Institutional Partners
Michigan State University (MSU): Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) and Alliance for African Partnerships (AAP)
The institutional core values of quality, inclusiveness and connectivity underpin MSU’s engagement with ReNAPRI. To ensure delivery of high quality policy analysis, since 2013 the analytical capacity of ReNAPRI researchers has been strengthened under the Guiding Investments in Sustainable Agricultural Investments in Africa (GISAIA) and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy (FSP) projects operating through the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE).
Furthermore, MSU’s commitment to inclusion and connectivity has ensured that at least four of the nine ReNAPRI member institutions house MSU alumnae where they serve as directors, research directors and/or research associates. Currently, Prof Thomas Jayne, co-director of AAP, serves on the ReNAPRI Board of Directors.
The strong linkage between ReNAPRI and MSU, continues to provide opportunities for collaborative work which results in policy outreach, journal article publications, and policy briefs.
Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri
The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri (FAPRI-MU) provides objective analysis of markets and policies. Since its inception in 1984, a primary purpose of FAPRI-MU has been to brief staff members of the U.S. Senate and House Agricultural Committees on projections of the U.S. agricultural sector and global commodity markets. To that end, collaboration with international institutions, such as ReNAPRI, strengthens FAPRI’s global knowledge while developing a network of researchers across the world.
Since ReNAPRI’s inception, FAPRI has trained the Networks’ researchers in “FAPRI” method of partial equilibrium modelling and assisted in building the ReNAPRI’s Regional Agricultural Outlook model.
Markets and Trade Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
The Trade and Markets Division at the FAO keeps under review global issues that affect trade in agriculture and provides analytical and policy relevant information. To do so, the Division maintains a comprehensive market intelligence service of the main agricultural commodities, houses the Secretariats of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP), nine Intergovernmental Commodity Groups (IGGs) and of the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), and is responsible for servicing the arrangements for early warnings on food shortfalls.
ReNAPRI provides technical support to the Markets and Trade Division at the FAO, by providing the country-level data that feeds into the OECD/FAO Global Outlook Model. In turn, the Markets and Trade Division provides technical support and data for ReNAPRI’s Regional Outlook Model. ReNAPRI also provided technical support on the OECD-FAO special chapter on Africa. Additionally, ReNAPRI and the Markets and Trade Division have a mutually supportive partnership in outreach and engagement. The Markets and Trade Division present at ReNAPRI’s annual stakeholder conference, and contribute to the conference book. ReNAPRI presented at the Markets and Trade Division’s side-event hosted at ReSAKSS 2016 Annual Conference.
Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS)
Established in 2006 under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) supports efforts to promote evidence and outcome-based policy planning and implementation as part of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) agenda. In particular, ReSAKSS provides data and related analytical and knowledge products to facilitate benchmarking, review and mutual learning processes. It is facilitated by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), and leading regional economic communities (RECs).
Given ReNAPRI and ReSAKKS respective mission, objectives and capacities, in 2015 ReSAKSS and ReNAPRI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU establishes a partnership that facilitates the mobilization and use of country-level technical capacities and expertise to meet the analytical and knowledge needs arising from the implementation of CAADP by Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and their member states.
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) – Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA)
The Alliance for Commodity Trade in East and Southern Africa (ACTESA) is a regional Agricultural Specialized Agency of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). ACTESA is headquartered in the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka, Zambia. COMESA-ACTESA’s mission is to integrate smallholder farmers into domestic, regional and international markets through an improved policy environment and expanded market facilities and services. The principal goal of COMESA-ACTESA is to contribute to regional integration and improved regional competiveness of staple food markets across the East and Southern Africa region.
ReNAPRI and COMESA-ACTESA signed a MOU in 2015 to formally acknowledge their common goals toward improving Africa’s regional integration, and contributing to the improvement of agricultural market information and functioning. The MOU establishes a framework where ReNAPRI and COMESA-ACTESA will jointly explore and coordinate relevant policy research and development activities; and encourages joint effort, where appropriate on the basis of quality and mutual benefit.
Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
Since 2005, FANRPAN has pioneered regional learning and knowledge acquisition in agricultural and food security policy analysis and advocacy, initially in Southern and Eastern Africa, and latterly extending its contribution and reach to continental and global levels. Through strong collaborative and experiential learning with its constituent stakeholders at national and regional levels, FANRPAN has progressively developed its food and agricultural policy engagement and action cycle which is the cornerstone of its distinctive approach to innovation and learning for policy and capacity development at regional and national levels.
ReNAPRI and FANRPAN, signed a formal argeement in 2015, with the mutual objective of improving food security policy within the region. The MOU commits the organizations to: collaborate on key thematic areas of common concern and interest; promote capacity building and institutional development of both organizations through partnership, cooperation and exchange; broker knowledge and dialogue on regional agricultural policies and markets development in Africa; and contribute to the institutional strengthening of African regional organizations, in the context of regional integration, trade and agricultural policy frameworks and processes.
Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA)
CCARDESA, an institution established at the initiative of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), coordinates the implementation of agricultural research and development (R&D) aimed at sustainably reducing food insecurity and poverty within the SADC region.
In their individual capacity both RENAPRI and CCARDESA recognize that the challenges for agricultural development in Africa require concerted efforts to exploit the opportunities for agricultural research, policy advocacy and capacity strengthening. As such, in 2015, ReNAPRI and CCARDESA signed a formal MOU, affirming their mutual commitment to cooperate and work together to realize their common goals of eradicating poverty, hunger and malnutrition in Africa.