A Study of The Legislation and Policy Formulation Processes in Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) in Eastern Africa at Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT)

Project: GLOBAL ADVOCACY PROJECT UNDER THE ECOLOGICAL ORGANIC AGRICULTURE INITIATIVE

Background

The Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative is an African Union-led continental undertaking started in 2011 and currently implemented in eight countries (Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda). It is implemented under the guidance and oversight of the AU chaired Continental Steering Committee (CSC) to establish an African organic farming platform based on available best practices; and to develop sustainable organic farming systems and improve seed quality. Its mission is to promote ecologically sound strategies and practices among diverse stakeholders involved in production, processing, marketing and policy making to safeguard the environment, improve livelihoods, alleviate poverty and guarantee food security among farmers in Africa. The goal is to contribute to mainstreaming of Ecological Organic Agriculture into national agricultural production systems by 2025 in order to improve agricultural productivity, food security, access to markets and sustainable development in Africa. In addition, these efforts are hoped to reduce exploitation of the organic farmers in Africa.

The initiative embraces holistic production systems that sustain the health of soils, ecosystems and people, and relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than reliance on the use of external inputs with adverse effects on people’s total health (human, animal, plant and environmental). The EOA initiative was started in response to the African Union Heads of State and Government’s call for the promotion of organic farming in Africa. The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with several civil society organizations, organized an inception workshop in May 2011 in Thika Kenya, with financial support from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) to discuss how to implement this decision. The workshop successfully resulted in a roadmap, concept note and an African Organic Action Plan to mainstream ecological organic agriculture into national agricultural production systems. The action plan was supported by SSNC in a pilot undertaken in 2012 in six countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in Eastern Africa; Zambia in Southern Africa; and Nigeria in Western Africa) while Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) supported baseline studies in Benin, Mali and Senegal in the third quarter of 2013. Further discussions led to the development of an 8-country project proposal supported by SDC for the first phase (2014-2018) while SSNC with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation (Sida) supported the EOA Initiative in some Eastern Africa countries through civil society organizations from 2013 to date. The African Union also supports the EOA Initiative through funds provided by the European Union and other sources.

The implementation of the Initiative’s five-year Action Plan (2015-2020) and Strategic Plan (2015-2025) is anchored on six complimentary pillars: (i) Research, training and extension, (ii) Information and communication, (iii) Value chain and market development, (iv) Networking and partnership, (v) Policy and programme development, and (vi) Institutional capacity development. However, in the current SDC contribution, the initiative is driven by the first three technical pillars and fourth one encompassing coordination, management and networking, basically integrating components of pillars (iv), (v) and (vi).

The key four objectives of the EOA Initiative are:

• To increase documentation of information and knowledge on organic agricultural products along the complete value chains and support relevant actors to translate it into practices and wide application.
• To systematically inform producers about the EOA approaches and good practices and motivate their uptake through strengthening access to advisory and support services.
• To substantially increase the share of quality organic products at the local, national, regional and global markets.
• To strengthen inclusive stakeholder engagement in organic commodities value chain development by developing national, regional and continental multi-stakeholder platforms to advocate for changes in public policy, plans and practices.

About the Global Advocacy Project (GAP)

The Global Advocacy Project (GAP) is part of the EOA Initiative supported by SSNC and SDC. The overall aim of the GAP project is to support increased food security, resilient production systems and better incomes for small (and medium) scale farmers in Africa while at the same time safeguarding the environment for the future. The project aims to stimulate and strengthen partner organizations in their capacity to catalyze change with respect to greater policy attention to EOA programs and investments, in order to enable the establishment of relevant legislation and regulations and to allocate resources to build capabilities in various key areas including extension, education, market development, entrepreneurship, applied research, information sharing and communication among others. This study recognizes that presenting concise evidential synthesis pragmatically to the real world of policymaking to minimize cognitive biases, deal with natural tendencies to resist change, to ensure political buy-in requires the partner organizations to see the world from the perspective of their target groups and understand the legislation and policy processes abd structures in which they engage.

This consultancy is coordinated by Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) in collaboration with PELUM Kenya on behalf of the CSC, SSNC and SDC. A similar study will be conducted in West Africa among the EOA-I participating countries.

Purpose and Scope of the Assessment

The specific goal for GAP project is to create awareness and better understanding among policymakers, practitioners, technocrats and development partners of Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) and stimulate discussion and debate among them about EOA and its benefits to human, animal, plant and environmental health.

