1. Highlighting the Successes -- the CAADP story
2. Drought in Horn of Africa
3. Tanzania's President praises CAADP implementation
4. NEPAD marks 10th anniversary with two competitions
5. Status report on fertilizer use: progress but still below Abuja targe
6. NEPAD signs fishries MoU with ECCAS
7. First annual dialogue of African ministers of agriculture, science and technology

8. NEPAD and FAO discuss important role of fisheries and aquaculture in Africa
9. IFPRI expands Regional Office in Africa and works closely with CAADP
10. CAADP monitoring report answers key questions for stakeholders
11. CAADP 5 year review videos
12. Calendar of events
13. Have your say. Send us your feedback
14. About CAADP
15. Contact us

Highlighting the Successes -- the CAADP story Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki NEPAD Chief Executive Officer Photo / NEPAD Agency "The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is, in many ways, unique in Africa. Never have development strategies been so transformed and so focused as they have become in the eight years of CAADP's existence." So says NEPAD Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki in his foreword to Highlighting the Successes: the programme of CAADP in practice. This new report on the impact of CAADP across the continent is attractively present in bold colour. The report was commissioned by the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency and the GIZ - the German Agency for International Cooperation (formerly the German Agency for Technical Cooperation). It was written by a team of researchers from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and collaborators, respectively: John Howell (ODI senior research associate), Lídia Cabral (ODI research fellow), Berhanu Adenew (Ethiopia), Daniel Sarpong (Ghana) and Serge Rwamasirabo (Rwanda). Click here to download the CAADP ODI report (PDF file / 723kb)

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Drought in Horn of Africa:

AUC steps up efforts to address humanitarian crisis

25 July 2011

Addis Ababa: During a mission in the Horn of Africa from 22 to 24 July the Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission Erastus Mwencha visited Dadaab, the refugee camp in Kenya close to the Somalia border, in order to assess the situation of the humanitarian crisis. With 400,000 people, Dadaab is the biggest refugee camp in the world and is currently witnessing “unprecedented influx due to the drought in the Horn of Africa”, according to UNHCR which administers the camp.

“It is terrible to see people in such a state of weakness and very sad to hear the stories. I would like to thank the governments of Kenya and Ethiopia for their efforts in providing shelter to the refugees while also taking care of their own populations badly affected by this drought.

"We now need to step up all efforts to deal with this crisis. Yet, we also need to view sustainable solutions and create the mechanisms that will address root causes of such calamity by creating resiliency systems and political stability,” he said.

Following on the appeal issued by the AUC Chairperson Dr Jean Ping to Member States, the African Union is organizing a donors’ conference on 10 August in Addis Ababa to support the international efforts to raise adequate funding to address the crisis. To date, US$ 500,000 has been donated to UNHCR by the AU and the Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine.

According to reports by international agencies, 11 million people are currently affected by the drought in the Horn of Africa.

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Tanzania's President praises
CAADP implementation

Source: IPP Media - 13 May

Dar es Salaam: Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete has welcomed the progress being made in the implementation of the NEPAD agenda in the African continent.

Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete Phto / NEPAD Agency

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum for Africa in Cape Town he urged NEPAD Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki to widely engage stakeholders and communicate the work that the agency was doing.

Noting Tanzania’s progress with CAADP implementation in the country, President Kikwete called for more support for the programme. He also asked NEPAD to facilitate expert input and technical reviews to ensure that Tanzania’s investment plan is finalised and set for implementation.

He laid stress on the agricultural sector, saying that it was still a key sector for Africa in an effort to curb poverty and ensuring the attainment of food security targets. He used the opportunity to re-affirm his government’s commitment to providing the necessary leadership for pushing ahead the agricultural development agenda with a view to producing more food and cash crops.

President Kikwete said the implementation of CAADP in the country would complement efforts being made by the government, farmers, civil society organisations, businessmen and other development partners.

In response, Dr. Mayaki assured President Kikwete of NEPAD's support for CAADP implementation in Tanzania. He also commended the President for his leadership and support for various NEPAD programmes.

Source: www.ippmedia.com

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Status report on fertilizer use: progress but still below Abuja target

By Dr. Maria Wanzala - NEPAD Agency, Policy Alignment and Program Development Directorate, 25 July 2011

Dr. Maria Wanzala Photo / NEPAD Agency

Some progress but much still to do. That is the the basis of a report on the status of implementation at regional and national levels of the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizers for an African Green Revolution.

Back in June 2006, the African Union Heads of State and Government adopted the 12-resolution Declaration at a special summit in Abuja. At the end of the summit, the AU Member States resolved to increase fertilizer use from 8 kilograms to 50 kilograms of nutrients per hectare by 2015.

There are some positive upward trends, the report says, but notwithstanding these commendable gains by some countries, fertilizer consumption levels are still extremely low. Average fertilizer use per hectare in Sub-Saharan Africa has remained between 5 kg/ha and 10 kg/ha since 1990. This is less than 10 percent of the world average and far below the 50 kg/ha minimum target set by the Abuja Declaration.

The report concludes that the overall progress in the implementation of the Abuja Declaration is satisfactory to good, but there is still much room for improvement.

It then spells out what needs to be done now by the AU Member States.

Read more here...

Click here to download the report.

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NEPAD signs fishries MoU with ECCAS

Source: NEPAD - 4 July 2011

Midrand: The NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 27 June that is aimed at strengthening fisheries governance in central Africa.

