Future Agricultures Consortium

 The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is the most ambitious and comprehensive agricultural reform effort ever undertaken in Africa. An initiative of the African Union (AU) and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), it represents a fundamental shift toward development that is fully owned and led by African governments. It reflects African governments’ recognition of agriculture as central for the alleviation of poverty and hunger and hence for reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Future Agricultures members were at the 8th CAADP Partnership Platform meeting in Nairobi, 3-4 May 2012.

We have published three new Policy Briefs on pastoralism and technology transfer:

• Pastoralism in the Horn of Africa: diverse livelihood pathways
• From technology transfer to innovation systems: sustaining a Green Revolution in Africa
• High and volatile food prices: Supporting farmers and consumers

Two of these briefings are also available in French:

• L’économie pastorale dans la Corne de l’Afrique: Diverses voies de moyens de subsistance
• Du transfert de technologie jusqu’aux systèmes d’innovation: soutenir une révolution verte en Afrique

Amdissa Teshome, on behalf of Future Agricultures, was invited to this workshop by the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Secretariat (NPCS). This is the first time that FAC has been invited without us contacting the AU/NEPAD/CAADP so it is a progress which we must build on. This is a brief reflection on the workshop objectives and proceedings.

Future Agricultures is very much behind the CAADP agenda. We follow up progress towards the Compact and encourage the three partner countries to actively and effectively engage with the programme. We have encouraged the Government of Ethiopia (through MoARD) to accelerate the CAADP process which led to the Compact signing in August 2009.

Future Agricultures is using the Partnership Platform as a mechanism for informing the CAADP process. The Ethiopia team, on behalf of the Consortium, has attended and contributed to 3 CAADP Partnership Platform meetings so far (2nd in Addis Ababa, 3rd in Seychelles, 4th in Pretoria). It has also attended technical meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture and Land in Addis Ababa.

The highlight of our engagement so far is the Ethiopia CAADP Compact signing event in August 2009. This was triggered by the Green Revolution Conference in May 2008. At the invitation of Future Agricultures, Dr. Abera Deresa, the State Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, attended the conference and realised that African countries and prominent individual such as Kofi Annan are committed to CAADP. Upon returning home, he immediately issued a statement that Ethiopia is committed to CAADP and will accelerate the Compact signing process. Within a year of this statement, Ethiopia passed through all the stages and signed the Compact.