Copyright: ELIAS MBAO | AFRICA REVIEW

Africa must join hands to share knowledge that will help the continent understand agricultural practices in order to tackle food insecurity, according to research agency.
As the population continues to increase, so is the pressure impacted on the natural resources demanding for urgent comprehensive efforts in tackling this challenge at the national, regional and global level.

Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime says: “We are encouraged by the increased visible alignment of partners’ support to the country-generated priorities in the framework of the CAADP. We would like this process of alignment and harmonisation to continue across all our partnerships both at the global capitals and at the country-level”.

The objectives of the CAADP PP business meeting include:

• Alignment and harmonisation of work programmes across institutions and along the continent’s priority issues and targets as well as building and ensuring consistence with the NEPAD-CAADP vision, principles and values
• Coordination of work programmes for the purposes of ensuring the desired synergies and complementarities (and avoid parallel, let alone contradictory actions/processes);
• Review progress and facilitate peer support (pressure) for enhanced implementation and delivery of results;
• Strengthening of results-based and accountable management in the execution ion of programmes meant to support CAADP implementation

In reaching these objectives, the Business Meeting is expected to make recommendations and endorsements on:

• Overall character (mandate, legitimacy, format/structure) of the CAADP PP Business Meeting
• Guidelines of the core inputs and outputs of the Meeting (what, format) including participation to facilitate/ensure business-like deliberations and decision making
• Meeting follow-up actions

Issues of Communicating CAADP will also be addressed and recommendations on how to enhance understanding and appreciation of CAADP as Africa’s policy framework will be made.

To get more information on this story, visit www.nepad.org and www.nepad-caadp.net
CAADP - endorsed by the (AU) and NEPAD in 2003 - is an Africa-led and Africa-owned initiative and framework to rationalize and revitalize African agriculture for economic growth and lasting poverty reduction results.

For media queries contact:
Tanzania: Ms. Gerda Müller gerda@bluenoteevents.com +255 784 900 721
African Union Commission: Mr. Molalet Tsekede MolaletT@africa-union.org
NEPAD Agency: Ms. Millicent Seganoe: millicents@nepad.org +27 83 266 1829

1/11/2011, Pretoria - A Seminar jointly hosted by the South African Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency), and the United Nations Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) took place at the Innovations Hub in Pretoria on 20 October, 2011.

The aim of the Seminar was to pave the way for South Africa’s involvement in the CAADP process and to develop a common and clear understanding of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries sector development strategies so as to facilitate actions geared at supporting and strengthening CAADP implementation in South Africa.

The Seminar was officially opened by the Acting Deputy Director-General of DAFF, Ms. Sue Middleton, followed by a goodwill message from the FAO Representative from Rome, Mr. Weldeghaber Kidane and introductory remarks by Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD Agency.

In their messages, the speakers emphasised the need to identify a clear set of actions for CAADP value addition to accelerate South Africa’s agriculture development, especially alongside the country food security and poverty alleviation objectives and strategies.

In his keynote address, Mr Sipho Ntombela, the Acting Director-General DAFF recalled South Africa’s leading role in drafting the CAADP document. He explained the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) and how it fits into CAADP’s objectives and main pillars.

According to Dr  Mayaki,  the Seminar was “historic and memorable” because it was “a culmination of several engagements with DAFF and DIRCO geared to support the South African government to mainstream CASP in the implementation of CAADP’’. He went on by stating that “CAADP is not parallel to SA agriculture development strategy, CASP, but rather to be mainstreamed in existing strategy’’.

After setting the tone of the conference, it was the task of the participants to identify, among others, the alignment of priorities, to define the SADC role in advocating CAADP, identify growth opportunities, policy and institutional gaps, as well as market access for agriculture products.

In the process prior to the compact signature by South Africa, the participants agreed that the “country ownership, leadership and stakeholder involvement are key in the CAADP process”.

During the Seminar, participants also agreed that “partnerships are extremely important’’ and highlighted the need to open the process to non-state actors: NGO’s, civil society, farmers’ organisations, the private sector and academia.