The purpose of this assessment is therefore to:

Investigate how agricultural policies are formulated, developed and delivered in general and with particular focus on the ecological organic agriculture (EOA) in order to stimulate discussion among policymakers, practitioners and development partners on policy interventions (content) and implementation and determine their merit, worth, or value in terms of improving the social and economic conditions of different stakeholders.

Analyze the limitations (gaps, incohorences, constraints, and weaknesses) in the existing legislation and policy formulation processes in agriculture in general and ecological organic agriculture in particular in the selected countries.

On the basis of the above make recommendations on how the current systems and strcutures of legislation and policy formulation, development and implementation processes can be improved for supporting EOA integrationn into national programs and plans.

The above shall help to address the following important questions:

• How could the report help us in the next steps to take in the advocacy work geared towards supporting EOA in Eastern/Western Africa?
• What kind of strong information from the policy report shall we present to decision-makers and politicians that can make a difference in the way the decisions-makers will act after our report? What perspectives are “selling” to the politicians?
• What kind of information should be included in the report that is important for EOA partner organizations to take advanced steps towards advocacy work?

Scope of the Asssessment

• Assess the status (presence) of ecological organic agriculture policies in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda to provide an overview of poliy development and implementation.
• Document at least 1 successful case in each country of a specific policy in the agriculture sector during the last five or so years.
• Describe the policy considerations, underlying logic and processes through which the policy was developed and implemented.
• Identify the actors involved, how they were selected and how they were involved in the policy formulation and implementation processes.
• Identify weaknesses and gaps in the existing legislation and policy formulation processes and structures of decision-making which limit policy development and implementation in ecological organic agricuture in the selected countries.
• Identify strengths and opportunities for developing and implementing policies in ecological organic agriculture in the selected countries.
• Make recommendations for improving policy formulation, development and delivery in ecological organic agriculture in the selected countries.

The Deliverables

A draft report of findings and recommendations to be presented at the at the 10th EOA-I CSC and the 4th African Organic Conference (4th AOC) in Yaoundé, Cameroon in November, 2018. The study findings will be shared in other important forums the following year.

The expected key outputs of the assessment are:

• An Inception Report: Elaboration of the assessment methodology and tools to be applied including a detailed schedule of activities to be undertaken across the three countries. This should be ready within 2 weeks after signing the contract.
• Draft Report: This should be ready within 75 days from the day of signing the contract (Mid-October).
• Final Report: The technical report should include the executive summary, background, methodology, key findings, conclusions, lessons and recommendations, and annexes (key officials interviewed, documents consulted, and data collection instruments applied). The final report to include inputs from the CSC and 4th AOC. The report to be submitted by 30 November 2018.

Background Documents

In addition to relevant documents and reports to be sought at country and AU level, various documents valuable to this study will be provided including but not limited to:

• AU Decision on Organic Farming, (the basis of Ecological Organic Agriculture)
• EOA Strategic Plan (2015-2025) and EOA Action Plan (2015-2020)
• SDC and SSNC Project Documents (for the period 2013-2018)
• Report of the Assessment of SSNC contribution to first phase of EOA in Eastern Africa
• EOA Mid-term Review Report 2016
• Report of the Organizational and Capacity Assessment (2018)
• CAADP frameworks

The Assessment Methodology/Approach

The Consultant is expected to develop an appropriate approach/methodology to address the study tasks. Whereas this study is expected to be handled through desk review and key informant interviews, the methodology proposed will include but not limited to:

• Identification and review of relevant documents on general agriculture and organic agriculture policy, country specific strategic plans, reports, publications, etc. that analyze the policy formulation processes and structures in the selected countries.
• Data collection approaches and tools, focusing on key informant interviews with relevant actors.
• Data analysis techniques

Time Frame

This assessment will be conducted within 75 days between August and October 2018.

Consultants & Minimum Qualifications

• The study will be conducted by a consultant or team of consultants with the team leader and partners having the following main qualifications:
• At least a master’s degree or equivalent in agriculture, sociology, development studies, economics or related social sciences.
• At least 5 years of experience in conducting policy assessment/evaluations, policy impact assessments or similar assignments in agricultural development programmes and projects.
• Demonstrated ability to assess complex situations to analyze critical issues succinctly and clearly and draw conclusions and recommendations.
• Proven in-depth understanding and consulting experiences on institutional set-up of complex development programmes.
• Substantive knowledge of participatory M&E processes and experience with multistakeholder/community development interventions.
• Excellent English writing and communication skills.