Report of Activities at WARDA during 2001

1. Background

The CGIAR decided in 2000 to begin a process to address the impacts of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the CGIAR as a system and on its research and development capacity. Since then, WARDA has developed and embraced a strategy toward addressing the impact of the pandemic on food security in the West and Central Africa sub-region. This report highlights the major activities and progress made in 2001 toward developing a viable capacity within the agriculture R&D sector in the sub-region to prevent the further spread of the disease and simultaneously mitigate its negative impacts on farmer-livelihoods and food security attainment potentials.

2. Research & Development Activities

2.1 Rapid review of current knowledge on impact of AIDS on agriculture

An article entitle "Reducing the impacts of HIV/AIDS among seasonal workers: Challenge for WARDA in West Africa" co-authored by F. Abamu, and K. F. Nwanze was presented at a Round table meeting organized by the UNAIDS Inter-Country Team for West and Central Africa during the XII^th International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa, 9-13 December, 2001, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The article is being revised for publication.

WARDA conducted a rapid survey of the awareness of NARES in West and Central Africa explicitly in the framework of HIV/AIDS, food security and the agricultural sector. The objective was to stimulate their thoughts on the real and potentials threats of HIV/AIDS to their work and institutional missions of food security, and to set in motion a collective think-tank for the agricultural sector. No response was received. However, ten (10) of the 18 countries confirmed they received the exchange and confirmed they are aware of HIV/AIDS in their country, but did not know how to respond. The outcome of this activity amplify the magnitude and potential dangers of HIV/AIDS to food security in the sub-region and the need to double the pace in developing the response capacity of the NARES and agricultural sector.

2.2 Sub-regional awareness-raising and consensus-building

WARDA used various international workshops and seminars to present the HIV challenge thereby increasing sub-regional awareness and building consensus. Examples of such include: The CORAF General Assembly- Libreville, Gabon; FARA Addis-Ababa; The ISNAR-WARDA-CTA organized 'Workshop on a Collaborative Platform for Agricultural Research in sub-Sahara Africa', The NERICA-based food security symposium at Mbe; the World-Bank sponsored Training of Trainers workshop, Nairobi and the 30th Anniversary of WARDA.

WARDA has established partnership and working relationship with the UNAIDS inter-country team for West and Central Africa (UNAIDS ICT); and ECODEV, an NGO in Cote d'Ivoire. WARDA and these organizations are developing joint proposals for intervention through food and nutrition and agriculture-based livelihoods options in the region. One such project—involving WARDA, UNAIDS ICT, ECODEV and IITA—was submitted as a project under the GIAAFS umbrella.

2.3 Filling knowledge gaps: Preparation of background country papers

Potential authors were identified in 2001 to write background papers and strategies explicitly from a rural development, agriculture and agriculture-related livelihoods intervention perspectives. Persons identified are mainly from the NGO sector (Cote d'Ivoire and Mali). Contacts were made with the NARES and agricultural R&D sectors but feedback was weak. The announcements have been reactivated for 2002, for competitive grants and seed money for authors. We hope to see more involvement of the agricultural R&D sector as they become more sensitized to the issues.

Key outcomes

- Potential authors for country papers on HIV/AIDS versus rural/agricultural sector identified.

- Increasing involvement of NARES.

2.4 Assessment of vulnerability of farmer-community livelihoods

Site selection

Our first activity was to identify 'at-risk' communities from a HIV/AIDS–agriculture–livelihoods lens, and to prepare the ground for operation. In Cote d'Ivoire, this activity was conducted in collaboration with ECODEV, by combining "community-level" information about HIV related illnesses available from local sources, planning, obtaining community consent and field visitation. Five sites have been selected (Table 1). Further interventions and surveys in Cote d'Ivoire would be carried out at the selected sites. A field survey was actually started in Aug. 2001.

Table 1. Characteristics of sites in Cote d'Ivoire selected for further studies

Site	Characteristics from an 'agriculture & AIDS' lens	Agroecological zone
Ehania	Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana frontier. Livelihood in a spontaneous village is supported by industrial oil palm and subsistence agriculture.	Humid forest-Coastal fringes
Danané	High volume of young active people displaced by war/conflicts in neighboring countries. Rice-based system is important in livelihood support.	Forest-Savanna Transition Zone
Tabou	Frontier city with Liberia. Large opportunity for displaced/migrant workers in industrial oil palm, cocoa and subsistence agriculture.	Humid forest
Ferkesedougou	Near Burkina Faso/Mali frontier, high volume of migrant workers engaged in agricultural sector.	Northern Guinea Savanna
Zuenoula	Sugarcane production plantation.	Forest-Savanna Transition Zone

Preliminary survey and lessons learned

A Norwegian student identified through collaboration between NORAGRIC and WARDA, came to Cote d'Ivoire (August - December, 2001) and commenced a survey to assess the relationships between health factors (focussing on HIV/AIDS) and livelihood security of rural communities and households in selected agricultural sites in Côte d’Ivoire.