In her closing remarks, Ms Middleton, acknowledged the need to ‘’set up a national CAADP task team in line with the Integrated Growth Development Programme (IGDP) of South Africa’’. She emphasised that “South Africa has to draw from lessons learnt from other countries that have already implemented CAADP’’. She added that “CAADP is about transformation and not about process-oriented thinking’’ and called on all stakeholders to work together towards South Africa’s CAADP compact signing by mid-2012. 

Ethiopian Goodwill Ambassador, Amb. Haile Gebreselassie

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - 31 October 2011 – Africa has the potential to feed itself, but after more than 50 years of independence, the continent still suffers from widespread malnutrition while spending millions of US dollars annually to import food from the global market. However, programmes such as CAADP and the ‘African Food Basket Initiative’ are attempting to change this situation. This was the general message at the first anniversary of the African Food and Nutrition Security Day (AFNSD) celebrations held at the Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on October 31.

Participants at the AFNSD argued that unlike Asia, has immense land and water resources that could be utilized to boost food production. Still, 240 million people on the continent are undernourished (consume less than the required recommended 2100 kcal/day) and 5 million children die of malnutrition every year. This is equivalent to a child dying every 6 seconds. Malnutrition is the leading cause of death (35% of child deaths per year). In addition, over 50 million African children suffer from chronic malnutrition which translates to about 40-60% of these children being stunted (low height for age).  Over 40% of pregnant women are malnourished.

The Agriculture Ministry of Ethiopia, representatives of the Government of Malawi, representatives from the European Union (EU), the Africa Rice Center, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), United Nations (UN) Agencies, the African Union Commission, the NEPAD Agency and representatives of the Member States of the AU commemorated the 2nd annual Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to Mr. Jean Ping, the AUC Chairperson, “intra-African trade could thus be the true motor to release the developmental energy of agriculture in order to enhance food and nutrition security”.

Mr. Ping commended the work that the AU in following up on the challenge thrown at the continent in which no child should go to bed hungry within five years. The Commission, he stated, moved swiftly to set up a high level task group on how to realise the vision for a food secure Africa within five years.

The Commission also embraced the values of the “African Food Basket Initiative” also under auspices of President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi and has worked on ways and means of mainstreaming these elements into the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).

“The key recommendations from today’s discussions shall feed into the other items tabled for discussions at the 18^th Summit of the AU for consideration by AU Member States”, said Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime – the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Malawi to Ethiopia, Dr. Isaac G. Munlo, emphasised that this year’s theme, “Investing in Intra- African Trade for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa” embraces a high impact intervention area likely to enhance the transformation of African agriculture. “Trade among African countries has the potential to strengthen sectoral and regional complementarities, to promote innovations in value addition and it can contribute to the effective movement of food from surplus to deficit area,” he added.

“It is unacceptable to have food surpluses in one side of the continent while the other side faces famine and starvation because of closed border laws and requlations put in place by us (Africans),” reiterated Goodwill Ambassador Haile Gebreslassie of Ethiopia, in his keynote address. “Despite the role that all of us play, AU and NEPAD are going to be increasingly important in helping build consensus as well as mobilizing resources to scale up successes,” he emphasized.

Prof. Aggrey Ambali, speaking on behalf of Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, the Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD Agency highlighted that as NEPAD celebrates 10 years in 2011, there is visible progress on Africa’s development agenda. For instance, to date, close to 30 African countries have completed their CAADP round table processes and reviewed their country investment plans.  About one third of the Member States are on track towards achieving MDG1 of reducing poverty and halving hunger by 2015, he revealed.

Editor’s take note:

The theme for this year’s Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day is is “Investing in intra-African trade for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa”.

The Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day was adopted during the 15th AU Summit in Kampala, Uganda and the first commemoration was held in Malawi in October 2010. This year’s theme calls for:

• An increase in the volume of high value and nutritious foods
• Enhancing of national and regional markets and cross-border trade
• Enhancing of regional and local emergency response and capacity to deal with crises
• Stepping up of efforts to prioritise harmonisation of SPS frameworks

In addressing the challenges faced by Africa on Food and Nutrition Security, some of the recommendations made at the commemoration are:

• To increase budget allocations dedicated to core nutrition interventions within the Agriculture Investment Plans and other key sector plans (Health, Education, Trade and Social protection);

• To have short term contingency plans as well as long term planning in order to prevent and mitigate crisis such as the one in the “Horn of Africa”;
• To improve infrastructure (road, rail, water, air, storage, sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards to regulate food safety) to better serve the objectives of improving the movement, delivery of agriculture food and nutrition commodities and services within nations states and across borders;

• To support small scale farmers to optimise their productivity through farm inputs such as quality seeds, fertilizer and appropriate technologies.

Mr. Sicelo Gqobana, Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Health for the Eastern Capeof South Africa insisted that researchers, policy makers and partners need to harmonise andcoordinate their efforts in order to attain food and nutrition security.

“We need to close the gap between government programmes, the research work of tertiaryinstitutions and the implementers on the ground,” Mr. Gqobana said on day 2 during an eventin Midrand to commemorate the 2nd Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day (AFNSD), which ismarked on 30th October every year.

The Adviser for Agriculture in the Office of the President of Uganda, JJ Otim, reiterated thatthere was a need for improved communication and the implementation of concrete actions inthe fight against hunger and malnutrition in Africa.

“We also need a platform for sharing information and lobbying those in higher authority at thenational and regional levels – so that they can assist to enact some of our proposals,” said Mr.Otim.

Speaking at the same event, Mr. Richard Mkandawire the Head of the Directorate forPartnerships, Resource Mobilisation and Communications stressed that there was still need forpolitical will in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

“Africa is not short of the required human resources to feed itself,” said Mr. Mkandawire. “WhatAfrica lacks is the political will”.

“There is however a wind of change sweeping across Africa. Africa is a re-energised continentwhere there is hope in the horizon for renewal of growth,” he added.

During the proceedings, Mrs. Sheryl Hendriks of the University of Pretoria provided a summaryof the key outcomes from the 2-day event. These included:

• The need for South Africa to establish a strong National Food Security and NutritionCoordination Structure or Task Team at the level of the Presidency;
• The institution of AFNSD as a key annual event;
• The push for AFNSD to act as a key space for dialogue at all levels and among allstakeholders that are fighting against hunger and malnutrition, and;
• Support for the Comprehensive Africa Aagriculture Development Process in-country and to develop a national comprehensive plan.

The Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day was endorsed by the African Heads of State andGovernments during the 15th AU Summit held in Kampala, Uganda in July 2010. The theme forthis year’s event - which is being commemorated in various countries and also at the AfricanUnion in Addis Ababa, is - “Investing in Intra–Africa trade for Food and Nutrition Security”.

27-28 October 2011, Midrand Conference Centre, Johannesburg, SouthAfrica

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) in partnership with the Department of Health in South Africa will, on the 27 and 28^th of October 2011, commemorate the Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day.

The Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day was endorsed by the African Heads of State and Governments during the 15^th AU Summit held in Kampala, Uganda. This say is to be commemorated annually by all member states on 30^th October. The theme for this year’s event is:  “Investing in Intra–Africa trade for Food and Nutrition Security”.

The objectives broadly are:

• To create widespread awareness on the importance of investing in the intra-African trade of strategic food and agricultural commodities in order to promote food and nutrition security on the continent;
• To share best practices, innovations, challenges, and constraints;

• To improve market access and trade opportunities by promoting production and consumption of high quality foods, such as fortified foods with micronutrients, diverse nutrient dense vegetables and fruits and animal source foods; and

• To promote sustainable access to evidence-based maternal and child nutrition interventions.

Members of the media are hereby invited to attend:

1. The Technical seminar: 27th October 2011

Time: 09:00 am – 5:00 pm

Speakers will include Food and Nutrition experts from within South Africa and across the continent.

2. The High level official Commemoration: 28th October 2011

Time: 09:00am-1pm (Keynote Address by Hon. Aaron Motsoaledi)

For more information and to schedule interviews, please contact:

NEPAD Agency: Millicent Seganoe:millicents@nepad.org +27 (0) 11 256 3615 www.nepad.org / www.nepad-caadp.net

SA HAS the most advanced agricultural sector and value chain but it is behind its Southern African Development Community (Sadc) peers in implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad).

