Agriculture and Food Security

Overview

To fast-track development, NEPAD’s Agriculture and Food Security programme focuses on helping African countries improve economic growth through agriculture-led development. Specifically, the NEPAD Agency aims to ensure that smallholder farmers – the majority of Africans – get better access to markets, finance and technical support, in order to improve their income and get out of poverty.

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

Our goal: Advancing Agriculture and Food Security

Agricultural development on the continent is driven through NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). This Programme brings together key players in agriculture – such African leaders, policy makers, scientists, partners and farmers – to unleash agricultural growth and sustainable development on the continent.

CAADP’s objective is to raise agricultural productivity in Africa to at least six percent annually to contribute to poverty alleviation and elimination of hunger in Africa. In addition, CAADP requires countries to commit at least 10 percent of their national budgets to agriculture. Since 2003, thirty countries have signed up to the CAADP Compact and eight have surpassed the 10 percent target.

The programme is premised on four pillars – each dealing with key issues:

• Sustainable land and reliable water control systems;
• Private sector development, rural infrastructure, improved trade and market access;
• Increasing food supply and reducing hunger; and
• Agricultural research and dissemination of agricultural technology.

Programmes Complementing CAADP

• TerrAfrica programme – Leveraging funds to scale up sustainable land management in sub-Saharan Africa – close to US$ billion disbursed funds to 27 countries.
• Fertilizer Support Programme – Facilitating the production, distribution, procurement and use of fertiliser in Africa – US$ 35 million earmarked.
• Partnership for African Fisheries (PAF) – Improving sustainability and returns of Africa’s fisheries – first Conference on African Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture (CAMFA) hosted through PAF.
• African Biosciences Initiative (ABI) – Harnessing biological applications for improved agriculture productivity over 5 years – US$ 11.9 million earmarked.
• NEPAD Pan-Africa Cassava Initiative (NPACI) – Linking national agricultural research to regional initiatives on cassava – more than US$ 1.2 million earmarked.