Call for Papers for conference titled “South-South Cooperation: India-Africa partnerships for food security and capacity building”
Centre for African Studies, University of Mumbai
&
Gandhi-Mandela Centre for African Studies,
Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Mumbai.
Call for Papers:
“South-South Cooperation: India-Africa partnerships for food security and capacity building”
Subject areas: Agriculture, Food Security, African Studies, South Asian Studies
Conference dates: 12th-14th January 2018,
Venue: Mumbai, India
Background
The major thrust of the proposed conference is to understand South-South Development cooperation between India and select countries in Africa in the agriculture and agro-processing sectors. It aims to understand the role of India’s development compact – aid, trade, private sector driven foreign direct investments (FDIs), and concessional lines of credit from the Government of India – in increasing agricultural productivity and building value chains in agro commodities, inter alia, sugar, cotton, cashew, pulses, and oilseeds. India’s experience of the ‘Green Revolution’ and access to ‘appropriate, adaptable, and affordable’ (triple A) technologies in the agriculture and allied sectors makes it a preferred partner for finding cost-effective solutions towards‘ smart agriculture’, and building human and infrastructural capacity in these sectors. Training and capacity building programs conducted by the Indian government as well as private sector organizations offer transfer of skills to several countries in Africa. Collaborative initiatives for the setting up of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have immense potential for job creation on the continent that is projected to account for more than half of the world’s population growth by 2050.
For the Africa Development Bank, transformation of agriculture and building value chains in agricultural commodities by a new generation of agripreneurs is one of the ‘High 5’ priorities. To counter global food insecurity, a united and collective action is required, such as through the ongoing South-South initiatives between India and Africa.
The ongoing collaborations between the partners have been mutually beneficial. The continent provides India with a vast market for her agro-technology as well as investment opportunities in the agriculture and value addition segments. While export of select agricultural commodities from Africa has helped India diversify her import base and meet the shortfall in domestic production.
The main focus of the conference is to understand the tangible outcome of India-Africa partnerships in the agriculture and agri-processing sectors over the past decade, the anxieties, limitations and challenges
Themes of research encompass new approaches, practices, opportunities, anxieties and challenges in the ongoing collaborative activities in agriculture and allied sectors, in the two geographies under study.
These include, but are not limited to;
- Agricultural research facilities and training programmes set up by GoI in Africa
- Scholarships to African students enrolled in agricultural universities in India
- Collaboration on climate smart agriculture between ICRISAT and countries in Africa
- Co-operation for livestock development (e.g., the imGoats project, the IT Milk project) between ILRI, India and countries in Africa
- FDIs in agri and agro-processing sectors through private sector and PPP model
- The role of EXIM Bank of India’s lines of credit to build infrastructure and add value in the agriculture and allied sectors
- Value chains and partnerships for capacity building and sharing technology in agro-commodities for example:
- the Cotton Technical Assistance Programme (C-TAP); sugar in Ethiopia, Ghana and others),
- GoI’s bilateral cooperation initiatives such as Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC)
- trilateral cooperation initiatives, inter alia, with partner countries in East Africa through Supporting Indian Trade and Investment for Africa (SITA) – a Department for International Development (DFID), government of U.K. programme, with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
- India’s triple ‘A’ technology and transfer of skills, inter alia, for water management, drip irrigation, soil testing, storage, seeds, and fertiliser in Africa
- Preferential access to least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa for the export of agro-products to India
- Land, gender and food security
- The gendered impact of CSR activities in Africa
- Trading in agro-commodities between countries in Africa and India.
The key objective is to seek evidence-based papers on the outcome of Indian engagement in agriculture and value addition to agro commodities in Africa.
Our primary aim is to bring together multiple perspectives on the subject under study. We invite submissions from academics, researchers, development professionals, NGO’s, private sector, government and international organizations based in India and Africa.
Contributors are requested to submit extended abstracts and full papers in research areas listed above in English/ French. Twenty papers will be selected and their authors invited to participate in a conference-cum-workshop scheduled to be held in Mumbai, from 12th- 14th January 2018. Drafts of research papers will be made available to all participants beforehand and each author will be given time to present their findings followed by brief comments, a general discussion and opportunities for feedback.
The papers will be peer reviewed and published in an edited volume with a reputed international publisher.
Funding
The invited participants will be provided with a return economy air ticket and local hospitality for the duration of the conference.
Conference Coordinators
Dr. Renu Modi, Senior Lecturer, Centre for African Studies, University of Mumbai
Dr. Meera Venkatachalam, Gandhi-Mandela Centre for African Studies, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Mumbai.
Important Dates
Deadline for submission of abstract: 15th September, 2017
Acceptance of abstract: 20th September, 2017
Submission of draft papers: 15th November, 2017
Intimation of acceptance of draft papers: 20th November, 2017
Conference cum workshop: 12th- 14th January 2018
The full papers should be submitted as soft copies to allow for tracking of comments, to the following email addresses;
<africaindia2017@gmail.com>, cc <meera.venkatachalam@orfonline.org>