Agro-Industrial Development
The project started in February 2008 with a first planning meeting at UNIDO Headquarters in Vienna. The project is fully financed by UNIDO (and a component was financed by UNECA, Addis Ababa).
In this project new industrial development strategies for Africa are researched in a policy-oriented manner. It is acknowledged that agro-industrial and agribusiness development strategies are increasingly important for Africa's economic future. African countries can gain by a shift to new policies as multiple objectives can be realized: export diversification, import substitution, employment creation and poverty alleviation, human development and nutrition improvements, a better linking of agriculture and industry sectors by the instruments of global value chains, accelerating local and rural development, and empowering small farmers and small industrial processing units.
Based on a cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) two major research components were realized:
1. Role of STI (Science, Technology, Innovation) for accelerating agroindustry and agribusiness development in Africa: STI in African countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is of increasing importance for a dynamic development of agriculture and industry and for the linking of the farming sectors with processing industries. So far STI in Africa is of low importance, but some positive changes are taking place, at sub-reregional and at national levels. As an output to this project component a comprehensive background paper for UNIDO and a chapter to a book published by UNIDO were written. Workshop and conference participation in Vienna and Addis Ababa (at UNECA) were part of the activity.
2. Comparing agro-industrial development strategies in the context of the Abuja Initiative: At the High Level Conference in Abuja in March 2010 the African Heads of State and Government have approved the Abuja Declaration. The Declaration requests the African nations and the Regional Economic Communities in Africa to develop new policies and modalities for the support of agro-industries and agribusiness. Such strategies should be adapted to the individual country characteristics, the resource endowments, and the local capabilities. As an output to this project component country cases were identified (Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia) and concepts for the case study analyses were developed. The country case studies (done mostly by African economists of the respective countries) were then reviewed, synthesized and edited, and Introduction and Conclusions chapters were written. A Transformation Index highlights the progress in agro industries and agribusiness of these eight countries. Part of the activity were working sessions at UNIDO in Vienna and a conference participation at Abuja, Nigeria at the Meeting of the African Heads of State and Government in March 2010.
Publications:
Wohlmuth, Karl, 2010, Technological Effort, Innovation Capacity and Capability Building, Chapter V (Pillar IV), to be published in: UNIDO, Promoting Agribusiness for Africa's Prosperity, to be released in an UNIDO Main Report and Executive Summary, and in an UNIDO International Book Publication, 47 pages, 2010
Wohlmuth, Karl, 2009, Technological Effort, Innovation Capacity and Capability Building, Background Paper for UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), Vienna, for the UNIDO Project "Adding Value to Africa's industry and Trade through Agro-industry and Agro-business. An Agenda for Action", First Draft (With Detailed Policy Recommendations), 110 pages, 2009
Wohlmuth, Karl, 2009,Technological Effort, Innovation Capacity and Capability Building, Background Paper for UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), Vienna, for the UNIDO Project "Adding Value to Africa's industry and Trade through Agro-industry and Agro-business. An Agenda for Action", Second Draft (Revised, With 22 Boxes), 91 pages, 2009
Wohlmuth, Karl et al., 2011, Co-editor, Developing Agro-industries and Promoting Agribusiness in Africa, Country Case Studies, edited, introduced and synthesized for UNIDO, 530 pages, Draft Manuscript (with Introduction, Case Studies Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia, and Conclusions)
Wohlmuth, Karl, 2011, Introduction to Wohlmuth, Karl et al., 2011, Co-editor, Developing Agro-industries and Promoting Agribusiness in Africa, Country Case Studies, edited, introduced and synthesized for UNIDO, op. cit., 59 pages
Wohlmuth, Karl, 2011, Conclusions to Wohlmuth, Karl, et al., 2011, Co-editor, Developing Agro-industries and Promoting Agribusiness in Africa, Country Case Studies, edited, introduced and synthesized for UNIDO, op. cit., 28 pages
Duration of the Project: The project started in February 2008 and will be continued in 2011.
Links zu Abuja Declaration:
http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/files/dateien/1626_abuja_declaration_2010.pdf
Link zur Presseinfo der Uni:
http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/files/dateien/1627_pressemitteilung_abuja_2010.pdf
Contact:
Professor Dr. Karl Wohlmuth
University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Email: wohlmuth@uni-bremen.de
Website: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/