Accra, 28 October  2009 — Ghana  on the 28^th of October 2009 become the 10^th African country to sign the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Compact after a successful series of Round table on the alignment of the country’s agricultural priorities towards the CAADP Agenda.

The CAADP Round table in Ghana was officially opened by the Vice-President of Ghana, H.E. Mr John Dramani Mahama who confirmed his country’s commitment to the CAADP agenda. In his remarks, he said that Ghana was one of the few countries in Africa that was set to meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of cutting poverty by half by 2015.

Mr. Mahama attributed this to better focus of the country on agriculture, political stability and better institutional coordination. He said Ghana experienced an average of 4.3% growth rate between 1984 and 2009. That relatively high growth rate in the agriculture sector caused radical decline in poverty.

The Compact document was signed by four state Ministers - Agriculture, Finance, Road and Transport and the Minister responsible for Womens Affairs - and the ten traditional rulers representing the various regional houses of Chiefs.

Participants at the Round table included representatives from the Government of Ghana, the African Union (AU), the Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the private sector, farmers’ organisations, civil society organisations and development partners.

Mr. Komla Bissi, an Agriculture Advisor at NEPAD commended the Government and the people of Ghana for their commitment towards the inclusion of a diversity and multiplicity of stakeholders in the Round tables. Mr. Bissi noted that this spirit of inclusion had enabled all the participants to reach consensus on Ghana’s agricultural development agenda, to forge the necessary partnerships to implement it and to secure commitments and resources from partners to make the necessary investments.

Ghana reviewed its Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II) in 2008 and has been in consultation with the relevant national stakeholders and development partners in the design of a sector-wide approach (SWAP) in 2008.

In the case of Ghana, the CAADP implementation process has sought to add value to the ongoing agenda and processes under the Food and Agriculture sector Development Policy (FASDEP) as part of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) and National Medium and Long Term Development Plans.  It focuses on providing a longer term strategic framework for the implementation of the investment programmes in the agriculture sector.  For the period 2009-2015, the following six programmes, which together represent Ghana’s priorities within the four CAADP Pillars, are defined:

             (i)        Food security and emergency preparedness

            (ii)        Improved growth in incomes and reduced income variability

           (iii)        Increased competitiveness and enhanced integration into domestic and international markets

          (iv)        Sustainable management of land and environment

           (v)        Science and technology applied in food and agriculture development

          (vi)        Enhanced institutional coordination

Future growth performance in Ghana’s agricultural sector is projected to stabilize at just over 4%. Although this is well under the 6% growth target of CAADP, projected performance however is sufficient for Ghana to achieve the MDG I of halving its 1990 national poverty rate by 2008.

As such, the Compact process in Ghana has attracted increased high-level political and public attention to the need to focus on agricultural growth and food security, as well as to refine the existent sector policy and identify investment opportunities for the identified priorities. It also provided a public consultation with all stakeholders and assured their commitment in the mutual responsibility to achieve the CAADP goals.

By Martin Bwalya

FAO Director General Jacques Diouf

Speaking at the start of last week’s high-level NEPAD-FAO bilateral discussions, Dr. Mayaki who was recently appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NEPAD noted that FAO had a critical role to play in supporting regional and country level CAADP implementation, particularly with regard to the development of investment programmes of those countries that have signed up to the CAADP Compact. The discussions between the two development organizations were focused on defining real concrete avenues and action points for joint cooperation in supporting CAADP implementation.

Dr. Mayaki, led the NEPAD delegation which included Mr. Martin Bwalya, Lead Specialist – Sustainable Land and Water Management / Team Leader – CAADP Implementation Support and Ms. Bibi Giyose, Senior Adviser (Nutrition). The NEPAD delegation held meetings with FAO Director General, Dr. Jacques Diouf  and several senior staff led by Mr. J. M. Sumpsi, ADG/TC. The meetings were a follow-up to the bilateral discussions held at the NEPAD Offices in Midrand, South Africa in early September 2009.

FAO is already mobilising its national and regional level offices and experts to directly engage and align its support to the CAADP country processes. FAO has also pledged to increase its support to enhancing capacity at the African Union Commission, NEPAD and at the level of the Regional Economic Communities. FAO is also in the process of setting up a technical CAADP Task Team charged with ensuring coordinated and integrated support from its various technical divisions to CAADP implementation.

FAO secures USD 2.8 million to support CAADP implementation

During the meeting, the FAO Director General informed the NEPAD delegation led that FAO had secured USD 2.8 Million from the Italian Government to fund its support to CAADP implementation. Under this programme, FAO will support:

(i)             strengthening of African Union Commission and NEPAD in providing policy guidance to CAADP implementation and

(ii)            selected African countries who have signed the CAADP Compact in formulation of quality investment programmes and alignment of their policies for effective CAADP implementation.

FAO will in this context also facilitate enhanced coordination of the United Nations efforts in supporting the CAADP agenda.

Research Fellows: LINKING AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH TO INNOVATION

RIUP is a research and development programme designed to put agricultural research into use for developmental purposes and to conduct research on how to do this. RIU has appointed the LINK programme of UNU-MERIT to act as its Central Research Team (CRT) with responsibility for designing and implementing its research.

The research will examine RIUP’s own experiences of putting research into use and in doing so will develop a clearer understanding of how to better link agricultural research to innovation.

The CRT now wishes to appoint up to 6 research fellows from Asia and Africa to help study RIUP’s portfolio of activities in these regions.

