AATF Facilitating Access and Delivery of Proprietary technologies for smallholder farmers in Africa
Dr. Jacob MignounaActing Executive Director ,
AATFApril 2011
Source: FAOSTAT (2001)
Cereal yields, 1961-2001 Cereal yields, 1961-2001 (MT/ha)(MT/ha)
1961 1971 1981 1991 20010
2
4
6
ChinaChina
Sub Saharan Africa
South Asia
African Agriculture: Under-Performing
Yields are stationary or declining
Yet population has continued to increase
Production per capita is declining
Food Production per Capita:
Africa vs. rest of World
The Reasons
• Low farm productivity:– Poor quality soils/lack of access to
fertilizers– Inadequate irrigation– Absence of appropriate technology– Poor infrastructure – Pests and diseases– Lack of access to credit– The HIV/AIDS Pandemic– etc
Need for Advanced Agricultural Technologies
• African governments and institutions have recognised Africa’s need to access new and better agricultural technologies (PRSP’s, NEPAD)
• Agricultural science & technology can improve food security and reduce poverty in SSA
• Unfortunately some of these technologies are proprietary
• Challenge – Cost & IP management
Why AATF?
– Effective mechanisms to negotiate the access and transfer - on humanitarian grounds
– Partnerships to manage the development & deployment of these technologies
– Therefore AATF’s creation
Vision - Prosperous farmers and a food secure Africa
Mission - Access and deliver proprietary agricultural technologies for sustainable use by smallholder farmers in SSA
AATF Vision & Mission
AATF Strategic Thrusts
• Negotiating access to and ensuring stewardship of proprietary technologies that enhance the productivity of agriculture in Africa
• Managing partnerships for project formulation, product development and deployment to introduce innovative agricultural technologies to African farming systems
• Managing information and knowledge to support technology identification, product development and deployment, and a conducive policy environment
AATF Partners• African Countries’ Governments
• Regional and National Institutions/Agencies (AU/NEPAD/ECA/FARA/SROs/NARs)
• Agricultural Producers/Consumers
• International Institutions/Agencies (CGIAR/ARIs)
• Local/International NGOs
• Industry IP holders (Monsanto; DowAgro; Pioneer/DuPont; Syngenta; BASF)
• African trade and agribusiness organizations;
AATF Investors
• Rockefeller Foundation
• US Agency for International Development
• UK Dept for International Development
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Howard Buffet Foundation
Legal Status• Incorporated in UK January 2003 and
in Kenya in April 2003
• Registered as charity under the laws of England & Wales in January 2005
• Granted host country status by Government of Kenya in June 2005
• Granted tax-exempt status in the US in May 2006
• Effective mechanisms to negotiate the access and transfer of proprietary technologies
1. cry1Ab license obtained from Monsanto and sub-licensed to CSIRO, IITA
2. pflp license obtained from Academia Sinica
3. NUE and SAL genes being negotiated with Arcadia Biosciences
4. Drought tolerance technology – Monsanto & CIMMYT
• Appropriate partnerships to manage the development & deployment of these technologies until they reach farmers - Cowpea
Does the AATF ‘Idea’ Work?
IPProvider
AATFGene
Introgression
F F F F F F
Transfor-mation
Seed Multiplicationand Distribution
LicensingNegotiations
Regulatory Compliance
Field testingConsumer acceptanceSeed distribution systemsInsect resistance managementProduct stewardship
NGICA
Monsanto CSIRO-Australia
IITANARS
NGOs, Seed Co., CBO
KirkhouseTrust
HOW AATF CONDUCTS BUSINESS
Approach to Technology Transfer
Criteria for technology selection– Targeted priority agricultural problems (SRO’s etc)– Accessible, transferable, adaptable & proven technologies
Focus• Food and high value crops produced by smallholder farmers in
SSA
AATF Role - • ‘Responsible party’ & Stewardship – ensuring technologies are
appropriately and responsibly used across the value chain Note: Smallholder defined as
Scope of activities• Across Full Value Chain
Implementation• Through PPP
Area of Operation• SSA
Working Across Value Chain
• Steps in the value chain– Technology identification
and access– Research &
Development• Proof of concept• Field testing
– Input production– Input delivery– Use of inputs– Surplus marketing
• AATF Roles– IP management– Regulatory compliance– R&D management– Monitoring and
facilitation– Communication– Stewardship– Impact assessment– Partnership Management
AATF Project Specific Activities
