EMBRAPA Policy process work: Reflections on the workshop

Alcido E. Wander

The Biofortification Core Team• Adoption and Impact:

– Deise Oliveira Galvão– Geovania Manos– Rubens Miranda– Aurea Albuquerque– Mario Neto– Andre Cribb

– + their collaborators

• Impact and Policy:– Antonio Flavio Dias Avila (Embrapa)– Alcido Elenor Wander (Embrapa)– Daniela Marques (Embrapa)– Marilia Nutti (Embrapa)– José Luiz Viana de Carvalho

(Embrapa)– Eliane Gomes (Embrapa)– Marcos Jacob de Oliveira Almeida

(Embrapa)– Geraldo da Silva e Souza (Embrapa)– Carolina Gonzalez (CIAT)– Neuza Brunoro (UFES)– Raquel Simões (UFS)– + many collaborators

Outline

• State of the art of biofortification in Brazil• The way forward• Comments on the workshop

Food Basket Real Prices, Jan/1975 - Apr/2010

“There is no distributive policies more effective than those that reduce food price“(Mendonça de Barros et al., 2008)

Martha Jr., data from Dieese (2010)

Grouping agricultural producers, according to the estimated gross value of production

(Alves and Rocha, 2010, based on 2006 IBGE Census)

424 thousand farms (8.2%) generated 84.9% of the total value of production; They have access to private extension services and updated technologies.

976 thousand farms (8.9%) generated 11.1% of the total value;Benefit from public extension services, organization and value aggregation.

3.7 million farms (72.9 %) generated only 4.0% of the total value;They need special actions and programs.

Some programs to support small scale agriculture

• National Programme to Strenghten Family Agriculture (PRONAF) (credit)

• Citizenship Territories Program (PTC) (integrated rural development)

• Family Agricultore Food Procurement Program (PAA) (market access)

• School Feeding Program (PNAE) (market access)• “Bolsa Familia” Program (PBF) (conditional cash transfer)• “Brasil sem Miséria” (BSM) (integration of several actions

to targed poorest)

Background on biofortification in Brazil

• Biofortification R&D program with >10 years. • Food basket approach• Focus: staples (cassava, sweet potato, beans, maize,

rice, wheat, cowpeas and pumpkins). • Collaboration with HarvestPlus via IFPRI and CIAT. • First varieties already released (iron and zinc or pro-

vitamin A). • Delivery process to farmers in Northeastern region.

Advances in nutriente content

The next steps

• Generate research evidence regarding benefits of consumption of biofortified staples to influence policy formulation and/or adaptation targeting malnourished population in remote rural areas

(Policy process research goes beyond our mandate).

What we need

• Since the topic of analyzing the influence of food on nutrition is new to us, we are still at the beginning of a learning process.

• Basically, we need know-how in “how to do it”.

Specific remarks about the workshop

• Good:– Interaction among the participants form diferent

disciplines and experiences;– Diversity of approaches and methods (=> tool kit

for policy process research)

Specific remarks about the workshop

• Opoortunities for improvement:– Little focus on LAC! Why? (Donor issue?);– Interaction of IFPRI with national research

institutes/organzations (public and private) (CGIAR should do capacity building in countries);

– Communication of results portfolio to governments (induce demand for policy process research => funding would be a natural consequence).

– Sharing of output of presentations and related material (can or will be done later?)

Thanks...

To organizers, for inviting us to the workshop;

To all participants, for sharing your experience and expertise.