The 10th CAADP Partnership Platform upholds CAADP as a recognized and irreversible brand for agricultural transformation in Africa.

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1 African Union Commission The 10th CAADP Partnership Platform upholds CAADP as a recognized and irreversible brand for agricultural transformation in Africa. INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1-2 The 10th CAADP Partnership Platform upholds CAADP as a recognized and irreversible brand for agricultural transformation in Africa. 2-3 Year of Agriculture and Food Security launched at AU summit 3 CAADP Media award winners announced 4 Africa urged to prioritize agricultural transformation 5 AUC hosts CAADP 2nd Multi Donor Trust Fund design meeting 5 10th CAADP PP at a glance 5 Upcoming Events On March 18 in Durban, South Africa, the 10th Annual Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform officially opened, with a call for African Union Heads of State and Government to enhance their ownership and commitment to CAADP. The meeting was a pivotal moment, asking attendees to objectively reflect on their previous goals and actions, and chart the plan for the next decade. The meeting brought together global leaders from a number of international organisations, African Governments, private agribusiness firms, financial institutions, NGOs and civil society organizations, as well as African farmers, to discuss and develop concrete investment plans for scaling agricultural development success across the continent. The conference emphasised the fact that agriculture is essential to Africa s long-term and sustainable economic growth, and should be seen as a solution to some of our most pressing challenges, such as youth unemployment and climate change. This meeting will foster a spirit of mutual learning and growth for Africa, said James Nxumalo, Mayor of Durban, who officially opened the meeting by acknowledging CAADP s success over the last decade. Also addressing the conference, AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, on behalf of the AUC Chairperson H.E Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, confirmed that tremendous progress had been achieved in the last decade of CAADP implementation, and continued with further hope for the future remarking that, the deeper we commit to the CAADP process, the greater the level of coordination, harmonisation and alignment to the strategy and priorities of Africa s agricultural transformation. Commissioner Tumusiime went on to say that the agenda of agricultural transformation was strategically positioned to provide enormous opportunities for inclusive and sustainable development in Africa. (Her complete speech is available at 1

2 The 10th CAADP Partnership Platform upholds CAADP as a recognized and irreversible brand for agricultural transformation in Africa. (continued from page 1) Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of the NEPAD Agency also joined the conference, with the honour of delivering its keynote presentation. CAADP has now become a recognised and irreversible brand throughout Africa and the rest of the world, he said, continuing that it has been a catalyst for African leadership in driving agriculture at all levels, as well as for the process of Africans regaining control of the dialogue with technical and financial partners. (His full speech is available at Other speakers at the opening event included Mr. Stephen Muchiri, who represented the Pan African Farmers Organisation, Ms. Abby Mgugu Mhene, representing civil society organizations, and Mr. Roberto Ridolfi, representing the development partners, who all reiterated their continued support of CAADP. The four-day meeting encompassed numerous discussions, pledges, and ultimately, goals and targets with a focus on execution strategies for the next decade of CAADP. These are in line with the mind-set of the AU Agenda 2063, a large part of which is agricultural transformation. Year of Agriculture and Food Security launched at AU summit During the opening of the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the new Chairperson of the African Union, H.E Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, officially launched 2014 as the Year of Agriculture and Food Security. This marked the commemoration of 10 years of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), established in President Aziz proudly confirmed that there had been tremendous progress in the agriculture sector in Africa as a result of CAADP implementation. He noted that many countries were implementing CAADP principles, including allocating 10 per cent or more of their national budgets to agriculture, though he acknowledged that more still needs to be done. The Year of Agriculture and Food Security comes at the time when the AU is discussing the African agenda 2063 strategic frame work for inclusive growth and sustainable development, he said. For most countries, agriculture constitutes indeed the battle against poverty and hunger for which we can win with economic sustainability of agriculture investment. The Year of Agriculture and Food Security is being commemorated across Africa in Member States, Regional Economic Communities, and continental organizations and at the AU Headquarters. This will be a year that gives opportunities to communities, state and non-state actors to interact, express their voices on what works and chart the focus and targets for the next decade of CAADP work in Africa. Through this focus, the organization intends to consolidate active commitments toward new priorities, strategies and targets for achieving results and impact, with a special focus on sustained, all-africa, agriculture-led growth propelled by stronger, private sector investment and public-private partnerships. Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 12

