8.1. Major Long-Term Accomplishments
8.2. The Last Five Years
8.3. Current Directions
8.4. IITA's Future Role
IITA has undoubtedly become the main centre of excellence for agricultural research in tropical Africa. This broadly acknowledged fact stems not only from the magnitude of the research undertaken over the years since the Institute was founded, but also from the quality of its scientific staff and research output, the institutional continuity and the effective management of its operations. The breadth and strength of complementary research support from sister IARCs and other advanced institutions tapped by IITA's collaborative linkages have also contributed to its regional impact.
The Panel regards the consolidation and recognition of IITA as a powerful research institution in itself a major achievement, having significant implications for countries in tropical Africa because of the severe failings in agricultural production and food supply which confront many of them. Faced with very rapid population growth, these countries are experiencing falling agricultural output per caput, with the consequent need for food imports which are a drag on economic development. The intrinsic problem for agricultural growth in the region stems from the generally infertile and vulnerable nature of the soils and the high incidence of pests, weeds and diseases that determine a generally low production capacity of the natural resource base. Traditional slash-and-burn farming systems are becoming less viable and more environ mentally destructive because of growing population pressure and the need to shorten the fallow periods. Importation of agricultural technologies from developed countries is not an answer because the agroecological and socioeconomic conditions make such technologies generally non-viable in the tropical African environment. Under these circumstances, research and development of locally adapted crop varieties and farm technologies become the most important means to break the low productivity trap of Africa's agriculture. This is IITA's basic mission, focusing particularly on the principal food crops and agroecologies of the region as directed in its mandate. It is a hard task to accomplish due to the basic scientific soil/plant/climate issues involved, the diversity of agroecosystems and the socioeconomic obstacles that constrain adoption and hence limit the range of new technological possibilities.
IITA has already made significant contributions over the years towards the understanding and solving of problems in this complex resource use and crop production situation, although its impact on crop yields obviously has not been anywhere comparable to the case of the cereals under irrigation that gave rise to the Green Revolution. In fact, given the poor resource base in the African situation, it is unlikely that crop productivity under small-scale farming conditions, relying mainly on biological inputs, can ever jump to very high levels. Whatever improvement is achieved will take time.
The main achievements of IITA since its founding include the following:
· Buildup and documentation of a substantial stock of scientific and practical knowledge about the resource base and the biological, chemical and physical processes, as well as the socioeconomic and cultural factors, that condition agricultural production and its long-term sustainability in the humid and subhumid tropics of Africa. This knowledge is essential for the guidance, further development and enhanced probability of success of future research.· Production of a steady flow of higher-yielding, improved varieties of the major foodcrops of concern (rice, cassava, maize, etc.) with better local adaptation to the various agroecological zones and better resistance to pests and diseases. Evidence has been provided, through studies and observation, of widespread adoption of IITA-improved varieties of all these crops. Estimates have been made in some cases (e.g. cassava) of their large impact in economic terms in Africa, as well as in terms of their contribution to improving the nutrition and well-being of the poor.
· Important advances in biological control of pests and in host plant resistance which have significantly improved crop productivity. The most dramatic and best-known case is the control of the cassava mealybug, accomplished in the 1980s; resistance to Maize Streak Virus and Black Sigatoka in plantains are other notable examples of successes in this area.
· New farming practices as alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture, which are protective of the resource base, have been developed; specifically alley farming and "live" mulches. Though not generally adopted by farmers yet, these alternatives and new variants thereof may become increasingly attractive as agricultural conditions become more strained in the years ahead. Also, much has been learned about potential damage caused by certain farming practices, such as mechanical tillage or fertilization.
· The training of vast cadres of African scientists and technicians (over 8,000) to man the agricultural research systems (NARS) of the countries of West and Central Africa. The national capacity for research has also been enhanced through a variety of institution-building schemes, including networks, joint research, resident scientists, among others. The "demonstration effect" of IITA in the region probably has contributed also to raise the domestic appreciation of the NARS, if not their funding levels.
The Panel acknowledges the merit of this long-term record of achievements, especially in view of the fact that IITA had from the beginning a diffuse mandate and a difficult research mission to accomplish.
