Climate Smart Agriculture Central Asia Workshop12-14 July : Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Status and perspectives of Rural Advisory Services Systems in Central Asia

Dr. Alisher Tashmatov, CACAARIDr. Botir Dosov, ICARDA, CACAARI, CAC-FRAS

The five Central Asian countries are … most vulnerable to climate change and building resilience to climate’s mounting impacts is a priority for poverty reduction and shared prosperity in Central Asia. [World Bank, 2015]

"As climate changes, we need to step up efforts to mitigate, adapt and shift to more food sustainable systems“ José Graziano da Silva, DG FAO

The consequences of climate change have a negative impact on agriculture in the region… In this regard, the AR4D system of the CAC focuses joint efforts on four main goals of agricultural research: well-being, FSN, NRM and CC… [Regional Strategy for Transforming and Strengthening of Agricultural Research and Innovation Systems for Development in the Central Asia and Southern Caucasus region]

One of the Key risks of development of agri-food system is the affect of climate change to the soil degradation, i.e. the high level of dependence of agriculture on soil and climatic conditions, especially in conditions of increasing weather fluctuations is shuttering the sustainability of agricultural production… [The Concept of Innovative development of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan]

Agricultural research, extension, education, and training are key components of an AIS. [World Bank, Agricultural Innovation Systems, An Investment Sourcebook, 2012]

Climate Change is real challenge for Central Asia:

Leonardo DiCaprio calls for action on #climatechange

during his acceptance speech. #Oscars

Current challenges of agriculture and food security and nutrition in CAC:

Climate Change

Soil degradation and erosion

Food and Nutrition insecurity

Unorganised Farming systems

Unorganised Market

systems

Low Innovative

capacity

Poor access to innovations

Low investments

in AR4D

Poor transport logistic system

Undeveloped Extension services

Urbanization

Poor soil productivity

Inefficient farming

practices

Undeveloped insurance

system

Low investments in farming

High cost of production

Lack of new varieties and

breeds

Inefficient NRM

Undeveloped seed system

Poor access to financial resources

Obsolete mechanization

Low farming productivity

Institutional inefficiency

Labor migration

Protracted reforms

Mulnutrition

Slow development

of private sector

Low water and food

safety

Poor integration

Poor interactions /

linkages

Lack of new varieties and

breeds

Diseases of plants and

animals

Emerging/future challenges of agriculture and food security and nutrition in CAC:

Climate Change

Soil degradation and erosion

Food and Nutrition insecurity

Unorganised Farming systems

Unorganised Market

systems

Low Innovative

capacity

Poor access to innovations

Low investments

in AR4D

Poor transport logistic system

Undeveloped Extension services

Urbanization

Poor soil productivity

Inefficient farming

practices

Undeveloped insurance

system

Low investments in farming

High cost of production Inefficient NRM

Undeveloped seed system

Poor access to financial resources

Obsolete mechanization

Low farming productivity

Institutional inefficiency

Labor migration

Protracted reforms

Mulnutrition

Slow development

of private sector

Low water and food

safety

Poor integration

Poor interactions /

linkages

Climate Change

Soil degradation and erosion

Food and Nutrition insecurity

Unemploy-ment in rural

areasUrbanization

Low Innovative

capacity

Poor access to innovations

Increased chemical usage

in food production

GMO

Environmental Pollution

Poor soil productivity

Lost of local knowledge

Economic and food crises

Low investments in farming

Inefficient pest

management

Volatility of prices for

commodities, resources

Irrigation water

scarcity

Anthropogenic and natural disasters

Inefficient postharvest technologies

MulnutritionLow water and food

safety

Poor integration & cooperation

Hous

ehol

ds

Rura

l & A

gr p

opul

atio

n

Farmers (women and men, youth)

Vulnerable people

FSNImproving livelihoods

Climate Change

Population Growth

Global Economic

crises

Inve

stmen

tsInfrastructure

Education Extension/RAS

Agro-information

systems

Integr. pest Mngt

NRM

Vege-tables

Horti-culture

Climate Change

Salinity and

erosion

Varieties seed

system

Breeds and forage

Science & research

Crop system

Live-stock

Fishery

Sustainable development

Donors Private sectorPublic Sector

Agric

ultu

ral p

rodu

ctivi

ty g

row

th

Inco

me

and

retu

rn in

crea

se

Re-investing of AIS

Technolologization of Agriculture

Inno

vativ

e &

tech

nolo

gica

l bre

akth

roug

h

Valu

e ch

ain

func

tiona

l effi

cien

cy

Resource suppliers

Markets

Machinery Varieties, seed, breed

Harvesting, Storage, Porcessing, Transportation

Micro-financing

Govern-ment

support

Regulat

ory fra

mework

Institutional

coordinationcooperation

interaction

communication

Online discussions: The role of Agricultural Innovation Systems in Central Asia and Caucasus countries and China towards more sustainable food security and nutrition

http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/eca/en/online-discussion-role-agricultural-innovation-systems-central-asia-and-caucasus-countries-and-china

