Agricultural transformation needs stronger research investment

DAR ES SALAAM: TODAY’S discussion focuses on Tanzania’s agricultural research, although similar arguments may apply to other African countries that share historical, political, economic, agro-ecological and human-resource characteristics.

The discussion is therefore also relevant to efforts to address agricultural challenges across the continent and beyond.

The importance of generating locally relevant agricultural knowledge can hardly be overstated.

While global markets can readily supply many agricultural products, commonly available skills and ready-to-use technologies, knowledge generated through research and intellectual property is different.

It is rooted in creativity and innovation, which are increasingly important in a world where technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), is rapidly transforming economic activities.

Innovation is a product of research, and it provides solutions to challenges posed by nature and changing agricultural conditions.

Reaching that stage, however, requires investment. This largely explains why some countries have advanced further than others in agricultural innovation.

The Global Food Security Index (GFSI), created by Economist Impact and supported by Corteva, evaluates food security using pillars such as affordability, availability and quality. Its rankings provide an indication of how countries perform across these dimensions.

Recent rankings have placed Finland, Ireland and Norway among the leading countries. In Tanzania, agricultural research is primarily undertaken by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), a state-owned institution responsible for agricultural research.

Government allocations for agricultural research are channelled through the institution, which has established research centres across different agro-ecological zones to address the needs of specific crops and farming systems.

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For instance, TARI Naliendele focuses on crops commonly grown in Mtwara and Lindi regions, including cashew nuts, Bambara nuts, pigeon peas and sesame.

Other research centres include TARI Selian, TARI Ilonga, TARI Uyole and TARI Ukiriguru, each addressing agricultural research priorities relevant to their respective areas.

The 2014 Malabo Declaration, which revitalised the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), called on African countries to allocate at least 10 per cent of their national budgets to agriculture to support the transformation of the continent’s economies.

So far, Burundi, Ethiopia and Mauritania are among the countries that have met the 10 per cent threshold, meaning the majority of African countries have yet to fulfil the commitment.

Tanzania is among those that have not reached the target. The allocation to TARI has also remained below five per cent of the national budget, according to the comparison presented here.

The contrast becomes more notable when compared with allocations to agricultural research institutions in some high-income countries.

Finland allocates between 12 and 15 per cent to LUKE, its Natural Resources Institute, while Ireland allocates between 10 and 13 per cent to Teagasc, its agriculture and food development authority.

Norway allocates between nine and 12 per cent to NIBIO, its research institution focusing on agriculture, food and bioeconomy.

These comparisons point to the importance of sustained investment in agricultural research and innovation.

Adequate funding enables research institutions to develop technologies, improve crop varieties, respond to emerging pests and diseases, strengthen climate resilience and generate knowledge that can improve agricultural productivity.

China’s 2017 acquisition of Swiss agricultural technology company Syngenta by state-owned China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina) for about 43 billion US dollars also illustrates the strategic importance attached to agricultural science and technology.

The acquisition demonstrated how agricultural innovation, biotechnology and related intellectual property have become important components of global economic and food-security strategies.

For Tanzania and Africa more broadly, this points to a significant task ahead if transforming agriculture is to remain a genuine development objective.

Increasing investment in agricultural research is not simply about supporting scientists and research institutions; it is about developing locally relevant solutions to the challenges facing farmers and the wider agricultural economy.

The country therefore needs to strengthen investment in research, innovation and human capacity while ensuring that research findings are effectively transferred from laboratories and research centres to farmers and agribusinesses.

Agricultural transformation will ultimately depend not only on land, inputs and markets, but also on the knowledge and innovation needed to make the sector more productive, competitive and resilient.