Early in the new century a consensus on agricultural and rural development emerged. This provided renewed impetus to efforts to boost both agricultural development and the rural non-farm economy, in a context of ever closer rural-urban linkages and globalisation. Governments and donors have committed themselves to support this, but the challenge has been to translate themes into practical policy.

For two years the Future Agricultures Consortium, supported by the UK Department for International Development, has been investigating how to do this, primarily in Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi.

This series of meetings, hosted by ODI, will present the results of this work. It will also include the launch of the World Bank's 2008 World Development Report (WDR) entitled 'Agriculture for Development', as well as two sessions on the way forward and whether or not emerging challenges from biofuels, climate change, and the growth of China and India imply that the agenda needs radical revision.

For more information about ODI’s work on agriculture, please visit: www.odi.org.uk/agriculture

Reforming agricultural policy: Kenya's impasse and Malawian dilemmas in international perspective

Tuesday 30 October, 1.00-2.15PM
ODI, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD


Speakers:
Colin Poulton, Research Fellow, Centre for Development, Environment and Policy, SOAS, University of London (Wye)
Steve Wiggins, Research Fellow, Protected Livelihoods and Agricultural Growth (PLAG) Programme, ODI

Discusant: Andrew Shepherd, Research Fellow and Director of Programmes, Rural Policy and Governance Group (RPGG), ODI

Chair: Andrew Dorward, Research Fellow, Centre for Development, Environment and Policy, SOAS, University of London (Wye)


How easy is it to make fundamental changes to agricultural policy? In the past Bangladesh, China, Chile, and New Zealand, for example, have made such changes. Their experiences and the contemporary cases of Kenya and Malawi will be reviewed.




Developing agriculture while protecting people

Tuesday 13 November, 1.00-2.15PM
ODI, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD


Speakers:
Stephen Devereux, Research Fellow, Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction, IDS
Rachel Slater, Research Fellow, Protected Livelihoods and Agricultural Growth (PLAG) Programme, ODI

Chair: Tim Waites, Livelihoods Adviser, Renewable Natural Resources and Agriculture Team, Policy Division, DFID


What is the potential and limitations of the current social protection agenda for addressing seasonality, a major dimension of hunger and food insecurity in rural Africa? Can cash transfers, rather than food aid, be used to combat hunger in rural areas, and in ways that assist agricultural development, or are there other alternative agricultural investments that can have greater impact on both hunger and rural growth?'




Agriculture for Development
World Development Report 2008 UK Launch

Monday 19 November, 1.00-2.30PM
ODI, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD


Speakers:
Derek Byerlee, Rural Policy and Strategy Advisor and Co-director, World Development Report team, World Bank
Irina Klytchnikova, Young Professional and WDR co-author, World Bank

Discussants:
Christie Peacock, FARM-Africa
Amdissa Teshome, Future Agricultures Consortium
Diana Hunt, University of Sussex

Chair: Simon Maxwell, Director, ODI


A team from the World Bank will present the 2008 World Development Report (WDR), Agriculture for Development.




Testing the limits of state action: The Malawi fertiliser subsidy

Tuesday 27 November, 1.00-2.15PM
ODI, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD


Speaker:
Andrew Dorward, Research Fellow, Centre for Development, Environment and Policy, SOAS, University of London

Discussant:
Paul Harvey, Research Fellow, Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI

Chair:
Martin Prowse, Research Officer, Protected Livelihoods and Agricultural Growth (PLAG) Programme, ODI


Subsidising fertiliser runs against conventional economic advice that the state should limit its action to providing purely public goods. But with extensive failures in credit and input markets might it make sense for the state to subsidise fertiliser?





The way forward: Influencing policy and generating evidence
CANCELLED

Wednesday 5 December, 1.00-2.15PM
ODI, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD


PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
WE APOLOGISE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED.

The notes of a workshop held at ODI on 20 November which discussed similar issues can be found here.




Does the agenda need radical revision? A debate

Monday 17 December, 1.00-2.15PM
ODI, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD


Speakers:
Duncan Green, Head of Research, Oxfam GB
Richard Moberly, Renewable Natural Resources and Agriculture Team, Policy Division, DFID
Patrick Mulvany, Practical Action

Chair: Steve Wiggins, Research Fellow, Protected Livelihoods and Agricultural Growth (PLAG) Programme, ODI


Have biofuels, climate change and rapid economic growth in China and India changed the context so much that agricultural development needs to be re-thought?


For more information about ODI’s work on agriculture, please visit: www.odi.org.uk/agriculture

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