Онлайн-дискуссия "Роль Аграрных Инновационных Систем в странах Центральной Азии и Кавказа и Китае в обеспечении продовольственной безопасности и питания"

06 May 2015 – 09 June 2015

2015, Online Discussions AIS 4 FSN:

National Agricultural innovation System:

Consumers

Processors

Agricultural enterprises

Resource suppliers

Financing and Insurance system

Other Stakeholders

Agricultural science

ExtensionAgricultural education

Producers/ farmers

Government

support

Critically under-resourced and not

institutionalized extension

Source: Modified from World Bank, 2012; Rivera et al. n.d.

in CAC

in less developed countries

in developed countries

2.4% inAR4D

0.58% inAR4D

0.1% in

AR4D

Agricultural Research System Potential for Development

CACAARI, 2012

Defining feature and approaches

NARSNational agricultural

research systems

AKISAgricultural

knowledge and information systems

AISAgricultural innovation

systems

Actors Research organizations Farmer, research, extension, and education

Wide spectrum of actors

Outcome Technology invention and transfer

Technology adoption and innovation

Different types of innovation

Organizing principle Using science to create new technologies

Accessing agricultural knowledge

New uses of knowledge for social and economic change

Mechanism for innovation Technology transfer Knowledge and

information exchange Interaction and innovation among stakeholders

Role of policy Resource allocation, priority setting

Linking research, extension, and education

Enabling innovation

Nature of capacity strengthening

Strengthening infrastructure and human resources

Strengthening communication between actors in rural areas

Strengthening interactions between all actors; creating an enabling environment

Source: Modified from World Bank, 2012

Approaches to Promote and Invest in Knowledge in the Agriculture Sector

Challenges of Rural Advisory Services (RAS) in CAC:

Poor RAS Institutional

environment

Poor access to RAS

Low investments

in RAS

Poor linkages between RAS and Research

Low awareness of RAS

effectiveness

Lack of result orientation

Low capacity of RAS agents

Low application of

ICT in RAS

Poor material base of RAS

Low PPP

Low payment capacity of

farmers

Lack of public Support

Poor access to Knowledge and

information

Lack of Innovations Platforms

Undeveloped legislative framework

Poor integration

between sectors

Limited RAS

Lack of international

Support

Lack of coordination

1. Government: Ministry of Agriculture, Agency on Land Reclamation, Academy of agricultural sciences, Scientific Production Center, etc.

Three main types of Rural Advisory Services in Central Asia:

1. Government

3. Donors

2. Non-governmentPublic / Private

2. Non-Government/ Public and private: Association of farmers, professional agricultural consultants, water users, agro business, cooperatives of agronomists, independent consultancy centres, specialized NGOs, agro shops (suppliers of productions equipment), local distributors of people`s knowledge.

3. Donors` projects: World Bank, FAO, ADB, GIZ, USAID, FAO, JICA, UNDP, EU, Agakhan Fund, International NGOs, Mercy Corps, ACTED, Care, Oxfam, Helvetas and others: Project/Program based Consultancy services to households and farmers

4. Public Private Partnerships

Other types of Rural Advisory Services in Central Asia:

1. Government

3. Donors

2. Non-governmentPublic / Private

5. Donors supported initiatives leading by NGO

6. Sector-wide and large investment projects

4

5

67

7. Plurastic RAS System

Examples of existing e-platforms providing agricultural knowledge and services in Central Asia

Web-address Scope Founders/Supporters

KZ http://www.kazagro.kz/

JSC «Kazagromarketing» national agricultural market information and consulting services.

JSC "National management holding "KazAgro"

KG http://www.agro-asia.com Agro-information

consulting company

Association of Fruit and Vegetable Enterprises of Kyrgyzstan

TJ http://www.agroinform.tj

Agricultural Information Marketing System in Tajikistan

Helvetas, ICCO, UNDP, DED, and others

UZ

http://agriculture.uz/Agricultural Internet resources, information and consulting services

CACAARI, MAWR of Uzbekistan, FAO, Agroweb-UZ, Asssociation of farmers, and others

CA

http://www.cacilm.org/

Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management, information repository and knowledge hub

IFAD, ICARDA

CAC http://www.agrowebcac.org/

Interactive portal for agriculture information and knowledge sharing

FAO

Potential of ICTin Central Asia

Various statistics(Latest data available: 2013)

Source: ITU

  KZ KG TJ TM UZ

Fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 26.7 8.3 5.2 11.5 6.9

Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 180.5 121.4 91.8 116.9 74.3

Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 11.6 1 0.1 0 1.1

Mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 56.6 22.7 n/a 0 20.3

Households with a computer (%) 63 20 4.5 15.1 9.3

Households with Internet access at home 55 7.7 4.3 7.5 9.5

Individuals using the Internet (%) 54 23.4 16 9.6 38.2

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