A unique mechanism for transfer of appropriate agricultural technologies to Africa: the role of AATF

1
A unique mechanism for transfer of appropriate
agricultural technologies to Africa the role of
AATF
Phelix Majiwa, PhD Senior Project
Manager p.majiwa_at_cgiar.org
2
Source Matlon et al., 2003
3
Source Graff et al., Nature Biotechnology 21
(2003) 989-995
4
The Challenges

• IDENTIFY , UNDERSTAND and UTILIZE INTELLECTUAL
  PROPERTY INFORMATION(Delmer et al., 2003)
• Understand the contextual factors affecting
  access and transfer of agricultural technologies
• Develop a robust capacity to assess the risks and
  benefits of these technologies

5
Pvt Sect. contribution of proprietary
technologies for humanitarian use in Africa

• ensure satisfaction of all regulatory
  requirements
• limit companies liability exposure
• ensure the technologies reach the resource-poor
  farmers
• the technologies only used in crops
• guarantee high performance standards before end
  products are released.

6
Evolution

• Operations at Meridian Institute, Washington DC
• DAC dissolved and replaced by Board
• The Board held its inaugural meeting in January
  2003, in London, UK
• Operations moved to Nairobi, Kenya, in March
  2003.

7
Agricultural Technology Access and Delivery for
SSA

• The rationale for the AATF
• To create effective mechanisms to negotiate the
  access and transfer of proprietary and other
  technology held by the public and private sectors
  anywhere in the world
• To create appropriate long-term networks to
  manage the deployment of these technologies at
  all stages in the value chain.

8
The AATF will

• enter into agreements with technology providers,
  public sector institutions and NGOs
• act as the principal by receiving licenses and
  taking the role of the responsible party in
  agreements with technology providers.

9
Pursuit of AATF objectives

• participatory consultations opportunities to
  match technologies with problems
• the development of the opportunities into project
  plans
• the facilitation, management and monitoring of
  the projects.

10
The AATF initial focus

• food crops (staple and commodity)
• resource-poor smallholder farmers
• a broad range of technologies
• royalty-free technologies, proprietary or
  otherwise, from diverse sources.

11
Priority targets for AATF

• Striga control in cereals
• Insect resistance in maize
• Nutritional quality enhancement in maize and rice
  
• Cowpea productivity improvement
• Bananas and plantain productivity
• Mycotoxins in food grains
• Drought tolerance in cereals
• Cassava productivity improvement

12
Opportunities Identified Through AATFs Network
of Partners

• extensive consultation within the African
  agricultural community
• existing work and, where appropriate, additional
  commissioned work to assess needs and demand
• regular bilateral (and multilateral) contact with
  potential technology providers and key donors.

13
Criteria for selection of projects

• intervention must address high priority
  constraints hindering access to and delivery of
  technologies to resource-poor farmers in SSA
• the priority must be identified through a
  demand-driven participatory process
• starts with a thorough review of existing
  technology needs assessment, reviews, and
  analyses of (priority) targets for technology
  interventions.

14
A pilot project

• Striga control in cereals maize
• (Non GM intervention)
• Partners CIMMYT, KARI BASF

• Product Seed of herbicide-resistant maize coated
  with an herbicide for control of Striga

15
Picture courtesy of CIMMYT
16
Picture courtesy of CIMMYT
17
Control of Striga an example of arrangements

• .

CIMMYT
IR gene know-how IR gene TM
Multinational
License of IR gene, know-how TMs, plant varieties
Seed coat formulation
AATF
Sub-license of IR gene, know-how, TMs plant
varieties
Herbicide sales Herbicide TM license
Seed Co. No. 2
Seed Co. No. 1
Seed Co. No. 3
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
Sales to farmers of coated seed
18
Thank you for your attention