Events

The African Union Commission at the 2nd PrepCom for the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

GENEVA, Switzerland, 14 November 2014 -As part of preparation for the 2nd Session of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, scheduled for 17-18 November 2014, the AU Delegation briefed the African Permanent Missions based in Geneva on Africa’s preparation for the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction on 14th November 2014 at Palais des Nations.

The purpose of the briefing session was twofold: Firstly, to update the African Permanent Missions on the status and progress of the process leading up to the development and adoption of a Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Secondly, and more importantly, to discuss further needed actions to ensure broader and active participation of Africa in the 2nd PrepCom as well as 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to be held in Sendai, Japan from 14-18 March 2015.

Ms Olushola Olyede, Senior Policy Officer at DREA, AUC, made a brief presentation during the session to facilitate the briefing. The African Group applauded the Commission for the leading role it has played so far and called for its continued engagement and leadership in the process leading up to the development and integration of Africa’s Contribution into the forth coming Global Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Delegation also seized the opportunity to call on the African Permanent Missions to actively engage in the negotiation on the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction scheduled to take place during the 2nd PrepCom and hence do its part to ensure that Africa’s voice is heard and fully reflected in the global framework.

On 17th November, H.E. Ambassador Jean Marie Ehouzou, the Permanent Representative of the AUC in Geneva delivered AUC’s Statement on behalf of H.E. Mrs. Rhoda Peace TUMUSIIME, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the plenary of the 2nd Session of the PrepCom. The 2nd PrepCom concluded on 18th November 2014 by passing a Decision to proceed with the open-ended informal intergovernmental negotiations on the 1st draft of the post 2015 framework for disaster risk reduction in December 2014 and January 2015 with the view to producing the 2nd draft post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction to be considered at the 3rd Session of the PrepCom scheduled for 13th March 2015 in Sendai, Japan, preceding the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to be held from 14-18 March 2015 at the same venue where the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction is expected to be adopted.

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

Follow us
Face book: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission

Learn more at: www.au.int

Joint Press Release

Solid and adequate land policies, if implemented, could catalyze Africa’s transformation

Addis Ababa, 14 November 2014 - The inaugural conference on land policy in Africa opened Tuesday, 11 November 2014 evening at the African Union Headquarters in Ethiopia with a strong call for a robust deepening of land governance on the continent and an appeal for promoting policy and regulatory environments that advance large scale agricultural production and productivity. Organized around the theme: “The next decade of land policy in Africa: Ensuring agricultural development and inclusive growth” the 11-14 November conference is in line with the 2014 African Union year of Agriculture and food security.

African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Rhoda Tumusiime, emphasized that Agriculture is still a key driver of Africa’s economic transformation, with the prime responsibility of providing employment opportunities for a rapidly growing and predominantly youth population, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction.

‘We are proud that Africa is the only continent that has defined its own agenda for land policy. This conference is timely and allows us to track progress in the implementation of the AU declaration on land,’ she said.

Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Tefera Debrew challenged governments on the situation of low productivity and food security in the midst of substantial land resources, stating, ‘it is not acceptable’. He called on AU member states to ‘diligently implement the African Union-led continental frameworks and guiding principles as they could reverse the situation if implemented.

In his remarks, Stephen Karingi, Director of the Regional Integration and Trade Division at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) stressed the need to improve the governance of land resources on the continent. “Property rights need to be clarified, land rights of African people, including rights of women and pastoral communities need to be secured and Africa needs to enhance its land use planning and sustainable land management,” he said.

Karingi called on African governments and other institutions on the continent to promote effective and efficient land administration systems based on good governance of land resources. He cited examples from other parts of the world, where land development has allowed countries to have more productive agriculture and ensure food security and even food export.

Kafui Afiwa Kuwonu of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAf) spelt out how civil society organisations intend to use the platform provided by this conference: to share experiences and to challenge policymakers, but also to inspire participants to forge ahead with implementation and to be part of the solution: ‘we commit to disseminate information on land policy and collaborate in efforts and to share best practices’, she promised.

Josephine Ngure, Resident Representative of the African Development Bank to Ethiopia reiterated that land policy development and accompanying policy frameworks are critical for Africa’s transformation.

“Land in Africa is not simply an economic and environmental asset but also a social, cultural, spiritual resource and a social identity.” She noted that land problems must be addressed, if sustainable development in Africa is to be realized.

For her part, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, Deputy Executive Secretary of UN-Habitat declared, ‘Leadership is needed where the common good is in conflict with the private good – and land is such an area that calls for leadership.’ She said that the engagements at this conference, between policy makers, practitioners, civil society and academics, are crucial for strengthening such leadership.

Ambassador Gary Quince, head of European Union Delegation to Ethiopia and to the African Union, emphasized the partnership and collaboration that has been forged between the EU and AU, with the EU now supporting land tenure programmes currently in ten countries. Quince pointed out that, since the AU Declaration was adopted five years ago, Africa has enjoyed good economic growth, and the importance of agriculture has been recognized. She however stressed the need to look at the challenges that are emerging, such as the upsurge of conflict across Africa and the related displacement of many thousands of people from their land and livelihoods.