Very important lessons were learnt from the work of the student. For example, it is very important that we develop appropriate tools for handling HIV/AIDS in communities where it is regarded as taboo, and deaths are still not very common. Seeking hard evidence of HIV statistics must be removed from the study agenda as the community receives this with negative response and possible rejection. In most cases, although medical facilities for screening are not available, people are willing to share information about cases of prolonged illnesses (if any) and associated symptoms and how their livelihoods have been affected by it. We conclude that at the community/household level, the following factors may be adequate in understanding the vulnerability and response patterns of rural and peri-urban communities in West Africa, without necessarily seeking for clinical evidence of HIV/AIDS:

- Local social habits, values and culture, including sex life.

- Prevalence of prolonged illness(es) among the youth that may be related to HIV/AIDS (opportunistic infections), as well as other diseases.

- Specific risk assessment at the individual / household level

- Changes in livelihood systems in relation to family health

- Changes in nutritional status in relation to family health

The study will form part of a thesis dissertation the student would submit to the Agricultural University of Norway.

Technologies for mitigating the negative impact of HIV/AIDS

Although not supported by funds from HIV/AIDS, WARDA in 2001 launched the New Rice for Africa (NERICA). The NERICAs have been documented to be competitive against weeds (labor saving), early maturing (fast income generation) and containing slightly higher levels of protein (immune system?). The technologies have been identified as "ready to go" for dissemination to support livelihoods in rice-growing communities affected by HIV/AIDS.

Key outcomes

Agricultural communities in cote d'Ivoire at risk to the negative impact of HIV/AIDS identified.
Community contact established and consent of intent obtained.
Preliminary survey and challenges identified.
Labor saving, early duration, protein richer, NERICAs launched at WARDA.

3. HIV/AIDS mitigation in the workplace

For mitigating HIV/AIDS in the workplace, a draft institute policy on HIV/AIDS was developed and presented to Management. The policy draws from related policies, international laws and best-practices available in public domain. Parts of the policy are already being implemented.

WARDA consulted with ECODEV and experience NGO in HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in Cote d'Ivoire. Through the recommendations of the NGO and consultations with staff, a "HIV/AIDS Peer-Group Educators" was formed in 2001. Gender issues, religion and pay-grade were co-factors used in selecting members for the group, which is a 15-person team chaired by a qualified nurse (Infermier). The terms of reference for the team include:

· Serving as bridge for staff to feel at ease in discussing HIV/AIDS and for them to be able to seek help in exclusive manner.

· Providing a in-road to reaching farmers in the WARDA neighborhood.

Key outcomes

- Partnership formed with relevant sectors.

- Formation of peer-group educators on HIV/AIDS from work force at WARDA.

- Sensitization seminar for HIV Peer-educators at WARDA.

- Development of staff policy on HIV/AIDS.

4. Facilitating the CG initiative

WARDA's role, in addition to roles played by ISNAR and IFPRI in leading the process to developing a CGIAR proposal on HIV/AIDS started in 2000 and continued into 2001 to date. In December 2000 - January 2001, WARDA conducted an electronic discussion between CGIAR directors general and directors of research. Result of the e-discussion was subsequently shared with all CGIAR centers and programs, and was presented at an IFPRI-DFID consultative meeting, Washington, January 2001.

In January a draft concept note including key issues that need to be addressed by the CG proposal, and on-going / planned activities at CGIAR centers that are aimed at mitigating HIV/AIDS was developed. The concept note provided a platform for the first CGIAR Inter-Center Consultative meeting on HIV/AIDS, agriculture, agricultural research and development held at ISNAR headquarters, The Hague. February 2001.

During the year in review, the Directors General of WARDA, ISNAR, and IFPRI met at the medium-term meeting Durban South Africa, to discuss next steps for the CG HIV/AIDS initiative (referred to as “SWIHA”), and the formation of a steering group and a working group (including a staff of WARDA) which further developed the CG proposal.

Key outcomes

- The first Inter-center meeting on HIV/AIDS

- First Draft of SWIHA proposal to donors (April, 2001).

- Discussions at AGM2001, Durban South Africa

- Meeting of the SWIHA working group, FAO, Rome, and development of the second draft of the SWIHA proposal.

- Recast and submission of the SWIHA proposal as a challenge program, GIAAFS.

5. Outlook for 2002

Consolidate grounds gained in forging coalition with different stakeholders including the UNAIDS Inter-Country Team for West and Central Africa, interesting NGOs and potential donor agencies.
Further sensitization of NARES, collective think-tank, and stimulating NARES capacity at proposal writing and conduct of research to address HIV/AIDS from an agriculture perspective.
Competitive grants to interested NARES and NGOs in member states.
Community vulnerability survey to be continued in Cote d'Ivoire and extended to other "high risk" countries in the region.
Follow up on collaboration with advanced research institutions in Canada and the USA.
Participation in major HIV/AIDS conferences and seminars.


Left: SWIHA had a booth at the 30^th Anniversary of WARDA and (Right) we were visited by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, Ambassadors, the Director General of WARDA and other VIPs.