sustainable growth and jobs” (P3).

It therefore comes as no surprise that some actions proposed in the strategy are aligned with activities already planned by LEAP4FNSSA.

Expectations on what we should deliver are high! And LEAP4FNSSA will also be mobilized to contribute to the preparatory work of the EU-AU Summit, in close coordination with the EU-Africa High Level Policy Dialogue Bureau.

by Gaetano Ladisa and Virginia Belsanti (CIHEAM-IAMB)

The proposed Open Consultation dealt with African countries and the issues related to food, nutrition and sustainable agriculture.Particularly, the objective was to collect feedback on possible actions to be undertaken to lead Africa in a more climate friendly and sustainable agriculture, and to optimise the development of the African food market and the job creation linked to this issue. The questionnaire collected 600 different point of view from 71 different countries.

The structure of the Open Consultation was in line with the topic discussed in the 1st webinar:

“Dynamics of the AU-EU Approaches for Rural transformation” that was held in October 2019.

The webinar and the questionnaire were inspired by the report: “An Africa-Europe agenda for rural transformation”, written by the members of the Task Force Rural Africa, under the aegis of European Commission.

by Gaetano Ladisa and Virginia Belsanti (CIHEAM-IAMB)

The project LEAP4FNSSA, on 18th Feb. 2020, organised the 1st Dissemination Event Towards Decision Makers and Research & Innovation Funders. It was held in Nairobi (Kenya) and hosted by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Kenya in collaboration with CIHEAM Bari and the Ministry of High Education, Science and Research of Egypt.

The objectives of the event were to gather participants’ interest and commitment around some common research and innovation FNSSA fields strategic for the whole region, and therefore fostering funding cooperation, and stimulate engagement in the long-term towards a FNSSA Funding Alliance. This would also contribute to increase business opportunities resulting in a more favourable entrepreneurial environment for young people and women.

The outputs of the meeting were the identification of FNSSA areas in which R&I cooperation can be fostered in the East Africa region, engagement of main actors to strengthen regional networks and identification of actors willing to join the EU-AU FNSSA partnership.

The event was built on the results of an online Open Consultation launched in November 2019 through the LEAP4FNSSA web and social channels, and whose objective was to collect feedback on possible actions supporting Africa towards a more climate friendly and sustainable agriculture, and, consequently, a more efficient development of the African food market and employment opportunities.

The meeting was attended by 37 participants from selected cooperation agencies, research institutions, private sector, research funding agencies, stakeholders and end users’ representatives from Kenya, neighbourhood countries and Europe.

Five East Africa experts presented and articulated the results of the open consultation to trigger a participative discussion and launch activities. They also facilitated a connection between the civil society, decision makers and donors.

Their contribution was functional to identify FNSSA areas to be targeted by common measures in Kenya and East Africa Countries.
Working groups formed by a mix of representatives from research institutions, funding agencies, decision makers, NGOs contributed to the meeting outputs by delivering Recommendations for National R&I Agenda and inputs for building a regional network that would commit to follow-up recommendations. It was also possible to identify parties interested to join the EU-AU FNSSA partnership and populate the stakeholder’s LEAP4FNSSA platform. The event’s structure is synthetized through this infographic.

The successful conclusion of this first LEAP4FNSSA dissemination event contributed to the effective launch of the Europe/East Africa Chapter.

This first LEAP4FNSSA dissemination event will represent a test for a format (webinar, open consultation, event) to be applied in the future.

by Norhan Eldallal (MHESR)

The project LEAP4FNSSA, on 7th April 2020, hosted the 2nd Webinar for raising awareness under the title of “Empowering the community through Inclusiveness and engagement in the Food and Nutrition Security, and Sustainable Agriculture Sector.” It was organized by the Ministry of High Education, Science and Research of Egypt in collaboration with CIHEAM- IAMB.

The aim of the event is to inform stakeholders, organizations and actors not represented in the Consortium, but being potential future supporters of the Partnership, about relevant project activities and achievements. The participation will stimulate interest, while encouraging critical thinking which will help to explore ways of their engagement in solving specific project issues. Raising awareness about the initiative is pragmatic in gaining the engagement of new stakeholders as funders, decision-makers and innovation users.

The webinar tackled the social awareness and engagement segment of the FNSSA sectors by shedding the light on the recently released report of the FAO in 2019 “Empowering youth to engage in responsible investment in agriculture and food systems: challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from eleven African countries.” This report aims to enhance understanding on the main challenges and opportunities to empower youth to carry out and benefit from responsible agricultural investment by giving voice to those most concerned – young farmers, agri-entrepreneurs and workers, and those who support them.

It summarizes the main findings from a series of multi-stakeholder capacity assessment workshops with participants from eleven countries.

The speaker at the webinar was Yannick Fiedler who is a Programme Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

He works with policy makers and non-state actors in North and West Africa to create an enabling environment for responsible investment in agriculture and food systems, with a specific focus on the needs of young agri-entrepreneurs.

The discussions were guided to introduce Challenges and Opportunities to Empower Youth to Engage in Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems, and Lessons Learned and Experiences from 11 African Countries.

The outcomes of the webinar were identifying methods to strengthen the participation of youth in policy dialogue, and in particular in existing coordination mechanisms, pinpointing key areas to strengthen the policy, legal and regulatory framework, highlighting the different integration methods for youth, women and other left-out groups, proposing innovative channels of engagement, and emphasizing the potential of regional knowledge-sharing.

The event had 102 registrants and 41 interactive attendees from different countries wide spreading in Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Asia.

The FNSSA project database is part of the task to map and cluster ongoing and recently finished projects contributing to the FNSSA Roadmap.

The database is a work in progress, and contains projects in the area of FNSSA, funded by the European Commission framework programmes such as Horizon 2020, as well as the African Union Research Grants.

In addition, the database also contains a number of relevant projects from other EU DGs, and from various national funders within the EU.
The projects all have participants from countries in Africa and Europe in cooperation.

Find out LEAP4FNSSA project database. 

1st Raising Awareness Event: “Empowering the North African Partnership through Inclusiveness and Engagement in Research and Innovation in the field of Food and Nutrition Security, and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA)" | Morocco (postponed)
The objective is to foster dialogue among all stakeholders on the benefits of improved collaboration in STI in areas of food, nutrition and sustainable agriculture. This will facilitate engagement of different stakeholders outside the project consortium to become part of the FNSSA alliances.

2nd Roundtable Meeting | Brussels
The discussion will bring together policy makers, end-users, researchers, industry, representatives of the civil society, funding bodies and other relevant actors in the food and agriculture fields. The dialogue will provoke decision making in developing alliances and overcoming obstacles that would face the proposed platform.

Workshop Fostering Knowledge, Communication & Innovation Hubs
Link small businesses to research based recommendations; study options to set up financial support mechanisms.

2nd Dissemination event towards decision makers and R&I funders
This event will identify FNSSA R&I relevant topics for West Africa and its neighboring countries, building a regional network of the relevant actors, and identifying (and possibly recruiting) parties interested to join the EU-AU FNSSA partnership.