International Perspective of Private Sector Role in R&D to Achieve Global Food Security

Paul E. Fixen pfixen@ipni.net

ASA, CSSA, SSSA 2011 Annual Meeting Oct. 16 – 19 San Antonio, Texas

Symposium: Advancing Agronomy through Public-Private Collaboration

IPNI’s Member Companies

Three private sector roles at three scales •Regional - Cereals in South Asia

– Help build a critical mass of funding, science & technology, & last-mile delivery to realize a mission

•National - Fertilizer BMPs in Brazil – Serve as a “third party” in aggregating public sector

science to create & deliver locally relevant practices

•Village - Maize in Guatemala – Create a social & economic context that enables

agronomic change

Cereal Systems for South Asia

• Home to 40% of world’s poor • Nearly ½ billion people subsisting on <US$1/day • Stalled yield growth leading to higher food prices

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal

Cereal Systems Initiative For South Asia (CSISA)

Using public-private partnerships to bring together existing technologies to increase food production

Funding for phase 1 (2009-2011): • Bill & Melinda Gates Found. $19.6 M • USAID $10.5 M • World Bank & Rice-Wheat Cons. $0.9 M

Collaborators: • IRRI (Lead), IFPRI, ILRI, CIMMYT • Universities, regional research institutes, education and extension systems, IPNI, IFA, other industry partners

2009-11: 8-12 hubs 60,000 farm households in 1500 villages

2012-21: Upscaling to +400 hubs 6 mil farm households in 90,000 villages

CSISA delivered through hub cities and spoke sites to demonstrate tech packages

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Medium-term: Improved varieties : Improved cropping systems Science capacity

Short-term: Delivery - Seeds - Agronomy - Postharvest Ext.capacity

Long-term: Improved varieties: Improved cropping systems Science capacity

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The mission

Fertilizer BMPs in Brazil

Step 1: Pivotal symposium bringing multiple public institutions together with private sector

Aligning the science and connecting it to relevant practices

65

52 116

21

254 attendees

Stakeholders in the science and the practice are well represented

Researchers

Agri leaders

Consultants

Others

Step 2: Book publication (3 volumes)

World context and supporting

practices

Nutrients Crops

Step 3: FBMP regional workshops throughout Brazil

Maringá Passo Fundo

Araraquara

Luís Eduardo Magalhães

Campo Grande

Delivered by public and private sector partners

Villages in Guatemala

Corn Improvement Program in the Highlands

Maize permeates the culture and diet

Efficient stoves

Water filters

Doorway to the corn field

Eventually, the focus shifts to the corn field

• Technical advice & interest free loans lead to: – Planting in rows rather than random hills – Reducing seeds per hill and planting more hills – Better fertilization (generally less P, more N, K, Mg, S) – Eventually, improved seed

• Yields are doubled or tripled – 1st crop meets food needs – 2nd crop is a cash crop: economic development begins

Communities included in the Corn Program in Guatemala

Home air & water improvement

Corn production improvement

Collaborators with specific complimentary roles

Agronomic expertise

Interest free loans

Local leadership & training

Efficient stoves

Water filters

Three private sector roles at three scales •Regional - Cereals in South Asia

– Help build a critical mass of funding, science & technology, & last-mile delivery to realize a mission

•National - Fertilizer BMPs in Brazil – Serve as a “third party” in aggregating public sector

science to create & deliver locally relevant practices

•Village - Maize in Guatemala – Create a social & economic context that enables

agronomic change