Monitoring Food and Agricultural Policies in Africa (MAFAP)

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Monitoring Food and Agricultural Policies in
Africa (MAFAP)

• Objectives, Outputs and Approach
• Jean Balié
• Economist
• Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA)

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The MAFAP project - Objective

• Better informed decision making to ensure that
  policies and investments are fully supportive of
  agricultural development, the sustainable use of
  natural resources and enhanced food security

Policy decision makers are MAFAPs ultimate
clients
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The MAFAP project - Outcomes

• Recognition of the need for improved monitoring
  of food and agricultural policies and associated
  policy dialogue
• More regular and better informed policy dialogue
  at national, regional and international levels
• Project partners are prepared to define a
  scaling-up strategy.

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The MAFAP project Expected documents

• Synthesis document making the inventory of data,
  information, indicators and relevant policy
  analysis work conducted in the Sub-Saharan Africa
  
• A full-fledged methodology for monitoring African
  food and agricultural policies
• Ten country policy review papers
• Five in-depth country reports
• The first Triennial report on monitoring of
  African food and agricultural policies (mid 2012).

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Main elements of methodology

• Measures of explicit policy incentives and
  disincentives (such as NRA, etc.)
• Measures of market underdevelopment
• market development gap
• Measures of government expenditures in support of
  agriculture development
• Use performance development indicators to
  measure progress made towards achieving country
  objectives

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Proposed MAFAP countries

• five countries with in-depth analysis
• five countries with preparatory activities
  (policy reviews)

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The MAFAP approach country level

• Building on and supporting national policy and
  programme development processes
• Collaborating with units in charge of policy and
  planning
• Mobilizing and strengthening networks of experts
• Reinforcing linkages between analysts and
  decision makers
• To ensure ownership and contribute
  to a sustainable analytical capacity
  

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The MAFAP approach global level

• Supporting overall effort for strengthening FAOs
  policy monitoring role
• Building on analytical work conducted by a
  variety of organizations and individual experts
• Collaborating with a wide range of partners in
  the field
• Contributing to the mapping of food security
  interventions under the LAquila Food Security
  Initiative (AFSI)

To contribute to global policy dialogue and
initiatives
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Conclusion Bridging the information policy
making gap

• Institutionalize monitoring process in
  participating countries
• Develop workable and sustainable methodology for
  Africa
• Publish triennial monitoring report on FAP in
  Africa and annual country reports
• Demonstrate success for better policy development
  extend to Africa and beyond

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www.fao.org/mafap www.fao.org/spaaa

• Thank you

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Annexes
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Why is there a need to monitor African Food and
Agricultural Policies?

• there was economic growth in Africa over the last
  decade
• but

• weak growth in productivity and production
• rising numbers of undernourished

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Why is there a need to monitor African Food and
Agricultural Policies?

• yet
• Africa has ample untapped potential
• because of
• conflicts and disasters (including HIV/AIDS)
• but also
• inadequate policies and investments

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Why is there a need to monitor African Food and
Agricultural Policies?

• there is abundance of policy documents
• but little systematic monitoring
• of the effects of policies
• of public expenditure/policy coherence

• The MAFAP project seeks to fill this gap

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Background on previous work

• FAO 1973 Producer Subsidy Equivalent
• OECD PSE/CSE 1986-2009
• OECD countries
• Agriculture Policies in Emerging Countries
• Intermittent studies
• IFPRI
• FAO Roles of Agriculture
• Krueger, Schiff and Valdes, 1988 and after
• World Bank/Anderson Distortions to Agricultural
  Incentives

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The MAFAP calendar
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The MAFAP approach regional level

• Building on and supporting subregional policy
  development and monitoring processes
• Collaborating with regional economic communities
  and subregional groupings
• Conducting sub-regional capacity development
  activities
• Facilitating exchange of project results
• To prepare scaling up of project activities
  and contribute to subregional policy dialogue

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International partners

• OECD
• IFPRI
• Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support
  System (ReSAKSS)
• CountrySTAT
• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
• Public Expenditure Reviews (PER) World Bank
• MSUs project Guiding Investments for
  Sustainable Agriculture Markets in Africa

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Some early achievements

• inception missions to five countries conducted
• interest raised, partnerships initiated
• MAFAP team constituted in part (additional
  recruitment in process)
• draft MAFAP methodology available
• draft synthesis report on MAFAP-related policy
  work conducted in Africa available
• first Steering Committee Meeting
• MAFAP workshop How to approach
• policy monitoring in Africa?

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MAFAP challenges (1)

• Relevance
• provide answers to questions by national decision
  makers with respect to poverty, food security and
  sustainable management of natural resources
• harmonized methods and comparable results
• Are policies in place and public expenditures
  supportive to the national objectives?
• What should be changed in them to improve their
  contribution to the achievement of these
  objectives?

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MAFAP challenges (2)

• Feasibility
• nurture the interest of stakeholders for policy
  monitoring
• reinforce linkages between analysts and decision
  makers
• strengthen and institutionalize the analytical
  capacity
• institutionalize the monitoring function
• adapt the methodology to the availability and
  quality of data

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MAFAP challenges (3)

• Integration into national and regional processes
• involve the right stakeholders
• use existing mechanisms and arrangements
• engage in partnerships

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FAOs Food and Agricultural Policy Monitoring