• Technology licensing and regulatory approval
• Freedom to operate (FTO) assessments
• Licensing for regional distribution
• Liability protection
• Product Development and testing
• Stewardship & Commercialisation
• Partnerships Management
• Communication and public awareness
15. Exit StrategyAATF ProjectLadder
Phase 0
Busin
ess
Plan
Prepa
ratio
n
Produ
ct
Deplo
ymen
t
Produ
ct
Devel
opm
ent
0. Problem-Solution Intelligence Gathering
14. Wide Scale Product Deployment
13. Planning Deployment Expansion
11. Pilot Product Deployment
12. Impact Assessment
10. Baseline Study
3. Scientific/Technical/Legal Review
4. Feasibility Assessment5. Project Business Plan Development
6. Board Recommendation
7. Product Development
8. Risk Management Strategy Development
9. Communication Strategy Development
1. Product Idea Identification
2. Product Concept Note Development
Product Ideas
Go/No GoDecision
Go/No GoDecision
Go/No GoDecision
Ag
ricultu
ral Inn
ovatio
n P
latform
Pro
du
ct D
evel
op
men
tan
d D
eplo
ymen
t
Proof of Concept DeploymentProduct Devt. IIProduct Devt. I
Efficacy testing
Elite event selection
Agronomic trials
Protocol optimization
Event generation
Molecular characterization
Trait integration
Variety development
Field production
Market access
Seed production
Seed Sales
En
ablin
g F
un
ctio
ns
R&D Management and Coordination
Product Profiling and Impact Assessment
Communication and Issue Management
Regulatory Science and Management of Regulatory Affairs
IP Management, Licensing and Technology Stewardship
Product Development and Deployment
AATF MAIN ACTIVITIESAATF ROLE
Year 1-5AATF ROLE
Year 6-10
0. Problem-solution intelligence gathering
1. Product Concept identification
2.Concept Note development
3. Scientific/technical/legal review LEADER LEADER
4. Feasibility assessment
5. Project business plan development
6. Board recommendation
7. Product development CGIAR ARI NARSPRIVATE SECTOR FOLLOWER FOLLOWER
8. Risk management strategy developmentPRIVATE SECTOR CO-LEADER CO-LEADER
9. Communication strategy development NGO LEADER LEADER
10. Baseline study CGIAR ARI NARS FOLLOWER FOLLOWER
11. Product deploymentPRIVATE SECTOR NGO CO-LEADER CO-LEADER
12. Impact assessment CGIAR ARI NARS FOLLOWER FOLLOWER
13. Planning expansion ARI NARSPRIVATE SECTOR LEADER LEADER
14. Wide scale deploymentPRIVATE SECTOR CO-LEADER CO-LEADER
15. Exit strategy LEADER LEADER
KNOWN PLAYERS IN THIS FIELD
Strategic Positioning
AATFFundingAgencies
TechnologyLicensors
License Technology/Know-how Support in Kind
1 2 3 4Contracts
ResearchInstitute
ResearchInstitute
Production &DistributionCompany
NGO/PrivateStockistsPartners
Basic/Strategic/AdaptiveResearch
RegulatoryApprovals
Production &Distribution
Demonstration& Market
Development
Farmers
Activities
How AATF Operates
Sub-license
Priority Areas for AATF• Impact of climate change on agriculture
• Pest Management
• Soil Management
• Nutrient enhancement in foods
• Improved breeding Methods
• Mechanization
Current AATF Activities
1. Striga control in smallholder maize field
2. Insect-resistant cowpea
3. Improvement of banana for resistance against banana bacterial wilt
4. Biological Control of Aflatoxin
5. Drought-tolerance in maize
6. Improving Rice Productivity in Nitrogen-Deficient and Saline Environments of Sub-Saharan Africa
AATF PROJECTS
• In Kenya, Striga infests 200,000 ha (2.4m ha in SSA; loss of over US$1b)
• Yield losses range from 20 – 80% but can reach 100%
• Intensive mono-cropping and declining soil fertility aggravate the situation
• If addressed, this will lead to an extra 300,000mt of maize (3.3M bags)
• AATF has spent about KSh.190M
Striga Control in African Maize Fields
Photo courtesy of CIMMYT
Twin technology: herbicide resistance and seed coating with herbicide
Product: Seed of herbicide-resistant maize coated with an herbicide for control of Striga
Progress & Developments
• Four (4) hybrids and 2 OPV released for certified seed production– Commercialised in Kenya; – 1 OPV released in Tanzania– NPTs underway in Uganda
• In 2010, about 30 tons of certified seed will be made available to farmers
• Over 60,000 farmers trained on use
• Over 40 agro-dealers trained in handling and use
• Ongoing awareness & education on threat posed by striga & control options
Developing high quality Maruca-resistant cowpea varieties
Constraint: Maruca Pod BorerProduct: Maruca-Resistant Cowpea
Figure 7. Pod damage by M. vitrata
Developing high quality Maruca-resistant cowpea varieties
Problem• Insect damage in the field and in storage• Losses can be up to 80%.• Frequent insecticide sprays required – health hazard• Nigeria alone Revenue loss at 400kg/ha-35.52 billion naira (USD 233m)