Dr. Sloans Chimatiro NEPAD Agency Senior Fisheries Advisor Photo / NEPAD Agency

The signing ceremony took place on the margins of the 17th African Union Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The MoU was signed by Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, NEPAD Agency CEO and General Louis Sylvain-Goma, the Secretary General of ECCAS.

The agreement aims to support the implementation of joint efforts between the NEPAD Agency and ECCAS in assisting the Regional Fisheries Commission to strengthen its capacity to implement the regional fisheries strategy for central Africa.

Among the objectives of the support to ECCAS is: "Increasing the contribution of fisheries to economic growth and other socio-economic objectives and strengthening the role of fisheries in the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) at the national and regional levels."

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Sloans Chimatiro, Senior Fisheries Advisor, NEPAD Agency on:
Email: sloansc@nepad.org; Tel: +27 (0)11 256 3600

For all media queries and requests for interviews contact:
Gilles Eric Foadey on:
Email: erickf@nepad.org Tel: +27(0)12 841 4523 / Cell: +27(0)83 555 9696

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First annual dialogue of African ministers of agriculture, science and technology

Source: Business Ghana - 29 April

Accra: African Ministers of Agriculture and representatives from agricultural research organisations from over 15 countries have recommended the establishment of an African Union Monitoring System to allow effective implementation and follow-through of decisions taken at the maiden convening of the first annual dialogue of Ministers of Agriculture, Science and Technology hosted by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in Accra.

The Ministers also entreated national governments to fulfill their commitment to invest 10% of their budget to agriculture in fulfillment of the 2003 Maputo Declaration and agree on a reasonable allocation to agricultural research and development.

The Ministers expressed their collective concern about the persistence of high levels of food insecurity and poverty in Africa, despite the continent’s endowment with abundant natural resources to support agricultural production. They attributed this to the under-investment in revitalising agricultural productivity.

The Annual Ministerial Dialogue is a forum of ministers of agriculture, science and technology and other agriculture-related ministries to share ideas and agree on collective actions towards enhancing agricultural productivity in Africa. The dialogue was recommended by the ministers present during the 5th Africa Agricultural Science week and FARA General Assembly in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in July 2010.

It was collectively agreed that the Ministerial Dialogue should be held annually.

For more information, kindly contact the following:
Eric McGaw
Tel: O544-337060
Email: emcgaw@fara-africa.org

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NEPAD and FAO discuss important role of fisheries and aquaculture in Africa

Source: NEPAD - 13 May
By NEPAD Agency Senior Fisheries Advisor, Dr. Sloans Chimatiro

Johannesburg: The first Stakeholder Consultation Meeting jointly organised by the NEPAD and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations was held in Midrand, South Africa from 10-12 May. It brought together participants from Regional Fisheries Organisations, Regional Economic Communities, donors as well as civil society organisations to strengthen and accelerate the fisheries and aquaculture sector in terms of their governance, management and adaptability to climate change.

Giving an overview to the engagement, NEPAD Senior Fisheries Advisor, Dr. Sloans Chimatiro, said the stakeholder engagement was devoted to addressing the “rising importance of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in fighting poverty and its crucial role for economic development in Africa with regard to climate change.

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IFPRI expands Regional Office in Africa and works closely with CAADP

Source: IFPRI - 17 May

Dakar: High-level policymakers, directors of international and regional organisations, private sector repre sentatives, and leading academics and researchers from across West Africa and around the world gathered here for a colloquium on “Rising Global Food Prices: Causes, Impacts, and Response Strategies.”

The policy roundtable was the focal point of an inaugural event to launch the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI) newly expanded West and Central Africa office.

IFPRI which seeks sustainable policy options for reducing poverty and ending hunger and malnutrition on a global scale strategically places researchers where they can have the most impact. Dakar is one of several offices that IFPRI has established in various parts of the developing world to increase its effectiveness.

“Decisive action is needed to prevent recurring food crises,” said Maximo Torero, Director of IFPRI’s Markets, Trade and Institutions Division.

“Governments in both developed and developing countries and international organisations must take a number of important measures, including strengthening social safety nets and other social protection programmes; promoting transparent, fair, and open global trade; and setting up an emergency grain reserve.”

To achieve long-term food security, policymakers and international donors also need to increase investments in agriculture and rural infrastructure.

To support these needs, the director said, IFPRI invests more than 50 percent of the institute’s overall resources in Sub-Saharan Africa, and its regional offices in Senegal and Ethiopia work actively with African governments and other partners, including the NEPAD.

"The institute plays a particularly critical role in the implementation of NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). These collaborative efforts have generated a wealth of information and evidence, which countries, including members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have used to inform their agricultural development and poverty reduction strategies."

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CAADP monitoring report answers key questions for stakeholders

A number of important questions are addressed by the 2010 CAADP Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) report prepared by ReSAKSS -- the regional strategic and knowledge management system. The report, which is an outcome of the annual monitoring exercise of ReSAKSS at the Africa-wide level, provides all this information.

Click here to download the report.

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CAADP 5 year review videos

Through NEPAD, CAADP addresses policy and capacity issues across the entire agricultural sector and African continent. CAADP is entirely African-led and African-owned and represents African leaders' collective vision for agriculture in Africa. This video outlines what CAADP did in the first 5 years of its existence (2003-2009).

• CAADP 5 Year Review Video - Part 1
• CAADP 5 Year Review Video - Part 2

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Disclaimer:  The views expressed in CAADP News are the responsibility of the respective authors. They are not official AU or NEPAD views or views supported by the AU or NEPAD.