Agriculture & Food
Security | News

18 News Found

< Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next >

NEPAD CEO meets with FAO delegation to discuss collaboration

Midrand, 10th September 2009 – The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) met last week to review their collaboration and partnership with regard to the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NEPAD, kick-started the meeting by briefing the FAO delegation, led by Ms. Maria Helena Semedo - Assistant Director-General/Regional Representative for Africa, on the new mandate of NEPAD as the African Union agency for project development and implementation.

In this context, Dr. Mayaki informed the delegation that the integration of NEPAD into the structures and processes of the African Union in accordance with the decisions of the 21st Summit of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC), held in Sirte-Libya, was on track. He noted that the advent of this new mandate provides an opportune time for NEPAD and FAO to review their partnership with a view to strengthening it, particularly in the areas of policy and strategy formulation, evidence-based food security analysis, technical assistance and the broader support towards country-level CAADP implementation.

Speaking at the meeting, Ms. Semedo indicated that all FAO’s work in Africa was being aligned towards the CAADP agenda, and that the FAO’s wide network of national, sub-regional and regional offices would be at hand to provide assistance in the implementation of CAADP.

FAO was instrumental in the original formulation in 2003 of CAADP and its companion documents on fisheries, forestry and livestock. Since then, the Organization has consistently provided technical assistance to the Agriculture Unit at NEPAD, including through the direct provision to the Unit of FAO staff and advisers.

NEPAD’s CAADP is a shared framework for the development of the agriculture sector in Africa. The programme is based on two major principles: the pursuit of a six percent average annual growth rate of the agricultural sector at the national and continental levels, and the allocation of at least ten percent of national budgets to agriculture.

Its main objective is to help African countries achieve higher economic growth through agriculture-led development, thereby eliminating hunger, reducing poverty and food insecurity, enabling the expansion of exports, and supporting environmental resilience. The FAO delegation included Dr. Chimimba David Phiri, Chief of Policy Coordination and Agricultural Policy Support Services; Mr. Ibrahim Bocar Daga, Consultant/Special Adviser, Field Programme Development Service and the FAO Representative in South Africa, Ms Rosebud Kurwijila.

Participants from NEPAD included Prof. Richard Mkandawire, head of the Agriculture Unit/CAADP; Ms. Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong Head of Environment; Dr. Sloans Chimatiro, Senior Adviser (Fisheries); Ms. Bibi Giyose, Senior Adviser (Nutrition); Mr. Bankole Adeoye, Coordinator (Partnerships); Mr. Robert Muyanga, Manager (Public Relations) and Dr. Maria Wanzala, Senior Adviser (Markets Access & Fertilizers).

At the end of last week’s meeting, Mr Mayaki (for NEPAD) and Ms Semedo (for FAO) signed an aide memoire to guide the future partnership of the two institutions.

For more information on CAADP go to: www.nepad-caadp.net
For more information on FAO go to: www.fao.org

CAADP receives boost from key stakeholders

Commissioner Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, the African Union Commissioner (AUC) for Rural Economy and Agriculture.

Addis Ababa, 7 September 2009 – “Calls have been made globally for a coherent, consistent and effective mechanism to respond to issues of malnutrition, food insecurity, hunger and poverty in pursuit of MDGs. For Africa, CAADP provides a strategic approach to this call” said Commissioner Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, the African Union Commissioner (AUC) for Rural Economy and Agriculture.

She was speaking at the start of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Donors and Partners which opened today on Monday the 7th of September 2009, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This engagement aims to deepen awareness on the CAADP principles and process among key government and donor actors, to identify support to strategic investment areas and to increase action on food security and agricultural development.

“The restoration of agriculture growth and food security is our own responsibility as Africans. This is what CAADP is about. Ownership, doing things differently and the collective commitment of African leaders towards a new agriculture development agenda” said Prof. Richard Mkandawire, the Agriculture adviser at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

Speaking on behalf of the development partners John Barrett of the UK’s Department for International Development advised that this was the time to turn commitment into actions on issues of food security and agriculture.

“Fine words need to turn into action. And, that is what we are here for,” he stressed.

This engagement between AU-NEPAD, agriculture focal points from the regional economic communities, focal points from the national ministries and the development partners comes after many recent global commitments to support food security and agriculture. This includes the commitments made in the L’Aquila Joint Declaration on Global Food Security taken at the G8 in 2009.

At the national and regional levels this engagement comes soon after is the signing of the CAADP Compacts in Togo, Burundi and Ethiopia. Pertinently, it also comes after the AU Heads of State and Government Summit in July 2009 in Sirte, Libya through which African leaders’ renewed their committed themselves to implementing the CAADP agenda.

CAADP is a shared framework for the development of the agriculture sector in Africa. Its main objective is to help African countries achieve higher economic growth through agriculture-led development, thereby eliminating hunger, reducing poverty and food insecurity, enabling the expansion of exports, and supporting environmental resilience.

For more information contact:
Ms. Sihem Kefi, Communications Officer, African Union Commission,
Email: KefiS@africa-union.org / + 251 91 337 7472
Visit the African Union website: http://www.africa-union.org
Dr. Andrew Kanyegirire, CAADP Communications Manager, NEPAD
AndrewK@nepad.org / +27 (0) 83 704 4506
Visit the CAADP website: http://www.nepad-caadp.net

Burundi signs CAADP Compact

President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi

By Carol Jilombo

Bujumbura, Burundi— The Government of Burundi today (August 24, 2009) signed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Compact. The signing was conducted during the Country’s roundtable meeting, which opened today with the President of Burundi, His Excellency, Pierre Nkurunziza as guest of honour.

The roundtable meeting attracted agricultural experts, policymakers, and representatives from the Government of Burundi, the African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the private sector, civil society and development partners. The Compact is a mutual commitment between the Government of Burundi and the various national, regional and international agencies that are committed to agricultural-led development through CAADP.

The Compact was signed by Burundi’s Minister of Finance, Hon, Clothilde Niragira, the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Ferdinand Nderagakura, AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Madame Rhodah Tumusiime, Professor Richard Mkandawire head of CAADP at NEPAD and COMESA Assistant Secretary General, Mr. Stephen Karangizi. Other key signatories included, Mr. Bleoue Ehoue, a representative of the development partners, Mr. Hermenegilde Ndikumasabo representing the private sector and Mr. Pacifique Nininahazwe, representing the civil society.

Burundi becomes the second Country in the COMESA region to sign the CAADP Compact after Rwanda, which signed in 2007. The CAADP Compact in Burundi will target sectors that effectively reduce poverty.

CAADP’s agenda reflects a fundamental shift in the way Africa’s leadership looks at agriculture and its potential contribution to ending poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. It aims to achieve growth and national development in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Carol Jilombo
COMESA CAADP Communications manager
Tel: +260 21 1 229725 Ext 537
Fax: +260 21 1 225107
Email: cjilombo@comesa.int

CAADP