theme: “Resilient Food Systems toward Healthy Diets for the Vulnerable during Emergencies: Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic”

When:            29-30 October 2020

Time:              Segment One: 12:00-14:00 EAT I Segment Two:15:00-18:00  Main Event: Friday 14:00 - 16:00 EAT

WHERE:         Virtual platform Zoom:  Register in advance for this meeting:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMlcO6urDsiGNzwkuDORLPNFYpl1zGs8gXo

WHO:  This event is organized by the African Union Commission (AUC), Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) in fulfilment of the declaration of the African Union Heads of State and Government at the 15th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit in Kampala, Uganda, in July 2010, tugged as Decision “Assembly/AU/Dec.327(XV)”. This decision was made in the wake of unacceptably persistent food insecurity epitomized by chronic malnutrition on the continent. A side event convened in the margins of this Summit under the banner “Africa must feed itself. No child should go to bed hungry”, came out with a bold recommendation for setting aside a day that sets light on the centrality of food and nutrition security in Africa’s development agenda.

SPEAKERS: The meeting will be held for TWO consecutive days with various high-level Speakers and panelist

1.    H.E. Mr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete,  Nutrition Champion, Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania

2.    H.E Amb. Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture

3.    Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD,

4.    Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, AU Commission

5.    Mme. Mariama Cisse Mohamed, Director, Department of Social Affairs, AU Commission

6.    Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director, Division for Africa, Technical Cooperation Department - IAEA

7.    Mr. Stanlake Samkange, WFP Senior Director for Strategic Partnership

8.    Mr. Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa

9.    Dr. Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director General for Africa

Background

The Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) was declared in July 2010 by the African Union Heads of State and Government at the 15th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit in Kampala, Uganda tugged as Decision “Assembly/AU/Dec.327(XV)”. This decision was made in the wake of unacceptably persistent food insecurity epitomized by chronic malnutrition on the continent. A side event convened in the margins of this Summit under the banner “Africa must feed itself. No child should go to bed hungry”, came out with a bold recommendation for setting aside a day that sets light on the centrality of food and nutrition security in Africa’s development agenda.

The ADFNS has so far been successfully commemorated ten times following its launch in Lilongwe, Malawi, on 31st October 2010. Successive editions of the Day were hosted by Ethiopia, AU Headquarters, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania and Egypt.

It is to be noted that the AU Decision for commemorating the ADFNS “REQUESTS the [AU] Commission to coordinate efforts of Member States to commemorate the Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security” and “ALSO REQUESTS the Commission together with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), in collaboration with partners, to take necessary steps to develop and coordinate the implementation of a strategy to take forward the vision of a food secure Africa. ”

Purpose and Objectives

The main aim of commemorating the 2020 ADFNS is to motivate an appreciation of the underlying benefits and potential that investment in resilient food systems can create. It is also hoped that the event will generate a momentum toward implementation of continental, regional and national food and nutrition policy and, in particular, to:

      i.         To act as a one-stop shop for sharing experiences, lessons and motivating commitments and action toward investing in and sustaining the different food systems so that they create optimum impact on food and nutrition security across the continent and then achievements of the Malabo 2025 ending hunger by 2025 goal and MDG 2.

     ii.         To raise awareness and generate an appreciation of the short and long term benefits of making food systems to become resilient in the face of emerging and recurrent emergencies riddling the continent.

    iii.         To act as a platform for exploring, recommending and advocating for practical toward mitigating and preventing malnutrition in emergencies

    iv.         To stimulate action by all key stakeholders toward investing in application of science in agricultural, livestock and aquaculture production that lead to improved nutrition and health outcomes.

     v.         To produce strategic directions for improving capacities (technical, institutional, managerial and financial) for delivering on food systems-based initiatives.

    vi.         To raise the awareness of available opportunities of harnessing science in agriculture for improved livelihoods of refugees and IDPs.

6. Expected Outcomes

The principal expected outcomes of the commemoration of the 10th ADFNS is to arrive at a way forward of business unusual for enriching African food systems by utilizing emerging agriculture technologies and innovations for improved quality of diets, nutrition and health of Africans. Alongside this, the event is expected to generate:

-       Increased appreciation of the critical role that the agricultural technologies, food systems based approaches, in relation to nutritional trends play to inform decision making and improve nutrition and health of the African population.

-       Common information and good practices sharing platform for food and nutrition security among the African countries.

-       Relevant policies and initiatives for improved food security and nutrition that can be replicated within African countries, in alignment with nutrition decade for action and SDG 2 targets.

-       A secondary outcome of the event is synthesis/summary of outcomes of the technical discussions which will precede the main event.

For More Information on the event:

-       Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission

-       Dr. Simplice Nouala, Head of Agriculture and Food Security , Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission

-       Dr. Laila Lokosang – CAADP Pillar III Adviser, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission

For Media inquiries:

-       Mr Molalet Tsedeke, Directorate of Information and Communications; AU Commission Tel: 0911-630631; Email: molalett@africa-union.org;

-       Ms. Peace Lydia Mutuwa, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission Tel: 0911-630631; Email mutuwap@africa-unin.org