Rome, Italy – 30 November 2015: The African Union Commission (AUC) has been awarded the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Award for 2014-2015, for its significant contribution towards the improvement of global food security. The Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, H.E. Erastus Mwencha, received the award at a ceremony that took place on Monday, 30 November 2015, at the Headquarters of the FAO in Rome, Italy.

Accepting the Award on behalf of the AUC Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the AUC, the NEPAD Agency, Member States and millions of African farmers, the Deputy Chairperson said: “We accept this award recognizing existing and future daunting challenges around productivity, consumption and the devastating impact of climate change.”

He credited the AU’s Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) framework, which has enabled Africa to overcome some key challenges in agricultural development in the past 10 years. He said that, through the CAADP framework, more than 16 countries are investing over 10% of their national budget in the agricultural sector.

The Deputy Chairperson recalled the commitment of the AU Heads of States and Government to ending hunger by 2025. They made the commitment last year, 2014, during the Year of Agriculture and Food Security.

Named after the former FAO Director-General, Jacques Diouf , the latter personally handed the award. The AUC was also credited for “its effective contribution to strengthening the enabling environment and policy action by enhancing more participatory process, mutual accountability mechanisms and increased stakeholder alignment on national priorities.”

FAO highlighted that the AUC had leveraged national and international resources for sustainable agriculture and food security and nutrition, and intra-regional cooperation.

Messages of congratulations pouring in include those of the African Ambassadors Group in Rome and the Association of Africans in Rome, who expressed their pride to associate themselves with the work of the AUC. They urged the AU to carry on.

Media Contacts:
Jacob Enoh Eben, Spokesperson of the Chairperson, AU Commission, Cell: +27 631335512; +251 934 996 893, Email: EnohebenJ@africa-union.org; Website www.au.int