The conference is organized by the Land Policy initiative, a tripartite consortium comprising the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union Commission, and the Africa Development Bank.

Note for editors.

About 60 percent of the population on the continent derive their livelihood and income from farming, livestock production, fisheries and aquaculture, agro-forestry and other agricultural related activities. Looking ahead, if Africa is to meet the challenge of feeding an additional 1.6 billion people by 2050, an integrated approach to addressing land problems, as well as other challenges that have negative impacts in the agricultural sector is essential.
The Guiding Principles on Large Scale Land Based Investment, endorsed by Heads of State in April 2014, are to be officially launched on the second day of the conference, on the morning of Wednesday 12 November 2014.

Press release Nº308/2014

African Union Agribusiness Forum calls for the Acceleration of Private Sector Development in Agriculture
Kigali, Rwanda – 6 November 2014: The African Union has called for an accelerated implementation of efforts to engage the private sector community in identifying and seizing opportunities for their increased participation in the development of agricultural value chains in Africa in the process of sustaining the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
Speaking at the official opening of the 2nd African Union Private Sector and Agribusiness Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, today Her Excellency Mrs Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Commissioner for Rural Economy & Agriculture of the African Union Commission reiterated the timeliness of the 2nd Private Sector Forum in the process of developing an Implementation Strategy and Roadmap that will spell out specific roles which the private sector will commit to undertake in advancing the implementation of the Malabo Commitment as part of “Sustaining the CAADP Momentum”.
‘‘Women and youth must be at the centre of the planning and operations of the private sector engagement in African agriculture transformation.” she stressed (the full speech of the Commissioner is available on www.au.int).

Declaring the Forum opened, The Rwandan Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, Gerardine Mukeshimana, recalled that the Rwandan government’s commitment to taking private sector investments to heights and scale that will demonstrate positive impact on the lives of the people.
“We believe that the solutions, ideas and voices must be brought to the table if we are to achieve a future that is bright for all.” Speaking further, The Honorable Minister stated “We all believe in the power of collaboration with other organizations – for we are stronger and more effective when we work together and bring our collective best to bear. That I think is the ultimate intention of this gathering.”
Following the African Union Commission (AUC) declaration of the year 2014 as the ‘Year of Agriculture and Food Security’ and the 10th anniversary of CAADP, emphasis has been placed on the role of the private sector as a central catalyst and driver of inclusive agribusiness development for sustainable agricultural growth.
As part of the process to support the deepened engagement of the private sector in CAADP, the AUC and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) have continuously engaged the private sector and agribusiness stakeholders to identify ways and means through which the contribution of this critical stakeholder group can be expanded, coordinated and made more effective in contributing to the agricultural development in the continent through CAADP.
The Forum is expected to provide an opportunity for the private sector to contribute towards this process and agree on a roadmap for domestic/private sector to deliver on Malabo Commitments on Africa Accelerated Agricultural Growth & Transformation within the Implementation Strategy and Roadmap framework. Also, the Forum will establish institutional structures for coordination of the domestic private sector actors at regional and continental level.

###

For more information contact:

Mr. Komla Bissi, CAADP Pillar II Senior Advisor, African Union Commission
E-mail: Bissik@africa-union.org

For Media Contact and interview request:

Mr. Molalet Tsedeke, Directorate of Information and Communication, AU Commission
molalett@africa-union.org; +256781524245

For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
Follow us
Face book: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission

Learn more at:
http://www.au.int

Addressing losses and waste across the food chain should be a critical pillar of national agricultural strategies

Johannesburg, South Africa - 22 October, 2014: “Enhanced coordination among stakeholders is key to implementing the Malabo Declaration on halving Post Harvest Losses by 2025, says AUC Head of Rural Economy at the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, Dr. Janet Edeme.
She was speaking at the opening of the African Union Commission (AUC) and Food Agriculture Organization high-level consultative meeting on Post Harvest Losses (PHL), organized to develop specific actions for addressing PHL within the framework of the Implementation Strategy and Roadmap for the Malabo Declaration on Agriculture and also to propose specific actions for implementing the recommendations on PHL reduction in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) National and Regional Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans.
Dr. Edeme reiterated the AUC’s commitment to prioritize the formulation of concrete and deliverable actions to combat PHL in response to the Malabo declaration.
She noted that the AU Heads of State and Government in their 2014 Malabo Declaration on Agriculture committed to reducing PHL as they realized it was very critical for achieving the continental agricultural transformation goals and targets.
“This commitment by Africa’s leaders means we have the political mandate to come up with specific and concrete actions to halve the current level of PHL by 2025. We are also coming up with a roadmap to implement the Malabo declaration; so this is a chance to feed into the roadmap,” Dr. Edeme said.
FAO Representative for South Africa, Dr. Tobias Takavarasha said, “In Africa, food losses are significantly higher than those considered acceptable or unavoidable for efficiently functioning food supply chains.’’
He said total quantitative food loss in Africa, south of the Sahara had been estimated at 100 million metric tones per year. He however emphasized that food loss and waste is a global phenomenon not restricted to the African continent hence the need for a global coordinated support.
Dr. Takavarasha quoted the FAO report, ‘Global food losses and food waste’ which, states that roughly one-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year, approximately 1.3 billion tones gets lost or wasted. Food losses and waste amount to roughly USD 680 billion in industrialized countries and USD 310 billion in developing countries.
He said that the need, therefore for interventions to reduce PHL become even more imperative when the environmental impact of losses, loss in nutritional value and market opportunities, as well as the possible adverse effects on the health of populations consuming poor quality products, are taken into consideration.
The two day event has brought together, African Government representatives, Regional Economic Communities, Civil Society, Private Sector, Farmer organizations and development partners.
#
CJ/Mts.
For more information contact:

