Agriculture and Food Security

Overview

Food security is a major challenge on the African continent. Food shortages, high food prices and related social unrest can very often lead to other problems, including political instability.

The African Union, through its NEPAD programme, aims to increase both the amount and quality of food produced on the continent and, by doing so, make families more food-secure, exports more profitable, and improve social and political stability.

NEPAD's agricultural programme is guided by the framework provided by the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

Aims and goals

The programme's focus is on helping African countries improve economic growth through agriculture-led development. The agency brings together all the relevant agricultural organisations and helps them voice their concerns and coordinate their work.

What is being done?

CAADP is pushing for substantial changes in how agricultural business is done in Africa. These include realising the CAADP agricultural goals across Africa while promoting agriculture as a priority for sustainable development.

Rwanda was the first country to sign the CAADP Compact in 2007. By May 2011, 26 countries had incorporated CAADP into their agricultural strategy by signing the CAADP Compact.

NEPAD co-ordinates a number programmes and projects in this area to promote a coherent agricultural development on the continent. These include:

- CAADP
- TerrAfrica
- Fertilizer Support Programme
- Fisheries
- African Biosciences Initiative