Summary, recap of first day

1. Recap of first day Proceedings
CCARDESA General Assembly

2. Session 1: Welcome and Exhibitions
• ED of CCARDESA welcomed the delegates and
outlined the objectives of the GA
• The vice chairperson of CCARDESA board
introduced the board members, read the CV
of the ES of SADC and invited her to speak
• The executive secretary of SADC addressed
the GA and officially opened the exhibitions

3. Official opening of GA
• The ED of CCARDESA
• The CCARDESA board vice Chairperson gave a
brief speech
• The development partners: EU, WB, USAID,
recommended CCARDESA and made their
commitments for the support
• The PS for Agriculture requested the guest of
honor to officially open the GA

4. Official Opening of CCARDESA GA
• CCARDESA GA was officially opened by the
Minister of Agriculture, Hon. C. de Graaff

5. Session 3: CARDESA Historical
Perspective
Presenter Topic
Dr. Y. Akinbamijo
ED of FARA
The African AgricultureTransformation Agenda:
A socio-economic imperative for Enhancing and Sustaining
Africa's Growth
Key issues • SSA GDP growth rate is at 5%
• 48.5% people living below $1.25 per day
•Progress is being made but in Africa is still lagging
behind in food security
• Pathways to transformation
Improving production and productivity
Increased value-addition and access to better
functioning markets and trade
Food and Nutrition Security for all
Resilience to climate change and other risks
Public-private engagement and investment financing

6. Presenter Topic
Dr. L. Gakale Historical perspective of Agricultural research
coordination in Southern Africa: From SACCAR to
CCARDESA
SACCAR was established in 1984 by SADC with the following
objectives:
To promote regional agricultural research among the National
Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) of Member States
To facilitate the exchange of information among the NARS
To promote the development of human resources necessary
to man the members states national research institutions; and
To promote coordination of agricultural research and training
within the region
SACCAR Supported:
• Research in various crops and livestock build capacity
•To build capacity of NARS
In August 1996 SACCAR was phased out by the Council to
become Crops Sector in FANR
The establishment of CCARDESA is hoped to resume the good
regional cooperation that had been established by SACCAR

7. Lessons learnt from SACCAR
• Regional cooperation is the best way to address issues of
research resource constraints -finance and human capital
• Networking and collaboration with IARs offers unique
opportunities for human resource development and
technology transfer
• Research cooperation brings regional researchers together
thus fostering integration and sharing of information.
• Public research institutions produce public goods and
therefore the issue of non-state actors, especially the private
sector, should be engaged with caution least member state
lose their intellectual property rights

8. Presenter Topic/Issues
Dr. Patrick H R
Tawonezvi,
Agriculture &
Rural
Development
Consultant
Milestones in the establishment of the SRO,
CCARDESA , 2006 - 2012
Key principles in CCADESA Establishment included:
An SRO with autonomy in human and finance resource
management
All stakeholders to participate in CCARDESA governance
Involvement of stakeholders in determining regional R&D
agenda
•Milestone 1: Endorsement of the SRO establishment
December 2007 Endorsement of SRO establishment in a Maputo
Workshop
March 2010 CCARDESA sustainability plan was approved
Nov. 2010 CCARDESA Charter was approved at a ministerial
meeting held in Windhoek.
By July 2011, all SADC countries had signed the Charter

9. Milestones in the establishment of the SRO,
CCARDESA , 2006 - 2012
•Milestone 1: Endorsement of the SRO establishment
July 2011 Official launch of CARDDESA and appointment
of the board
 August 2011 Handover of responsibilities to the new
board
Documents handed over included the following:
1. CCARDESA operational manuals/documents (9):
Charter establishing CCARDESA, Governance Manual,
Finance Manual, Grants Manual, Draft HR Manual,
Procurement Procedures Manual, Draft staff recruitment
procedures, and Job descriptions for all positions on
CCARDESA staff establishment
2. Reports (5)
SADC MAPP Document, CCARDESA Proposal Document,
1st Draft MTOP Document, Sustainability Plan, and
Priority setting study by IFPRI/ReSAKSS

10. Reactions from House
• The poverty indicator keep on moving it was
at $1.00/day and now is shifted to $1.25/day
– Need to establish our baseline and target
– Need to establish our performance criteria
• There were fears that what killed SACCAR may
end up also killing CCARDESA

11. Reactions from the Stakeholders
• Farmer
– Applauded the concept of R&D and encouraged
the research scientists to improve to continue
working hard to help improve Africa’s agriculture
– Appealed to the development partners to
continue supporting the SROs

12. • CGIAR Representative
– Assured the house of the commitment of the
CGIARS networking in research and Development
with NARS and NGOs:
• Key outputs: supported to sustain the Genebank and
Seed harmonization
– Continue developing technologies relevant to the
region:
• Public goods

13. Nomination of a chairman for the GA
• The following names were nominated:
– Dr. Mick Mwala
– Mr. Motsepe Matlala
– Mr. Enock Dlamini
– Dr. Moses Mwale
• Winners of Elections
– Dr. M. Mwala: Chair
– Mr. M. Matlala

14. Launch of a FARA Book and Cocktail
• A FARA book title:
‘Integrated Agricultural Research for
Development – From Concept to Practice’

15. END OF DAY ONE