SA’s team — involving 11 national departments, development financial institutions and organised agricultur e — met for the first time yesterday to begin the task of synchronising the country’s agricultural and rural development vision with the Nepad programme, almost 10 years since it was adopted by the African Union.

Addressing a media briefing in Pretoria yesterday on the progress of the programme’s implementation in Africa, Nepad CEO Ibrahim Assane Mayaki said he was encouraged now that SA had developed “strategic thinking on agricultural growth incorporating aspects of the programme”.

Dr Mayaki said SA’s leadership role in the implementation of Nepad programmes was crucial, particularly to build sound markets in the Sadc region.

Simon Kisira, a monitoring officer at the Nepad Planning and Co-ordinating Agency and a member of the Nepad agricultural programme’s implementation team, said 40 countries on the continent were at various levels of actively implementing the programme, with 28 having reached the level of signing their national pact.

Within the Sadc group of 14 countries SA, Angola, Botswana, Madagascar and Zimbabwe were at the beginning of the process.

Countries such as Seychelles, Swaziland, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi had already signed their pacts for the Nepad programme and were approaching investors, locally and internationally, to act on their plans, Mr Kisira said.

He said even though SA was one of the countries that were slow to implement the programme, it was likely to outpace its Sadc neighbours because of its advanced agricultural infrastructure and production levels.

SA is already ahead of the pack in realising the programme’s goals of extending the area under sustainable land management; improving rural infrastructure and trade-related capacities for market access; increasing food supply and reducing hunger ; and agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption.

Sipho Ntombela, acting director-general at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said it was important for SA to completely embrace Nepad’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme if it was to successfully tackle poverty and hunger in rural areas.

Source: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=156643

In the latter half of last century, investment in agricultural research across the continent fell, with annual growth rates in spending declining from two per cent in the 1970s to just 0.8 per cent in the 1990s, according to the latest brief of International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

“In 2003, African leaders agreed, under the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP), to increase agricultural GDP by six per cent a year. But most countries have failed to reach that target, with annual growth rates remaining at less than three per cent,” noted IIED’s brief entitled, ‘Integrating climate change into agricultural research for development in Africa’.

Excluding Nigeria and South Africa, total public ARD spending in Africa actually fell by 0.3 percent each year in the 1990s. Spending per scientist has also declined considerably over the past three decades, according to the brief.

“Lack of investment in research for the development of Africa’s agriculture means that the continent remains largely dependent on outside funding. Added to a growing number of people — Africa’s population is expected to rise from one billion today to 2.1 billion by 2050 — under-investment in agriculture is sure to undermine the continent’s impressive economic growth.” it noted.

On the other hand, at a summit in L’Aquila, Italy, in 2009, the G8 pledged 22.5 billion US dollars to support African agriculture, including 3.8 billion US dollars from the European Commission and significant commitments from several other European donors.

According to IIED, to be effective, this money should target the sub-sector with the greatest potential to increase food security.

“This means investing in public good research to improve the livelihoods of African small-scale producers. Integrating climate change is essential because smallholders are among the most vulnerable to its impacts,” sated the brief sponsored by European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development (EIARD).

Source: http://newbusinessethiopia.com

The workshop at the International Conference Centre was attended by the Minister for Investment, Natural Resources and Industry, Peter Sinon, his principal secretaries, as well as representatives of the Seychelles Agricultural Agency, the Seychelles Fishing Authority and other related organisations.

Also present was Frederick Msiska, the GISAMA Coordinator for COMESA — of which Seychelles is a signatory — and Cyril Monty, consultant of the Indian Ocean Commission.

Launching the workshop, the principal secretary for Investment and Natural Resources, Michael Nalletamby, said in recent years, flooding, wildfires, the global economic recession and piracy have increased the vulnerability of Seychelles in terms of food security.

