By Roukiattou Ouedraogo

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 4/10/2010 – “Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change: Strategies of Smallholder Farmers to achieve Food Security and Income Growth in Africa” is the theme of this year’s (2010) Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Africa Forum which was kick-started today in Burkina Faso.

The CAADP Africa Forum is an annual platform of learning and sharing on progress among farmers and among experts, policy and decision makers from different agricultural sub-sectors. The purpose of this exchange is to foster the up-scaling of best practices across Africa via a process of country driven development of the agricultural and rural sector.

This year, the Forum will also be discussing the progress achieved in the agricultural sector in Africa with an added focus on encouraging farmers to take the lead and drive the agenda of the forum through their organisations.

During the five days of the forum, the 200 participants, predominantly farmers, farmers’ organisations, policy makers and representatives from the regional economic communities will meet and reflect on the challenges and the opportunities relating to issues of food security and climate change.

The opening ceremony held this morning at the Azalai Hotel in Ouagadougou was chaired by Dr. Lawrence Sedogo, Minister of Agriculture and Fishery Resources of Burkina Faso.
In his opening remarks, Minister Sedogo commended the choice of the theme of the current edition for the Forum, particularly for a country such as Burkina Faso which is affected by the ills of climate change. He asserted that in the past 20 years the country’s agricultural sector has undergone a great transformation.

He also narrated the tragic events experienced by Burkina Faso for the past two years as a result of the impacts of climate change. As an example, the floods of September 1, 2009 have cost the government of Burkina Faso more than 14 billion CFA francs.

Minister Sedogo went on to add that climate change can also be viewed in terms of opportunity and the farmers’ ability to adapt. In Burkina Faso, as in many other countries, farmers have developed strategies to address climate change variations. These include the adoption and design of technologies and techniques that work to recover the land and improve water storage.

Mr. Djibo Bagna, Chairperson of Network of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers’ Organisations’ of West Africa (ROPPA) welcomed the heightened inclusion and presence of farmers’ organisations in the Forum.

“This is an honour because farmers and their organisations are recognised as key and indispensable partners in the development process of African agriculture; and a challenge because regional farmers’ organisations (RFOs) will need to live up to the expectations and the fulfilment of this new mandate”, said Mr. Bagna.

“The fruits of this new vision will surely promote the spirit of genuine partnership "he added.

The next speaker was Mr Reimund Hoffman, a Representative of GTZ. Mr Hoffman said that as a Partner Organiser of this forum, GTZ welcomed the implementation of the new vision which promotes a greater involvement of farmers’ organisations in this edition of the CAADP Africa Forum.

Mr. Martin Bwalya, Head of CAADP at the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency asserted that the active participation of farmers in this edition of Forum should help to provide a new orientation to all stakeholders that are involved in the CAADP process.

He also noted that NEPAD is pleased to be involved in this initiative which aims at supporting African farmers and initiatives towards the enhancement of agriculture in Africa.

‘The objective of the 2010 CAADP Africa Forum, is not only to give African farmers a voice in policies, programs and decision making, but it also represents a platform to identify critical difficulties affecting the business of agriculture and also to build a consensus on how to adapt to new challenges,’ said Bwalya.

For more information go to: www.africaforum.info and/or www.nepad-caadp.net/