AUC and ECOWAS Commissioners urge AU Member States to ensure investment in agriculture

Addis Ababa - 13 October 2014- Her Excellency Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture on October 9 received H.E Mr. Lapodini Marc Atouga Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), who was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to attend the 2014 Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System - ReSAKSS Conference.

The Commissioner Tumusiime welcomed her ECOWAS counterpart to the AU Headquarters and thanked him for his illuminating and constructive interventions during the panel discussions at the ReSAKSS Conference. The two principals reiterated the need for AU Member States to move swiftly beyond expressions of commitment and ensure that deliberate investments are made in agriculture following the existing best practices and success stories where agricultural transformation has materialised particularly in Asia and Brazil.

They called for governments to increase resources to the agricultural sector and not to expect partners to fill the huge gap in order to exploit the enormous potential that Africa is endowed with, to raise Africa’s global competitiveness, to ensure food and nutrition security thereby reducing the continent’s food import bill and unleashing resources for socio-economic development.

They expressed their confidence in Africa’s capacity to overcome conflict, disease and hunger. They further exchanged views on a number of areas of collaboration including but not limited to the Fouta Dljallon Integrated Highland Development programme and closer collaboration in taking forward the AU Malabo Declaration on Accelerated African Agriculture Growth and Transformation.

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For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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