Candidates should have:

• Research experience on agricultural and rural innovation policies and processes.

• A recent relevant PhD is desirable, but candidates with a strong relevant publication record would also be considered.

• Positions could be full or part time.

These positions will be located in the regions where RIU works.

Appointments will be made as personnel services agreements (PSA) with UNU-MERIT. The RIUP is sponsored by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) until June 2011.

Candidates should submit a CV and covering letter to Christine Wheeler (c.wheeler@nrint.co.uk) from whom further details are available on request.

The closing date for applications is 31 October 2009.

By Komla Bissi

Monrovia, 16 October 2009 — On the 16^th of October 2009, Liberia became the 8^th African country to sign the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Compact after a successful roundtable conference culminating in the endorsement of the Liberia’s CAADP compact. 

Representatives from ECOWAS, FARA, NEPAD and the Liberian Government at the CAADP Roundtables in Monrovia, Liberia

The roundtable meeting which was held on the 15^th and 16^th October in Monrovia was attended by more than 300 participants made up of senior Government officials of the Republic of Liberia,  representatives of the various ministries responsible for agriculture and rural development, agricultural experts, policymakers,  representatives from farmer organizations, the private sector, development associations and Non-Governmental Organizations; representatives of the African Union (AU) / New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and development partners.

The CAADP roundtable that was organised by the Government of Liberia is a sector wide meeting that was used to reach consensus among key stakeholders on Liberia’s agricultural development agenda and to forge the necessary partnerships to implement it, and secure mutual commitments and resources from partners to make the necessary investments.

Liberia’s Compact was signed on behalf of the Government of Liberia by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Dr Florence A Chenoweth. Other signatories to the Compact included a representative of the AU/NEPAD, ECOWAS, and a representative of the development partners, a representative of the private sector, civil society organizations and farmer organizations.

In his opening remarks, the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E Joseph N. Boakai noted that the CAADP principles of being an African-led initiative that is intended to end hunger and poverty through Agriculture led growth are consistent with the national agriculture development strategy of Liberia.

He also acknowledged the continuous support of the donor partners and relevant stakeholders in the agriculture sector of the nation that went through a decade-long of civil conflict. “We are indeed glad as a people and nation of some significant improvement in the agriculture sector of the country owing to the many supports and partnerships over the years” the Vice President declared.

The Senior Liberia Government Official further commended the AU/ NEPAD and ECOWAS in their involvement in several agriculture initiatives in the country over the years.  

Speaking earlier, the Minister of Agriculture Dr Florence Chenoweth urged the participants of the Liberia CAADP Roundtable conference to deliberate with frankness and come out with workable programs that would also enhance the growth and development of the nation. 

Speaking on behalf of NEPAD, Mr. Komla Bissi, NEPAD Agriculture Advisor, who made the opening remarks on behalf of the secretariat of NEPAD, urged all Liberian and stakeholders in the agriculture sector to work as a team in order to boost the growth and development of agriculture for the benefit of their people.  

Midrand, 5^th October 2009 - The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) met on October 5, 2009 to further discussions towards the finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that is aimed at enhancing their joint work towards achieving food security in Africa.

In attendance at the meeting were Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NEPAD and Prof. Richard Mkandawire (to the right in the photo), Head of NEPAD’s Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP). AGRA was represented by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (to the left in the photo), Vice President for Policy and Partnerships. 

The work of the two organisations towards an MOU is based on their joint recognition of the complementary interests and capacities of the two institutions with regard to accelerating agricultural development in Africa in order to achieve food security.

Therefore, the purpose of the partnership is to establish a platform for cooperation and coordination between the two institutions to achieve this mutual goal through policy- and program-oriented actions to jointly address the underlying constraints in all aspects of the African agricultural value chain.

NEPAD and AGRA have a common agenda and complementary objectives aimed at promoting accelerated agricultural growth in order to achieve food security and alleviate poverty.

It is in this regard that there is also preliminary agreement on the following areas of collaboration: a) AGRA support and participation in the CAADP country roundtable processes and Compact signing events, and aligning AGRA program investments with CAADP country investment programs; b) Joint  high-level policy advocacy to help achieve the African Green Revolution; c) Capacity building for policy-makers and agricultural research institution in policy analysis and advocacy; d) Joint convening of the Africa Green Revolution Forum to be convened once a year, starting September 2010; and e) Monitoring and evaluation to assess progress made.

The MOU will be finalized in October 2009 and the expectation is that it will be signed at the next meeting of the CAADP Partnership Platform to be held during 9-10 November in Abuja, Nigeria.

AGRA is a partnership-based organization that is working across Africa’s farm value chain to improveagricultural productivity and farm incomes of small-scale farmers. The organization was created in 2006 in response to a call from African governments for an African Green Revolution that benefits small-scale farmers and will transform African agriculture into a highly productive sector that will lift millions out of poverty.

NEPAD’s Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) was endorsed in 2003 by African leaders as the program to accelerate economic growth in Africa through agriculture-led development which would eliminate hunger and poverty through investments in 4 key areas: extending the area under sustainable land management and reliable water control systems; increasing market access through improved rural infrastructure and other trade-related interventions; increasing food supply and reducing hunger; and improving agricultural research systems to disseminate appropriate new technologies, and increasing the support given to help farmers adopt them.

For more information on CAADP go to www.nepad-caadp.net 

For more information on AGRA go to www.agra-alliance.org