3 Year of Agriculture and Food Security launched at AU summit (continued from page 2) This dialogue will also contribute to setting the agenda for Sustaining the CAADP Momentum, a theme developed at the 2013 Partnership Platform in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This will form the basis for African leaders to recommit themselves to realizing the original vision of CAADP, set out in A decade of CAADP experience has demonstrated that Africa has a well-crafted, home-grown framework guiding policies, strategies and actions for agricultural development and transformation. The framework has been instrumental in raising the profile of agriculture at the centre of the development agenda at national, regional and global levels. The plan has facilitated the mobilization and alignment of multi-stakeholder partnerships and investments around national agriculture and food security investment plans that have been developed through the CAADP process. The performance of Africa s agriculture has been encouraging, with annual agricultural GDP growth having averaged nearly 4 percent since 2003, well above the agricultural share of GDP growth rates for the past several decades. Additionally, CAADP has seen the following successes: Improved Agricultural Planning 28 out 54 countries have thus far developed national agricultural investment plans, and these have become their medium-term expenditure frameworks for agriculture. Another dozen countries are now developing their own strategies, while several others have implemented first-round investment plans and are now developing second generation agricultural investment plans (e.g, Rwanda and Sierra Leone). Greater Public Expenditure in Agriculture On average, public agricultural expenditures have risen by over 7% per year across Africa since 2003 (more than 12% per year in Africa s lower-income countries) nearly doubling public agricultural expenditures since the launch of CAADP. African Ownership of its own Agricultural Programs and Agenda CAADP has also elevated the attention paid to agriculture, and has put African leaders in a stronger position than ever before to lead African approaches to agriculture at every level. CAADP Media award winners announced In March 2013, at the 9th CAADP Partnership Platform held in Ethiopia, AUC and NEPAD launched a special CAADP Journalists Network. The goal of this media partnership was to strengthen the coverage of agricultural development in Africa and assist in strengthening the capacity of African journalists interested in or working on assignments related to agricultural development to work together, share story ideas, and to remain updated on major regional, continental and global developments relating to agriculture-related development. In recognizing the cardinal role played by the CAADP Journalists Network in the African development agenda, the AUC and NEPAD announced the CAADP Journalist of the Year Awards. The Award presentation coincided with the first anniversary of the CAADP Journalists Network and was held during the 10th CAADP Partnership Platform on March 24, In total, 68 entries were received from all over Africa. Finalists of the awards: News articles & stories category: Sitembile Siwawa from Zambia - Female Farmers Empowerment Vital News articles & stories category: Idrissa Konditamdé from Burkina Faso - Le zaïou comment récolterdeux tonnes à l hectaresur un sol aride Video, documentary and television category: Ibrahima Diallo from Senegal La Salinsation des Terres en Casamance Radio and audio broadcast category: Richard Katami Bwayo from Uganda - The Importance of Bio-gas in Promoting Sustainable Land Management And the winner of the most hardworking Journalist in the CAADP Journalists Network was awarded to Grace Musimami from Uganda, who has been a committed reporter on CAADP since

