Evaluation

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Special Evaluation Study on Policy Implementation and Impact of Agricultural and Natural Resources Research
Completed: 2000

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) adopted an official policy on agriculture and natural resources research (ANRR) in 1995, to increase food production and food security, and contribute toward poverty reduction.

Completed in 2000, this special evaluation study evaluates the appropriateness, effectiveness, and impacts of ADB's policy and support to ANRR in the Asian and Pacific region.

The study aims to

• review and assess ADB's role and contribution to support ANRR
  
• evaluate the implementation performance of ADB-funded research activities and projects
  
• determine the adequacy of ADB-financed ANRR activities in meeting ADB's policy requirements

A sample of ADB-supported projects from four international agricultural research centers (IARCs) was selected for impact assessment studies.

  Summary of Findings

• ANRR has played an important role in promoting agricultural and rural development in Asia over the past 30 years. Changes that ANRR set in place have contributed significantly to improving the living conditions of poor farmers, which in turn leads to poverty reduction.



• ADB provides support to ANRR as part of its strategic framework for poverty reduction. Most developing member countries (DMCs) do not yet have the capacity or resources to undertake needed research without strong international support and partnerships.



• ANRR benefits the poor by raising farm income and employment; lowering food prices in the market; providing pathways out of poverty by raising incomes thus providing more education for children, better health and other household services, and creating rural and urban employment; and promoting broad-based economic growth. Additionally, an environmental consequence of the green revolution technologies is the saving of land not required to produce today's food output at pre-green revolution yield levels.



• ADB's funding for ANRR has been appropriate to the evolving needs of Asian agriculture, and have helped IARCs succeed by increasing the productivity of Asian agriculture, training several generations of Asian scientists, and conserving germplasm and biodiversity.



• The primary mechanism to achieve maximum impact from limited funds is to support Asian networks as a means of strengthening national agricultural research systems (NARSs) while disseminating products from the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research to the clients.



• ADB funding for ANRR increased since the policy on ANRR was implemented. However, the amount is small relative to other important donors in this area.

  Recommendations

• The ANRR policy agenda should focus on ADB's main thrust of development objectives and closely focus on pro-poor growth, poverty reduction, and environmental protection



• ADB should adopt a two-pronged ANRR strategy i.e., TA funding for IARCs focusing on cutting-edge research which would bring about new breakthroughs and a quantum jump in agricultural productivity, as well as a focus on networking with NARSs for effective dissemination of research results. Parallel to it, loan funding should be provided to NARSs, local universities, and interested nongovernment organizations for in situ adaptive research on sustainable farming systems, management of natural resources, variety trials, environmental protection, socioeconomics, etc.



• ADB should continue the current restrictive funding modality but adopt a cluster TA project-processing approach providing TA funding to the IARCs and NARS



• ANRR activities should focus on areas of high poverty incidence and areas with a less-favored agro-ecological environment in DMCs



• ADB should strengthen its capacity to supervise, monitor, and evaluate ANRR TA project activities by providing adequate resources for processing and administration functions



• ADB's operations departments should undertake active policy dialogues with DMCs to ensure that DMC governments give significant emphasis to ANRR and provide adequate staff and financial resources for ANRR activities.