Eighth CAADP Forum to focus on its implementation

About 200 delegates will be attending the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme’s Partnership Platform Meeting (CAADP PP Meeting) in Nairobi from May 3 to May 4, to review the progress thus far.

The meeting will also engage in-country level experiences in the implementation of its activities since the previous meeting held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March 2011.

Delegates are expected to share and examine experiences and lessons emerging from country and regional level implementation of CAADP in advancing increased agriculture performance.

A statement issued by NEPAD Secretariat and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the meeting will be on theme “Accelerating CAADP implementation for results and impact.”

It also aims at drawing attention to some issues including policy reforms and institutional development to accelerate delivery of results and impact.

The statement said the meeting is occurring at a time when Africa and the rest of the world were experiencing some significant shifts and changes as well as emerging new issues from climate change through to volatile food and energy prices, land and water acquisition as well as food and nutrition security concerns. These issues are high on most African countries’ development agendas.

Those expected to attend the event include African ministers of agriculture, the African Union’s Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Regional Economic Communities, representatives of multilateral and development partners, farmers’ bodies, civil society groups and business people.

It said the underlining issue will be how to build on progress and achievements in CAADP implementation to ensure that the process is advancing in delivering tangible results and impact on both the 6 per cent annual productivity target and related impact on socio-economic parameters including job creation, food and nutrition security and poverty alleviation.

“The partnership presents an ideal opportunity for partners to contribute to the strategic review of progress on agriculture by collectively identifying actions that will sustain CAADP’s momentum,” Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency and Chief Driver of the CAADP initiative said.

“CAADP must move beyond its recent focus on support for investment planning to support countries to accelerate implementation for impact and results,” he added.

Established as part of the African Union’s NEPAD programme, CAADP was endorsed by the AU Assembly in July 2003. It is in this regard that the NEPAD Agency works through CAADP to raise the amount and quality of food that Africa produces, in order to make families more food-secure and exports more profitable.

Among its achievements, the programme has succeeded in getting 30 African countries to sign the CAADP compact which also brings out national consensus and commitment to give agriculture top priority in terms of budgetary allocation.**