Africa south of the Sahara

In 2011, Guinea-Bissau spent just 0.02 percent of its agricultural GDP on agricultural research—by far the lowest level in Africa (and the rest of the developing world).

INPA is the nation’s only agricultural R&D agency. Funding for its R&D programs is entirely dependent upon donors and is extremely limited, volatile, and in some years nonexistent. As a result, many of INPA’s research programs are unfunded.

Madagascar’s agricultural R&D spending fell by roughly a quarter during 2008–2011 (in inflation-adjusted terms), largely driven by declines at CNARP, CNRO, and FIFAMANOR. FOFIFA’s spending remained relatively stable over time.

Spending just 0.16 percent of agricultural GDP on agricultural R&D in 2011, Madagascar’s agricultural research intensity ratio is one of the lowest in Africa. 

National agricultural research spending increased by a modest 8 percent during 2008–2011. The majority of funding was derived from government sources, with foreign donors contributing around 20 percent in 2011. At just 0.19 percent in 2011, Ethiopia’s agricultural research intensity ratio (investment in agricultural R&D as a share of AgGDP) is one of the lowest in Africa.
 

Agricultural R&D spending fell dramatically in Eritrea during 2008–2011 as a result of declining donor funding to NARI, the country’s main agricultural research agency, and international economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations in 2009.
 
Eritrea’s agricultural R&D spending is currently well below the levels required to sustain its needs; in fact, spending as a share of agricultural GDP fell by more than half between 2008 and 2011 and is among the lowest in Africa.
 

Despite rapid growth in recent years, DR Congo’s agricultural R&D spending remains well below the levels required to sustain its needs; in fact, spending levels as a share of AgGDP are among the lowest in Africa.

Agricultural researcher numbers also grew rapidly in recent years, particularly at INERA and CRAA, although most of this growth occurred among researchers trained to the BSc or MSc levels.
 

Agricultural R&D spending increased steadily after the post- 2000 return of peace; however, spending levels stagnated during 2008–2011 and remain well below pre-war levels.
 
Agriculultural research capacity at the centers administered by DGRST has gradually decreased since 2000 because a large number of researchers have retired and a long-term public-sector hiring freeze is in place.
 

The numbmber of agricultural researchers increased rapidly between 2008 and 2011 due to a substantial influx of young scientists at ISABU and the return to Burundi of a large number of professors from universities abroad.

The overall quality of agricultural R&D capacity remains very weak in terms of the number of agricultural researchers qualified to the PhD-degree level.
 
Following a period of growth, reduced government and donor support caused overall spending levels in Burundi to decline during 2008–2011.

Agricultural R&D spending in Benin more than doubled between 2000 and 2011, largely driven by the combined effect of an increase in internally generated revenues at INRAB and greater involvement in agricultural R&D on the part of UAC.

National agricultural R&D spending increased by 5 percent during 2008–2011, primarily due to increased government support; nonetheless, spending as a share of agricultural GDP remained fairly constant.

Although the national number of BSc-qualified researchers increased by 20 percent during 2008–2011, substantially increasing Tanzania’s total number of researchers, the number of researchers with PhD qualifications declined by 20 FTEs during this timeframe.