IITA has laboured under a socioeconomic scenario in Africa that has not improved appreciably since the early 1980s; which indeed, in respect of agriculture, may have in some measure deteriorated. However, demographic and economic projections indicate a fast-growing demand for food, which prompted the Institute to reassess its overall research problems, targets and approaches. This exercise resulted in the "IITA Strategic Plan 1989-2000", which defined four basic programme strategies that were put into effect. They are: a focus on the humid and subhumid tropics of the continent, priority concern with the small family farm, an agroecological orientation and concentration on farming systems.
Nevertheless, within the above context, the Institute has undertaken some important programme and managerial changes during the past five years, in response to CGIAR Systemwide trends and in order to implement EPR and EMR recommendations, as well as for internal institutional reasons related to the appointment of a new Director General in 1990. These changes constitute in themselves important accomplishments because they position the Centre better to face future challenges. The key changes include the following:
(a) Broadening of the geographic or regional scope of IITA's research beyond the traditional focus on the lowland humid and subhumid tropics of Central and West Africa, to include the mid-altitude humid and subhumid areas of East and Southern Africa.(b) Further decentralization of research as a means to step up the implementation of the ecoregional approach so as to focus more sharply on crop improvement, plant health, and resource and crop management research in the zones where the mandated crops are grown. Thus, IITA presently operates four new stations, besides its former three, including the Ibadan headquarters. This decentralization is also serving the purpose of reaching closer collaboration with the francophone countries of the region served by IITA.
(c) Completing the transfer of rice research to WARDA (as of 1990), while maintaining effective participation on some aspects of germplasm management of this crop. Research focus was thus further narrowed to the current six crops of attention. Arrangements were clarified for stronger collaboration with sister IARCs that have also some of these crops in their mandates (e.g. CIAT, CIMMYT).
(d) Restructuring of the Institute's management, organization and procedures, which notably improved the internal work environment, despite the severe financial stringencies for IITA at the time.
(e) Reorganization of the research programme into Divisions and Programmes within Divisions, with some conceptual redefinitions, which are still evolving, especially in crop and resource management research which takes the strongest ecoregional orientation. New directors were appointed for all three Divisions.
(f) Changes in the programme budget planning and management system, which is progressively being shifted towards a project-based (bottom-up) approach, eventually forming a soft-matrix structure. This is important as it will facilitate greater participation in programme development by scientists in an interdisciplinary fashion, thus enhancing the orientation to systems and ecoregional research sought in the Institute's Strategic Plan.
In sum, the Panel observes that the Institute has been substantially revamped and renovated over the past five years - though the process will need to continue for some time, as discussed in Chapter 4 - which leaves it reasonably well poised to proceed with its research without further major organizational disturbances.
Along with the important internal transformation achieved, IITA has maintained a good rate of research output over the five-year period. The principal achievements, as discussed extensively in Chapter 2, include the following:
· Continued production of improved germplasm of cassava, cowpea, maize, yam, and plantain and banana, which are passed on to the NARS for screening and local distribution to farmers.· Demonstration of high-yield potential of new soybean lines in multilocational trials and of promiscuous nodulation of soybean with cowpea Rhizobium in the field thus opening up possibilities of widespread cultivation of soybean.
· Techniques to induce flowering in cassava landraces and in yam, which broaden the scope of the breeding programme.
· The development of methods to regenerate cowpea from cellular tissue, as a key step in eventually achieving genetic transformation.
· Identification and release of new exotic phytoseiid predators of the cassava green mite, which opens very positive perspectives for biological control of this serious cassava pest. This method for ecologically sustainable plant protection in cassava is being transferred to the NARS in Africa.
· Improvement of a screening method for maize downy mildew resistance has allowed rapid identification of resistant germplasm, which is now used by Nigerian NARS in the development of varieties to combat outbreaks of this disease.
· Development of integrated pest management of Striga, partly through breeding of maize and cowpea cultivars with tolerance to this parasitic weed and the identification of trap-crops able to stimulate Striga germination in the absence of the host.
· Development of high-yielding plantains cultivars with resistance to Black Sigatoka. (For this striking achievement, IITA received the 1994 King Baudouin Award.)
· In resource and crop management research, studies were completed on characterization of production systems in inland valleys, on production constraints for cereal farmers, on the introduction of legumes for fallow management and on determinants of sustainability in certain rehabilitated lands. Technological improvement of alley cropping has progressed with the inclusion of new leguminous and woody species. An interesting development in these studies has been the use of novel analytical tools, such as GIS and computer-based decision models.
