The World Bank Group has approved a $13.0 million program for the African Union to implement the Food Systems Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa Phase 3. This project is expected to become effective by September 2023 and it will be implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (AUC-DARBE) and African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD).

The African Union is delighted to join the Work Bank’s regional project on food system resilience and grateful that the World Bank has increased its envelope from $2.3 billion to $2.75 billion across the three phases of FSRP i.e. Phase 1- Ethiopia, Madagascar, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa, Phase 2-Tanzania and Phase 3 -Comoros, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, and the Africa Union Commission. This project aims reduce food insecurity by 25% in 2030.

 Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, the Director of Agriculture and Rural Development of the African Union commission, stated that the approved funds will go a long way to ensure that key priorities of the Africa’s agriculture transformation agenda are implemented. “We appreciate the collaboration with the World Bank in developing the project, this is a true demonstration of collaboration and cooperation to advance the agriculture transformation agenda of the African continent as contained in the CAADP Malabo declaration.”  he added.

H.E Amb. Josefa Sacko, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) of the African Union Commission, welcomed the timely support from World Bank and reiterated the commitment of the Commission to implement the project in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD, RECS and the AU Member States. “I thank the World Bank for this support to the Department and to AUDA-NEPAD. This project is the culmination of conversations that started back in 2018. I am happy that this project has come to fruition and will respond to the call from African Heads of State and Government to build resilient food systems following the recent shocks to Africa’s food systems, most recently COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine Conflict, on top of climate change and pests/ diseases such as the fall-army warms and desert locusts”.

The FSRP is central to the World Bank’s engagement in the African region, it prioritizes enhancing human development outcomes and increasing the food systems resilience for populations in a region undergoing various challenges. The Food Systems Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa (FSRP) will help address these challenges by strengthening the resilience of food systems and preparedness for food insecurity in project-targeted parts of Eastern and Southern Africa.  In line with the overall MPA, the AUC FSRP aims to accelerate the response to the ongoing food insecurity crisis while making longer-term investments that will build food systems resilience and help break the emergency response cycle.  The AUC FSRP will focus on the regional coordination, facilitation, and monitoring of interventions under the various project components.

The program will be implemented within the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) agenda and will take into account the pathways in the Africa Common Position on Food Systems Transformation.

For further information, please contact:

1. Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director, Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development, African Union Commission – Email: BahiigwaG@africa-union.org
2. Dr. Pierre-Justin Kouka, Senior Advisor, Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development, African Union Commission– Email: KoukaP@africa-union.org

For media inquiries, please contact:

1. Ms. Peace Lydia Mutuwa, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission; Email mutuwap@africa-union.org
2. Mr Molalet Tsedeke, Information and Communications Directorate; AU Commission Tel: 0911-630631; Email: molalett@africa-union.org

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org
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