Technological Intervention Host plant resistance is a low-cost and environmentally friendly control measure for the farmer
ProductHigh yielding cowpea varieties with increased resistance to insect pests - Bt-Cowpea(Marucca- Resistant Cowpea)
IPProvider
AATF GeneIntrogression
F F F F F F
Transfor-mation
Seed Multiplicationand Distribution
LicensingNegotiations
Regulatory Compliance
Field testingConsumer acceptanceSeed distribution systemsInsect resistance managementProduct stewardship
PPPs in the Maruca-resistant Cowpea Project
NGICA
Monsanto CSIRO-Australia
IITANARS
NGOs, Seed Co., CBO
KirkhouseTrust
Progress & Developments Product development on going at CSIRO- Australia
Confined Field Trials - Puerto Rico & Nigeria
Expected Benefits• Availability of Maruca-Resistan cowpeas will
contribute significantly to
– (1) increased production and incomes– – (2) improved nutrition
– (3) enhanced soil fertility
– (4) increase storability,
– (5) Improved human & environmental health (decreased pesticide use).
Resistance to Banana Bacterial Wilt for East African Highland Bananas
Constraint:banana bacterial wilt (BBW) disease caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum (Xcm)
Development of a BBW-Resistant Banana
IPProvider
AATFLab/FieldTesting
F F F F F F
Transfor-mation
Propagule Multiplicationand Distribution
Regulatory Compliance
Consumer acceptancePropagule distribution systemsProduct stewardship
IITA
AcademiaSinica
IITA, NARO
IITAIRAZNARS
NGOs, Seed Co., CBO
LicensingNegotiations
Improving Rice Productivity in Saline Environments of Sub-Saharan Africa
Constraint: Low productivity of upland rice under low soil nitrogen and irrigated rice constrained by saline environments
NUE –ST-WUE Rice project Partners
• AATF
• PIPPRA
• Arcadia Biosciences• NARS- Ghana
– Uganda– Nigeria
Progress & Developments• Product Development on-going:
– Upland ST: 1st transgenic events generated transferred to the green house in October 2009
– Lowland (NUE & ST) events were transferred from tissue culture to the soil in the greenhouse in Jan 2010.
• CFT sites identified & prepared
• Project to include Water Use Efficiency (WUE)
• Africa drought-prone
• Maize is the most widely grown staple crop in Africa – affected by drought
• In 2003 WFP spent $0.57b on food emergency due to drought in Africa
• Risk of drought prevents investment in BMP
• Yield stability is key to unlock the value of basic inputs for Africa GR
Recorded droughts between 1971 and 2000, and the number of people affected
Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA)
Drought Stress in Maize, Kenya
Source: James Gethi, 2009
WEMA Partners
• The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) leading the project.
• CIMMYT and Monsanto providing germplasm, breeding, and biotechnology.
• National Ag. Research System (NARS) testing products and bringing WEMA to farmers
• Kenya• Uganda• Mozambique• Tanzania• South Africa
• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Howard G. Buffett Foundation providing R&D funding.
Progress & Developments
• Partnership established– Contracts signed, teams assembled, workplans
developed and initiated
• Breeding programs underway
• Field trials initiated– Sites identified for development of irrigated
regulated drought testing– Training workshops conducted– DT trials planted in South Africa with Monsanto’s
lead commercial event– CIMMYT and Monsanto African adapted inbreds
undergoing trait integration
Expected Benefits & Outputs• Improved yield stability under moderate drought
• The conventionally bred seed available to small-scale farmers in SSA royalty-free in the next 3–4 years.
• More reliable harvests for small scale farmers– Reduced risk of crop failure during moderate drought – Adoption of improved farming practices
• Increased maize yields by 20–35% over current varieties under moderate drought
• Additional 2 million MT maize during drought years to feed about 14 to 21 M people
Challenges & Lessons• Accessing technology
– Negotiation for best arrangement
– Confidentiality arrangements
• Establishing effective partnerships
– Managing expectations within overall goals of project
• Challenging regulatory environment
– Regulatory frameworks to support activities
• Communicating biotechnology– Acceptable communication practices
• Seed Deployment systems
• Quality control, production capacity & micro-credit
• Funding – Core and project funding
FONDATION AFRICAINE POUR LES TECHNOLOGIES AGRICOLES