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CGIAR and Parliamentarians:
Strengthening Partnerships in Uganda
Over 40 Ugandan Members of Parliament, State Ministers,
and farmers met CGIAR researchers from eight Centers
to learn more about CGIAR's research-for-development
activities and explore collaboration for improving nutrition,
food, and income security to benefit Uganda's farmers.
Welcoming the Ministers and Members of Parliament on
behalf of CGIAR, Richard S. Musangi, Chairman, WARDA-The
Africa Rice Center Board of Trustees said "It is
appropriate that the meeting is taking place in Jinja,
especially since Uganda is a leading client, supporter,
and member of the CGIAR."
Participants at the inaugural
session (left to right): Minister Grace Akello; Minister
Fabios Byaruhanga; Rt. Hon. Edward Ssekandi, Speaker
of Ugandan Parliament; Prof. Richard Musangi, Chair,
WARDA Board of Trustees; Oliver Wonekha, MP, and John
Odit, MP. The Speaker’s message: “With the knowledge
acquired from this workshop, Members of
Parliament will be greatly empowered to mobilize the
population in their respective constituencies to ensure
food and nutrition security.”
The workshop was inaugurated by the Rt. Hon. Edward
Ssekandi, Speaker of Parliament. Addressing the parliamentarians
and researchers, he said "I am very pleased to
have this opportunity to dialogue with CGIAR scientists
not only about strategies that increase agricultural
productivity, but also about technologies that can add
value to our agricultural produce." In a gesture
signaling the Government's strong support, he authorized
the Parliamentarians to participate fully in the 2-day
briefing despite the demands placed on their time by
parliamentary duties.
The briefing was one component of a strategic approach
to keeping key decision makers informed about CGIAR's
work, and is part of an overall effort by the CGIAR
Marketing Group (comprising communication and resource
mobilization professionals) to keep agriculture and
rural development issues at the forefront of the development
agenda and debate.
The briefing was organized as a "knowledge-sharing"
event-with CGIAR researchers providing in-depth briefings
on different facets of their work, and the Parliamentarians
interacting among themselves and quizzing researchers
about specific development-related aspects and research
impacts. An important feature of the briefing was the
inclusion of presentations by national partners (NARO
scientists and Dick Nuwamanya of Ugandan National Farmers
Federation) demonstrating the strength and
vitality of the Uganda-CGIAR partnership. The presentations
included:
- CIP presentations on Sweetpotato (by Regina Kapinga)
and Potential for Agro-industrialization and Trade of
Potatoes in Uganda (Charles Crissman)
- IITA and IPGRI on Banana Pests (Clifford Gold) and
Banana Utilization (Eldad Karamura)
- WARDA-The Africa Rice Center on New Rices for Africa
(Kouame Miezan)
- ILRI on How Uganda Can Enter International Livestock
Markets
(Amos Omore)
- IFPRI on Promoting Sustainable Land Management in
Uganda (Ephraim Nkonya) and on Aquaculture as a Development
Strategy (Nikolas Wada)
- The World Agroforestry Centre on Improving Natural
Resource Management and Livelihoods (Jean-Marc Boffa)
- CIAT on Stimulating Rural Innovation in Africa
(Pascal Sanginga)
A highlight was a demonstration and sale of agricultural
products and byproducts organized by the farmers. Ms.
Joweria Ssekiyanja, a farmer and processor from Luwero
province stole the show with a compelling speech about
how the new sweetpotato varieties not only increased
income, but allowed her to better educate and clothe
her children while eliminating
malnutrition and measles. If the Parliamentarians needed
any proof that poor farmers benefit from advances in
agricultural technology, Ms. Ssekiyanja's stirring testimony
dispelled all such doubts. Members of Parliament and
researchers also discussed the connections between agriculture
and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as other critical
development issues.
Outlining their expectations of the way forward, the
Parliamentarians
issued a call for:
- Mobilizing additional resources for science and technology
to enhance sustainable research and ensure food and
nutrition security for achieving the Millennium Development
Goals
- Tackling Vitamin-A deficiency through a mass sensitization
program
- Increasing partnership with CGIAR for modernizing
agriculture and eradicating poverty on a sustainable
basis
- Parliamentarians to take keen interest in trade negotiations
and working with farmers to learn modern agricultural
methods while taking into account
environmental concerns
- Hosting a workshop for Parliamentarians on genetically-modified
organisms
- Supporting the IFPRI 2020 Conference scheduled for
April 2004
The concluding session was addressed by the Hon. Dr.
Wilberforce Kisamba-Mugerwa, Ugandan Minister of Agriculture,
Animal Industry, and Fisheries. He urged the Parliamentarians
to assume the role of change agents in bringing about
agricultural transformations in their constituencies.
He played an instrumental role in conceptualizing and
launching the meeting.
"These discussions will assist us in developing
policies to expand Ugandan agriculture," said the
Hon. Oliver Wonekha, Member of the Parliamentary Committee
on Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries who worked
closely with IFPRI in organizing the meeting.
Uganda became a CGIAR Member in 1998. At least 10 of
the 15 CGIAR centers conduct research in Uganda, three
regional offices are located in the country all working
closely with the National Agricultural Research Organization
(NARO). Agriculture is the dominant sector in the Ugandan
economy, accounting for over 35 percent of gross domestic
product. The meeting was reported in The New Vision,
a local daily.
"We have made tremendous progress in meeting the
needs of the country's small farmers," said Dr.
William Otim-Nape, Acting Director General of NARO.
"But we still have some major challenges ahead,
and I'm certain the partnership between NARO and the
CGIAR will continue to be fruitful
in this regard."
For more photos,
http://www.cgiar.org/meetings/cg_uganda_february2004.html
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