AFRICAN governments have been urged to take
practical measures to allocate more resources in agriculture sector as
per Malabo Declaration.
The Malabo Declaration, coming out of the 23rd AU Summit of Heads of State and Government in Equatorial Guinea, commits member states to implement a number of essential policy reforms towards ending hunger and cutting poverty in Africa in half by 2025.
To meet these goals, African leaders re-affirmed their intention to devote 10 percent of their national budgets to agricultural development and agreed to targets such as doubling agricultural productivity, halving post-harvest loss, and bringing stunting down to 10 percent across Africa.
FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Bukar Tijani made the suggestion when speaking at the 12th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform Meeting on the theme “Renewing Partnership for Accelerated Development.”
It was earlier reported that Africa’s agriculture in the CAADP framework was bearing fruits.
Study findings reveal that the 10 percent political target has been very useful in rallying political support (from governments and development partners) for the agriculture sector guided by the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture DevelopmentProgramme (CAADP) framework.
In the first decade of CAADP, 13 countries have surpassed the target of 10 percent budgetary allocation in any year, while 7 have surpassed it in more than one year. Burundi, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Senegal,
Zambia and Zimbabwe have met or surpassed the 10 percent target in one or more years since 2003.
“Strong multi-sectoral collaboration among African governments and institutions is needed for the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to put
countries on the path of higher economic growth through agriculture-led development,” said Tijaniat
Tijani noted that within countries various government institutions were working in isolation, which is retarding progress on the implementation of CAADP programmes.
Tijani consequently suggested to government institutions to implement effective policy measures, harmonise their operations and ensure stronger partnerships for the implementation of programs under the CAADP.
FAO is currently implementing a regional initiative on “Africa’s commitment to end hunger by 2025” in eight countries.
This initiative aims at improving capacities at national, sub-regional and continental levels for improved policies, investments programmes, governance and strategic coordination in an evidence based manner to eradicate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.
“National budgets that would enhance stronger inter-sectoral collaboration are also needed,” Tijani said, and gave the assurance that “FAO will continue to team up with, and provide technical and financial support to, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and African Union Commission, to make concrete the recommendations of the Malabo Declaration, for the ultimate attainment of ending hunger in Africa by 2025 and the SDGs.”
Other members on the panel were Njack Kane, Chief Executive Officer of Intervalle; Christophe Rauh, Deputy Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, BMZ, Germany; Ishmael Sunga Chief Executive Officer, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions, and Christophe Bativamo, Member of Parliament of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
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