- As the Malabo Declaration comes to an end this year paving way for the Kampala Conference in early 2025, she noted optimism that perennial hunger will be eradicated on the face of the continent.
- The director acknowledged that the agenda was facing hurdles along the way but they are working around the clock to bring on board more workable ways to ignite the CAADP implementation.
- AUDA-NEPAD, with the support of African Union Commission (AUC) and other partners, is committed to redoubling efforts in backing AU member states.
African countries that have made progress in adopting the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) have been hailed as taking the right steps in the realisation of the much-hyped transformation in the sector.
The Director of Agriculture, Food Security, and Environmental Sustainability at the African Union Development Agency AUDA-NEPAD Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong while officially opening the post Malabo validation workshop in Lusaka Zambia on July 25, 2024, acknowledged that there have been hurdles.
Despite these hurdles that the policy framework on agricultural transformation, wealth creation, food security and nutrition, economic empowerment and prosperity for all has faced, at least 49 African countries have domesticated the CAADP framework and internalised it into their governance system with an aim of improving on agriculture production, she revealed.
As the Malabo Declaration comes to an end this year paving way for the Kampala Conference in early 2025, she noted optimism that perennial hunger will be eradicated on the face of the continent.
“After having four cycles of intensive discussions about the comprehensive Africa agriculture development programme, the CAADP biennial reports are not very encouraging as we are yet to embrace the framework report as its findings reveal mixed performances and progress where individual member states are the ones taking the strides of adopting the report for possible implementation.
“We are not yet out of the woods although we can identify some progress here and there. Despite notable achievements, it is of great concern that we are not on track to achieve the 2025 Malabo commitments ahead of the Kampala one slated next year,” she noted.
However, she said the little achievements made should be celebrated as it was a step it the right direction.
This, will challenge those countries to review their agricultural frame work and come up with a national plan for their respective countries for purposes of implementation.
“Also, the issue of accountability of the member states through our reports from the four-cycle meetings and our bringing on board of the private sector encompassing farmers to be part of this conversation is a plus to our achievements,” she added.
The director acknowledged that the agenda was facing hurdles along the way but they are working around the clock to bring on board more workable ways to ignite the CAADP implementation and effectiveness without interfering with the mechanisms already put in place.
“Let us weigh the pros and cons, what has worked and what has not since we began the journey, 20 years ago and it is my wish that our final proposals from these 13 technical working groups must be evidence-based and offer solutions to the stalemate to spruce up good practices to craft a robust Post-Malabo (CAADP) agenda as this agenda is not only for the Africa we want but meant to bring on the Africa we want to build syndrome,” noted the director as she spoke to the media including Scholar Media Africa, in Lusaka.
She said that with the conclusion of the Malabo declaration this year, it is important for the African Union (AU) to outline the next decade’s agriculture agenda for the African continent based on the previous research and practices.
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“The outcomes should also reflect the need to embrace the food systems approach among other compelling recommendations to allow us crate a unified African agenda that can benefit us all. These inputs from the various processes are key to assist formulating an African agenda that we can all own and drive together, an agenda that focuses on tangible steps and processes necessary to achieve the aspirational vision of agenda 2063,” she concluded.
AUDA-NEPAD, with the support of African Union Commission (AUC) and other partners, is committed to redoubling efforts in backing AU member states together with other key stakeholders ahead of the widely awaited 10 years of CAADP implementation plan.
