News | NEPAD and AGRA join hands to achieve food security

By Dr. Maria Wanzala

Midrand, 5th 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, Head of NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP). AGRA was represented by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Vice President for Policy and Partnerships.

The basis of the partnership is the recognition of the similar and complementary interests and capacities of the two institutions vis-à-vis 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.

AGRA () is a partnership-based organization that is working across Africa’s farm value chain to improve agricultural 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. 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.

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.

For more on CAADP go to www.nepad-caadp.net
For more on AGRA go to www.agra-alliance.org