Presentation by Patrick Luganda, CEO, Farmers Media Link Network, Uganda
Delivered at the B4FA Media Dialogue Workshop, Kampala, Uganda - November 2012
www.b4fa.org
2. Talk, communicate, attitude, create
understanding, Priorities
Enable the 870m people feed themselves
Knowledge available. Locked up in closets-in
laboratories, experiment stations
Break the jargon and complex nature of
science. Make it ordinary, common language,
farm talk etc eg school programme
3. Poverty , Ignorance and Disease
Population growing out of proportion but
requires careful planning and management.
Solving other challenges build on these
Climate change, finance, food insecurity,
research facilities, equipment, access to
education, health care, competitiveness,
innovation etc etc
4. There is a strong correlation between Severe
Droughts and Significant Economic Decline.
Reduction in GDP.
At the opposite end of the scale, there is a
strong correlation between good rain years ,
economic growth and positive GDP
performance
Ditto for disease in humans, livestock and
plant. Famine and death. Hopeless case
5.
6.
7. In 1980s and part of 1990s Africa was a
gloomy picture.
Horrible pictures like the ones above made
headlines in many sitting rooms around the
globe. Journalists and media houses won
international awards
The Sahel region from West Africa to Ethiopia
was the theatre of horrendous moving media
stories
8. The stories have changed from hunger and
starvation. Even in the recent Somali,
Northern Kenya famine stories are far and
between. Death toll receding
The significance of this is that governments,
individuals and communities are paying more
attention to media stories and seeking for
solutions to the myriad of challenges
9. Geological
Billions of USD per decade
495
500
Hydrometeorological
450
400
345
350
300
Economic losses
related to disasters
are increasing
250
200
160
150
103
88
100
47
24
50
4
14
11
0
56-65
66-75
76-85
86-95
Millions of casualties per decade
But we are
saving lives
3
96-05
decade
Geological
2.66
Hydrometeorological
2.5
2
1.73
1.5
Source: EM-DAT: The
OFDA/CRED
International Disaster
Database
1
0.67
0.65
0.39
0.5
0.22
0.17
0.25
0.22
0.05
9
0
56-65
66-75
76-85
86-95
96-05
decade
10. Africa is demonstrating its capacity to react
to climate disasters as shown by Kenya in
worst drought in 60yrs
It was the worst drought but had far less
tragedies than those before it
Government reaction, NGO and international
organizations and public response were
amazingly organized and well focussed.
Basket case changing
11. Examples are growing of countries where
journalists are making efforts to report on
science and technology on a regular basis
Networks and associations have been formed
in various fields at various levels from
national, regional to continental.
Media houses and individuals have made
great strides
12. This success it should be noted it is not a
blanket cover There are still several
governments, communities and individuals
that have to be reached
New innovative ways to disseminate this vital
information is needed
More aggressive ways using all forms of
communication including new media should
be applied
13. WE have moved but still have a lot of ground
to cover
In the USA, China and elsewhere bigger
challenges have been solved using the power
of science minimizing tragedies and loss of
life
Economic loss is also minimized through
utilization of effective communication of
science
14. Climate
Land
Water
Manpower with a youthful population
Trainable workforce
Potential to learn to innovate
Virgin investment opportunities
Agrarian reform still to happen
15.
16. Currently Africa lacks sufficient
equipment , research capacity and
skilled manpower. Trainable manpower
is available
Africa has not made investments in
regional and national programs needed
to reap the significant benefits from
research and innovation
Transfer of science technology for
agricultural application is still wanting
and not prioritized at national budget
allocatio
17. It has been said over and over again. Africa is
lagging behind. We have also heard again and
again Africa is a bottomless pit that never
fills. Donor support has been substantial over
several decades but donor fatigue is evident
Application of science innovation in a
sustained manner can help solve this
18. Many countries lack
the infrastructural,
technical, human
and institutional
capacities to
provide highquality climate
services.
19. “Africa remains scientifically, economically,
politically and militarily weak because its
scientific knowledge has not been given the
right incubators.” Daniel Arap Moi Former
President Kenya speaking recently at an
innovation conference in Kabarak University,
Kenya.
20. Africa has the POTENTIAL to spring out of
this situation of hopelessness and despair.
That POTENTIAL must be unlocked for the
continent to leap forward
Communication of science for application by
the ordinary small holder farmers is a crucial
step towards unlocking this potential
21.
22. Science Products cover all aspects of daily
lives for the welfare of the ordinary farmer
making them useful in a wide range of
applications
The potential return on investments is
immense.
Increased productivity in agriculture, better
nutrition and economic welfare
23. Food & Nutrition Security
Income Security
Health Security
Social Security
Political Stability
National Security
Environmental Security
Interstate Security and Self Reliance
26. Most developed nations used the agrarian reform
as a springboard to development
Africa gets enough rain, has the right climate and
the right recipe for an agrarian reform.
Application of science information and products
combined with other scientific inputs including
technologies and better agronomic practices can
catalyze an agrarian reformation and socio
economic transformation.
27. The GFCS short term
priority areas
Water
Disaster risk
reduction
Health
Agriculture/foo
d security
27
28. The application of science information and
products that can stimulate socio economic
transformation are ready beyond proof of
concept
This means that we do not need to pilot them
but disseminate and apply them
.
29. Biotechnology, Biogenetics, Biosciences and
other innovations as we will learn in the next
couple of days are ready for dissemination
and application by the ordinary farmers in the
countryside
The link between science and the farming
community will be you-the media. Let the
action begin.