· The last stage of an Africa-wide collaborative study on cassava (COSCA) was completed, which shows that 60% of the area planted is with IITA-derived varieties. Improved cassava populations for further selection have been widely distributed to NARS in the region.
· IITA has developed prototype small tools and equipment for cassava processing, which are coming into use in some countries.
· Postharvest processes and foods and beverages have been developed for some of IITA's commodities, particularly cassava, soybean, plantain and banana. These open valuable new consumption and nutritional options, while expanding market opportunities for these crops.
· Training of researchers for the NARS continued at a strong pace, with approximately 2,400 persons having participated in courses and research activities conducted by the Centre.
· Support for national research has been provided through various means, notably through several regional research networks.
The Panel commends the Institute for its sustained delivery of research results and collaborative activities with the NARS, achieved while the Centre was adjusting to new directions and organizational modes and at the same time strengthening management and scientific staff. The Panel wishes to stress that some of the research findings have been of practical value to farmers, and are reported to be having an impact on the welfare of rural families and consumers alike.
In sum, IITA has shown over the past five years strong vitality, innovation and improved staff commitment and enthusiasm, notwithstanding the financial stringencies and consequent belt-tightening measures that it had to implement. The Panel considers that these achievements merit recognition and support within the CGIAR System.
As mentioned earlier, IITA developed its "Strategic Plan 1989-2000" which has set the course of the research programme for at least the current decade. Some adjustments were introduced to this long-term strategy in the Medium-Term Plan 1994-1998, in response to changing conditions and views in the interim. It should be noted however that most of the changes proposed have already been substantially implemented in the past few years - as was described in the foregoing section - so that the research programme, with the exception of the resource and crop management part, can be expected to proceed without major alterations from its present composition and goals.
The geographic area and ecoregions of IITA responsibility within Africa have been set as broadly as can be and the Centre has a big task just to consolidate and deepen its research activities in the regions incorporated more recently, especially the mid-altitudes of East and Southern Africa. The Institute should resist the temptation of "following its crops" into areas throughout SSA which transgress its ecoregional mandate, but should rather establish effective collaborative agreements with other CGIAR centres where crop/ecoregion overlaps occur.
By the same token, decentralization of the Institute's operational capabilities appears to be presently at its maximum reasonable level, with seven active stations, including headquarters. It may be expected that the relative emphasis of research may shift somewhat from its current balance and this would obviously need altering the size of some stations. However, the Panel strongly advises that the Institute refrain from further major investments in buildup of infrastructure in outlying areas, that it adjust the administration to a decentralized mode, and that it concentrate on implementing vigorously the research activities it has laid out in its current Plans.
The six crop commodities in the Institute's mandate (cassava, cowpea, maize, yam, soybean and plantain/banana) have well-defined research priorities and strategies, as do the plant health programmes, which are all reasonably consolidated at present and with a balanced ecoregional perspective. Researchers, however, must be alert to new challenges and opportunities and these may determine occasional shifts from present directions. Thus, it is probable that greater emphasis may progressively be placed on, say, soybean versus cowpea and maize. Similarly, IPM may be expected to receive greater emphasis than any of its component technologies. Dynamic programme adjustments, if well conceived, are a positive feature of research institutions and the Panel feels that IITA should not shy away from them, as long as it stays well-focused and within its mandate.
The research programme at IITA that needs greater attention in the re-direction of its past strategies is that of resource and crop management. This revision and rethinking is welcome because, as said earlier, the problems of resource use and sustainable farming production in the African humid and subhumid tropics are especially complex and intractable. IITA's resource and crop management programme seems rather to have lost its way over the past few years, concentrating too much on resource and ecosystem characterization studies, to the detriment of technological development efforts in conjunction with the crops and plant health research staff, that might generate viable farming practices and production systems for small farmers' adoption. The Panel urges the Institute to devote particular attention to the definition of a clear programme strategy for research in resource and crop management, and to its implementation and follow-up. This will require rebuilding the appropriate staff strength and making use of intermittent, top-level, scientific advice to ensure a sound foundation for this key area of the Institute's mandate. Since the Division concerned is driving the ecoregional orientation of IITA's research programmes, the importance of having a very sound and clear strategy for it cannot be overstated.