4 Africa urged to prioritize agricultural transformation On 11 February 2014, at the African Union Commission Headquarters, the special meeting of the Permanent Secretaries of Ministries of Agriculture and Local Government and Development Working Group Leaders on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs), on Country Post-Compact and Investment Plans Implementation opened with a call for African leaders to place agricultural transformation at the top of their agendas. Officially opening the three-day meeting, Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture H.E AtoTefera Derbew said, Agricultural transformation should still be high on the agenda and efforts should be exerted to include production and productivity to provide livelihood, raise income and create jobs and wealth. He commended the AU for declaring 2014 the Year of Agriculture and Food Security, noting that it would be an opportunity to review past CAADP implementation challenges and would afford stakeholders the chance to identify what works, and to move into the next decade with a concrete plan. AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace also applauded AU Member States for driving the CAADP agenda in their countries, thereby demonstrating ownership and leadership. She expressed her delight that to date, 40 African countries had signed CAADP compacts, many of which have credible National Investment Plans under implementation. Mrs. Rhoda Peace noted that it was now more important than ever not only to sustain the momentum of raising agricultural growth, but also to put in place a robust system of social protection that productively integrates vulnerable social groups to the growth agenda. Since our focus is on implementation for results and impact, we will emphasize on key instruments to help us achieve this objective and we will largely focus on monitoring and reporting progress in line with jointly agreed commitments and targets as well as mutual accountability, she said. Chair of the development partners task team and Programme Manager of the European Union Delegation to the African Union Mr. Eulogio Montijano stated that there was need to support a sustainable and inclusive agriculture as a key engine of growth, jobs, poverty reduction and food security. He said it was for that reason that the decision by the African Union to declare 2014 the African Year of Agriculture and Food Security was supported by development partners, as it would give agricultural policies a renewed thrust for the next decade. Mr. Montijano further acknowledged the CAADP Results Frameworks, which the AUC is currently defining, as an important tool that should significantly contribute to better identifying the priority areas of the agriculture for growth agenda. The three day meeting was meant to: i. Share National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) implementation progress and challenges and identify lessons learned; ii. Discuss and identify learning from efforts to coordinate and align donor assistance to specific components of NAIPs; iii. Review and discuss the 2014 areas of focus and work streams/thematic areas being proposed to sustain momentum and sharpen focus on implementation efforts; and iv. Review and discuss areas of focus to accelerate the impact of NAIPs and investments on poverty and hunger reduction. Also in attendance was Sierra Leone Minister of Agriculture H.E Sam Sesay, and other high level government representatives from Africa as well as international organizations and development partners. Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 14

5 AUC 2nd hosts CAADP Multi Donor Trust Fund design meeting The second CAADP Multi Donor Trust Fund design meeting (MDTF 2) began on January 22, 2014 with a plan to map out a strategy for the second phase of the MDTF. Established in 2008 at the request of the African Union as a programmatic trust fund and with a mandate ending December 31, 2015, the CAADP MDTF was intended to support the efforts of African agencies engaged in CAADP processes. The MDTF also supports the activities of African institutions to lead the adoption and utilization of CAADP across the continent and to facilitate coordination and support of development partners activities under CAADP, and more broadly, to the promotion of African agriculture. Officially opening the design meeting, AUC Director of Rural Economy and Agriculture Dr. Abebe Haile Gabrie established that the CAADP MDTF had been instrumental in supporting African institutions in delivering their mandates in rolling out CAADP. Dr. Abebe stressed the importance of building on what CAADP has done in the last decade to deliver positive changes that directly impact the lives and livelihoods of African people through agricultural transformation. The MDTF 2 should therefore focus on country implementation results and impact, he said. The outcome of this meeting is going to be very crucial in contributing towards the design of a financing mechanism that will help in accelerated implementation of CAADP in the next decade. Speaking during the opening of the meeting, World Bank representative David Neilson noted that there have been real successes in African agriculture achieved through CAADP.He said the design of MDTF 2 would focus on pertinent issues meant to sustain the CAADP momentum and would also reflect on experiences and lessons learned over the last decade. 10th CAADP PP at a glance Upcoming Events Ministers of Agriculture meeting: Addis Ababa April 28-May 2 Agribusiness and Gender Forum-June 22, 2014 Malabo AU Heads of State and Government Summit June , Malabo, Equatorial Guinea 15