ASARECA Newsletter Vol.32 : Dr. Enock Warinda Appointed ASARECA Executive Director
The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Enock Warinda as the substantive Executive Director of the Association. Following deliberations during their 31st Ordinary Board of Directors meeting in Entebbe, Uganda on December 13, 14, 2021, the Board unanimously agreed that Dr. Warinda was the best qualified and experienced candidate from a stiff competition that saw over 50 candidates across Africa...
ASARECA Newsletter Vol.30 : Highlights of the Regional Policy Dialogue on Agricultural and Trade Policy Reforms in Eastern and Central Africa
Dear esteemed stakeholders, Enabling policy environment, functional markets and transformative institutions is one of ASARECA’s key thematic areas. The thematic area aims at supporting and advocating for establishment of: (i) a transformative enabling policy and regulatory environment; (ii) functional and structured regional input and output markets; and (iii) transformative regional institutions and institutional arrangements. ECA countries are at varying levels of agricultural and trade policy formulation. While some countries have made commendable...
ASARECA Newsletter Vol.28: Facilitating learning for innovation and transfer
Dear esteemed stakeholders, Greetings from ASARECA Secretariat. Over the last two weeks it has been a bee-hive of activity at the Secretariat. October 14-16: We held a hybrid (physical/virtual) write-shop for the mooted Eastern and Central Africa Agriculture mega-programme, covering all the 14 ASARECA countries. Leading researchers appointed by the Directors General of the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) converged in Entebbe, Uganda and developed a zero draft project documents. The writing teams...
ASARECA Newsletter Vol.27: Engaging stakeholders in critical AR4D areas
Dear stakeholders, We have just concluded a two-day workshop (October 5th - 6th) of key stakeholders on the application of the Policy Practice Index (PPI) in ASARECA Member States. The main objective of the training was to enhance the capacity of ASARECA member states in the application of the PPI and ultimately boost members’ capacity for climate-relevant policy advocacy. In the coming week (October 14, to 16), we will convene senior scientists from the NARIs...
ASARECA Newsletter Vol.26: Updates on changes in ASARECA
Dear AR4D colleagues, The ASARECA Board of Directors appointed Dr. Enock Warinda as the Interim Executive Director of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA).The appointment became effective on 20thApril 2021. Following the appointment, Dr. Warinda has pledged to live up to the expectations of the Governments, the Board of Directors, the Development Partners and the stakeholders across the region. Dr. Warinda will serve in the...
ASARECA Newsletter Vol.25: Optimizing Productivity and Partnerships amid the Resurgence of COVID-19
Dear AR4D colleagues, Information for BoD, Constituents and Development Partners July 21, 2021—The Government of Uganda, the host to ASARECA Secretariat, on 18 June 2021 announced a range of measures, including a 42-day lock-down to prevent the escalation of the second wave of Covid-19, which hit the country. The measures are meant to de-congregate the population to reduce the spread of the virus. As of July 21, 2021, the country had registered over...
ASARECA Newsletter Vol.24: Dealing with food security in the face of COVID-19: What Governments should focus on
Dear AR4D colleagues, The Corona Virus (COVID-19) continues to spread rapidly across the globe, countries across the world have shut down major socioe-conomic functions, putting livelihoods in a precarious situation. Our staff Ben Moses Ilakut looks at various perspectives of the thorny journey we have to take. A genuine fear that the worst is yet to come in regards to food and nutrition security is looming. The months of April, May and even the proceeding...
ASARECA Newsletter Vol.23: The CAADP-XP4 Programme A timely injection
Dear AR4D colleagues, Increasing the contribution of Agriculture to national and regional economic growth, wealth creation, food security and poverty alleviation, requires transforming the sector from subsistence to sustainably commercial state. In fulfilment of this development trajectory, the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) has re-focused its mandate as a higher level coordinator, convener, facilitator partnerships broker, and catalyst within the sub-region to deliver specific high...
ASARECA Newsletter Vol.22: Welcoming Cameroon and Central African Republic
Dear AR4D colleagues, We would like to bring you to speed with two recent events which are shaping the direction of AR4D transformation on our Continent. First, in collaboration with our apex body, FARA, ASARECA, AFAAS, CORAF and CCARDESA have been engaged in consultative meetings to provide a platform for key stakeholders in the AR4D space to discuss salient options to strengthen the food system on the African continent. The consultations are...
ASARECA Newsletter Vol.21: ASARECA Status paper on AR4D Priorities for member countries- (2019-2020)
Agriculture contributes a significant share to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs majority of populations in ASARECA member countries, namely:Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Eritrea, Madagascar, Kenya, Republic of the Congo (RoC), Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. These economies are characterized by large agriculture sector with farmers requiring access to markets for productivity growth to translate to higher incomes. The agriculture sector requires an enabling...