IITA currently continues to devote a substantial share of its resources to training and international cooperation for agricultural research. This is a key function because in the Institute's development strategy the NARS must play the crucial role of technological intermediaries between the IARC and the farmers, as ultimate clients of the research. The Panel commends IITA for the contribution it has already made in this area and encourages it to sustain its international cooperation activities (as recommended in Chapter 3).
The Panel also notes the strong collaborative ties established by IITA with many sister IARCs, such as ICRAF, CIAT, WARDA, etc., which enhance the CGIAR System's capacity to do research in a cost-effective way. IITA is encouraged to take part actively in the inter-IARC opportunities that are appearing in Integrated Pest Management, Systemwide ecoregional initiatives and plant genetic resources, etc.
The sub-Saharan countries will have to rely heavily on their agriculture for a long time to come in order to maintain their fast-growing populations and to contribute to economic development. Research and technology transfer are crucial factors for the growth and sustainability of agriculture in the region, given the fragile resource base. Unfortunately, the economic weakness of most of the countries concerned and relatively low priority assigned by governments to their agricultural research do not permit its support at the level and scale that is needed for rapid agricultural improvement and expansion. In this typically vicious circle of development, external assistance focused on research for agriculture can play an extraordinary catalytic role.
IITA is called upon to continue providing the leadership for the massive international research effort required to move African agriculture forward. The Institute has a good record of continuity, scientific strength, and productivity, and an understanding of the region's problems and potential to fulfil the role suggested. IITA has gained a solid reputation in the region and is welcomed by the countries to assist them in the complex research tasks that are holding them back. The large investment already made by IITA in training national research scientists and in strengthening the NARS constitutes a big advantage for the future working of the Institute. In fact, it can now rely on a much better base of local research capability than it could have years ago; even if these NARS still lack sufficient domestic support, it can be hoped that they will be gradually strengthened. This capacity-building can be further stimulated through effective collaborative schemes with IITA, as is being done by means of networks, consortia, and other mechanisms (see Chapter 6).
The accumulated scientific and applied knowledge at IITA, not only on the complexities of the natural resources, but particularly in respect of the staple food crops and the socioeconomic conditions of the small farmers that grow them, gives the Institute both advantages and responsibilities that no other international agency based in the region can assume at this time. The task undertaken by IITA of promoting agricultural development while focusing directly on the resource-poor small farmers and on the relatively cheaper food crops for local consumption is a difficult one, but with a high human welfare content. The Institute must also strike a careful balance between seeking technology for rapidly increasing production, with the development of farming practices that conserve the soil and permit the long-term sustainability of agriculture. IITA's linkages with science and research institutions of the developed countries, as well as other CGIAR centres, further augment its capacity to serve the region efficiently in the various aspects of this complex agricultural scene.
IITA's future role in Africa, holding to its current mandate, is also quite likely to continue because the crops it works on will remain in high demand by the people, regardless of the course economic development takes in the next decades. Most likely they will be fully used internally for direct human consumption, but eventually they can have alternative uses, giving rise to agroindustrial possibilities. The work on postharvest technology by IITA for some of the crops is an interesting start in this sense. Besides, IITA's research on the key problems of resource management is known to require long-term efforts, and only a fairly large and well-planned centre of an international nature can have the capacity to take on these resource and sustainability issues.
Within the CGIAR System, IITA's responsibility on the African humid and subhumid tropical agriculture has been clearly defined. But within this, the ecoregional approach to research must be further defined, made operational and implemented. IITA has already taken a lead in this direction. As the CGIAR expands the concept of ecoregionality on a Systemwide basis, IITA can be expected to play a key role on the subject. For this reason, it is especially urgent that the Institute strengthen its resource and crop management research, which must serve as focal point or main channel for organizing and coordinating the ecoregional orientation stated in IITA Plans.
Finally, in tracing its future course, IITA must recognize the overriding effect that economic policies have on agriculture and on technological progress. Hence, the Institute must seek to develop a limited capacity to analyze and understand the macroeconomic environment, as an input for its main agricultural research responsibility. The Institute is encouraged to invite IFPRI and ISNAR to collaborate with it on this aspect of CGIAR activities in Africa.
The Panel wishes to conclude by emphasizing the view that IITA is presently in a privileged position to serve the research needs of developing African agriculture and believes that big contributions can be expected to come from the Institute in the next few years. The Panel encourages the Institute to move forward into the next century with determination and clarity in the execution of its proposed research priorities and strategies.