Being at the mercy of external shocks has prompted Seychelles to strive towards greater food sufficiency, which presently stands at only 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), minus exports of processed tuna, he said.

Mr Nalletamby noted that our link with CAADP, which was institutionalised by the African Union at a conference in Maputo in 2003, means supporting the development of a comprehensive agricultural programme covering all the major agricultural sectors of crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry.

Yesterday’s workshop focussed on what will feature in the new agricultural strategy, which will align itself on other national development plans.

The Seychelles government and key stakeholders have identified five main priority areas for national development, all of which reduces Seychelles’ vulnerability to external shocks, build resilience of the national economy and provide the basis for long-term sustainable development.

They are: (a) renewable energy and water, (b) human resource development, (c) economic infrastructure, including transport and ICT, (d) food security, trade and diversification, (e) development of national statistics.

Some of the more salient development objectives that are to be met are to reduce foreign currency leakage, enhance farm income, improve lifelihoods and create national wealth for investment in other sectors, increase national GDP contribution of the sector and optimise the use of scarce economic factors of production such as land, labour capital.

Other key development objectives are to enhance the health of the local population and to optimise the level of local environmental services through sound agricultural practices.

According to the agricultural production targets for food items consumed locally for the next five years, 100% of pork, broiler chicken and table eggs will be produced locally as well as 80% of fruit and vegetables.

Source: http://www.nation.sc

© Ray Witlin / World Bank

SMALL scale farmers from southern and eastern Africa have attributed regular food shortages in the region to ineffective governments’ policies that fail to address pertinent issues in the sector.

They have accused the governments of neglecting agriculture, citing failure by many states to allocate 10 percent of their national budgets to finance the agricultural sector.

Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF) and National Network of Small Scale Farmers Groups in Tanzania (MVIWATA) meeting in Morogoro over the weekend, farmers decried state negligence and poor policies that impede their access to lucrative markets.

State neglect of small scale farmers who are the main producers have greatly contributed

to the food crisis facing the larger eastern Africa,” ESAFF Regional Coordinator Joe Mzinga said, noting that the two organisations believed that it was due to failure of food laws and policies that put the whole region in unbearable pain.

He said the food scarcity was further aggravated by rising inflation that has made life difficult for common people as prices escalate.

“State neglect of small scale farmers who are the main producers have greatly contributed to the food crisis facing the larger eastern Africa.

Calling on governments to summon emergency parliamentary sessions to discuss the worsening food situation, Mzinga supported Oxfam International’s estimates which put the number of those at risk at over 12 million people.

He warned that the situation is likely to worsen if mitigation measures are not taken without further delays.

“Governments should immediately fulfill Maputo Declaration to top up agriculture budget to 10 percent of national budgets. National assemblies’ should hold emergency sessions, and force this to be done,” The ESAFF Regional Coordinator argued.

While commending Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa for responding to a recent call by United Nations to member states to contribute 2.5 billion US dollars needed to address the Horn of African famine crisis, the forum said funds are still insufficient.

ESAFF Chairperson, Moses Shaha urged governments in the region to focus on small scale farmers who produce the bulk of food and cash crops supporting the economy other than large scale foreign investors.

“Governments must regulate agribusiness instead of offering tax breaks for ecological plunder masquerading as economic development,” argued Mr. Shaha.

Shaha also called on regional blocs such as Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Southern Africa Development Community and East African Community to sign and domesticate CAADP COMPACT as Economic Community of West African States has done.

“CAADP programme implementation should involve small scale farmers, our opinion and observations should be taken into account to realize sustainable agro-ecological agriculture development which is meaningful to Africa. All these initiatives must widely inform and include opinions of the real practitioners of small scale crop, livestock and fish production,” the ESAFF Chairman argued.

The Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) is an African-led initiative to reduce poverty and improve food security.

CAADP aims to help African countries reach a higher path of economic growth through agriculture-led development.

It is part of the Maputo Declaration which demands that all African governments spending on agriculture increase to 10 percent of their total annual budgets with targeted annual growth of 6 percent by 2015.

The meeting was attended by representatives of small scale farmers from Burundi, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201108292365.html