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The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) recently participated in the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) held at the National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC), New Delhi, India. The event took place on 2-7 August 2024.  The conference, whose theme was “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” was officially opened by Shri Narendra Modi, the Hon. Prime Minister of India, and accompanied by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Hon. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, India. 

Distinguished persons in attendance included Prof. Matin Qaim (Centre for Development Research, Zef), Prof. Uma Lele (formerly World Bank), Prof. Prabu Pingali, Prof. Joackim von Braun (University of Bonn), Prof. Johan Swennen (former Director General, IFPRI), Prof. Will Martin (formerly World Bank), Prof. Kei Otsuka (University of Kobe), Prof. Christopher Barett (Cornell University), and Dr. Schengen Fan, among others. A total of 1,022 delegates emanating from 58 countries were in attendance. India led with 22% of the delegates, USA (17%), Germany (11%) Kenya (7%), Italy and China at 6% each, and Japan and UK at 4% each.

The panel in which AERC was invited to lead was titled “Research in Nutritious Food Markets for Policy Influence in sub-Saharan Africa”. It had four presentations by researchers under the AERC-BMGF Policy Analysis for Sustainable and Healthy Foods in African Retail Markets (PASHFARM) as follows: 

1) Rural Wealth and Access to Nutritious and Healthy Diets: Panel Data Evidence from Zambia by Dr. Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong

2) Food Price Volatility, Affordability, and Inequalities in Nutritious Diets: The Case of Ghana by Dr. Isaac Kwesi Ofori

3) Gendered Participation along the Food Vending Value Chains in Urban Informal Settlements in Kenya by Dr. Pamela Marinda; and 

4) The Gendered effect of Food Cost and Price Variability on Consumption of Nutritious Foods and Diets by Ms. Doris Macha. 

The presentations were followed by a policy roundtable by Prof. Tom G. Ondicho, Department of Anthropology, Gender, and African Studies, University of Nairobi, Kenya; Prof. Bereket Kebede, University of East Anglia, UK; Ms. Doris Macha, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and moderated by Dr. Mark Korir, Manager, Training, AERC.

The panel concluded that control of food price volatilities is critical to food security and the consumption of nutritious diets; that lack of infrastructural facilities reduced profit margins and hampered provision of quality and nutritious foods; and that it is imperative that stakeholders support policies that provide for infrastructural facilities in retail markets for nutritious foods. The session generated a lot of interest with the conference delegates including the AERC resource persons (Prof. Victor Okoruwa- Thematic Group E and Prof. Daniel Sakyi- SFSE Visiting Professor), researchers and alumni.

A mid conference tour was organized for the delegates, one of which was PUSA Panorama: A Journey through Agricultural Excellence which showcased India’s agricultural research and innovations including horticulture, phenomics, integrated fish farming, automated irrigation, green manure, and research in long-grain Basmati, among others.