Raising Awareness about the ASTI Project in Near East and North Africa Countries

The Agricultural Sciences and Technology Indicators (ASTI) has been a global leading programme in compiling and analyzing agricultural research data for over two decades. It focuses on institutional developments, investments, human resource capacity, and research outputs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and has functioned through a vast network of national research agencies, regional coordinating bodies, and international organizations. The programme, formerly managed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), is now transitioning into FAO.

On 3 September, the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East & North Africa (AARINENA) organized the virtual event "Raising Awareness about the ASTI Project in Near East and North Africa Countries", in collaboration with FAO.

                                      

          

The event aimed at raising awareness about the Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) project among key stakeholders in the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) of the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. The webinar also discussed the new data collection models and methodologies, and shared insights and lessons learned from the pilot projects. 

Key topics discussed with the audience included the challenges of data collection in conflict-affected areas and other experiences.

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TIMETABLE

TIME	ITEM	SPEAKER
11:00 AM  – 11:15 AM	Welcome & Adoption of Agenda	Rida Shibli, AARINENA, Executive Secretary Piero Conforti, Deputy Director Statistics Division, FAO
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM	AARINENA’s Role in Research and Innovation	Rida Shibli
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM	FAO – ASTI Program and its new operational mechanism	Hernán Muñoz, Statistician, ASTI team leader, Statistics Division, FAO
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM	ASTI implementation in countries: lessons learnt from Nigeria	Musa Musa, Assistant Chief Agricultural Research Officer, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria
12:30 PM – 01:00 PM	Discussion and Closing