AUC
Mr. Komla Bissi
E-mail: Bissik@africa-union.org

FAO
Ms. Stepanka Gallatova
Email: Stepanka.Gallatova@fao.org

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
Follow us
Face book: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission

Learn more at:
http://www.au.int

Inspiring Agricultural Change
Sharefair on Rural Women’s Technologies to
Improve Food Security, Nutrition, and Productive Family Farming

On the 15-17 October 2014 in Nairobi, Kenya, a Sharefair on Rural Women’s Technologies for Productive Family Farming will take place to share and showcase agricultural production and value-addition innovations. The intent is for smallholders in the East and Southern Africa region to display their technologies and learn from one another as well as get the opportunity to interact with entrepreneurs, financial sector representatives and policy makers.
Two high-level panel discussions are envisioned to take place during the Sharefair to enhance knowledge and experience sharing. The first panel will focus on Gender and Rural Technologies to coincide with Rural Women’s Day 15 October, while the second one will explore Food Security, Nutrition and Gender to coincide with World Food Day 16 October. The targeted audience is an invited guest list of high-level panelists, including Regional Directors for UN and international organizations, and interested attendees at the Sharefair.
The expected format will be a two-hour long interactive “town hall” panel. After a 15-minute introduction by the African Union (proposed/TBC), four expert panelists will present a statement each (total 60 minutes). There will then be the opportunity to interact with the audience through a Q&A session (45 minutes). A seasoned expert moderator will facilitate the session to ensure interaction, encourage participation, coordinate input and ensure a lively debate.
Panel 1 – “Gender and Rural Technologies”

Women are responsible for almost half of the world’s food production and in some developing countries they make up 60 percent of the agricultural labour force. Yet women are less likely to own land, and when they do, they are likely to own less than men and of poorer quality. Women receive only a fraction of the credit made available to the agricultural sector. They are rarely consulted in the solutions being under-represented in decision-making. Women farmers are less likely than men to use modern inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizers, pest control measures and mechanical tools. Many studies show that yields on plots managed by women are lower than those managed by men, as women simply do not have access to the same inputs. If they did, their yields would be the same as men’s, they would produce more and overall agricultural production would increase. The estimated yield gaps ranged widely but many clustered around 20-30 percent, with an average of
25 percent. Thus, closing the gap could increase agricultural output in the developing world by 2.5-4 percent, on average.
One critical bottleneck is rural women’s limited access and exposure to new technologies. Indeed, a recent IFPRI report (2014) noted that agricultural technologies could increase global crop yield as much as 67 percent and cut food prices nearly in half by 2050. Technology options are many, but transparent evidence-based information to support decisions on the potential of alternative technologies is relatively scarce. Additionally, information needs to be shared on adequate technologies to exploit the potential of rural women (SOFA, 2011).
This panel will serve as a platform to share and discuss opportunities and challenges in women’s access to and use of technologies. It will involve exploring how to best increase agricultural productivity and value addition in a sustainable and equal way, at policy and practical level, through these technologies. The emerging role of the private sector will also be analyzed to examine their role in creating incentives. The potential of young people in contributing to the development of feasible innovations for scaling up will also be discussed.
Proposed panelists include representatives from Private Sector/Business, Academia, Research, and a Farmer/Practitioner. Proposed moderator is Ms. Zainab Badawi, BBC Presenter/Journalist.
Panel 2 – “Food Security, Nutrition and Gender”

Women in the developing world hold the key to building sustainable solutions to free themselves, their families and their communities from food insecurity. As mothers, farmers, teachers and entrepreneurs, women can – if provided with the right nutrition, education, job training and health care – break the cycle of hunger and live lives free of the burden of malnutrition. If we look at women’s rights and gender equity through the prism of food security and nutrition, we can see how the malnutrition of women and girls stems from political, economic and social inequality. Malnutrition is a marker of both our failure to extend rights for women and to achieve development.
Women and girls represent about 60 percent of the 842 million chronically undernourished people in our world. Undernutrition among mothers and children is the underlying cause of 2.5 million deaths each year. These nutrition facts are incompatible with the fact that women produce most of the developing world’s food, provide roughly 50 percent of agricultural labour, and they represent almost two-thirds of the world’s poor livestock keepers.
It is of critical to take steps to address the structural causes of gender inequality and eliminate the barriers to the empowerment of women. We must ensure women’s access to training, and resources, including financing. Women are empowered when they gain control over their own life and gain power to make choices. In addition to increases in production and income, closing the gender gap in agriculture would generate broader social and economic benefits by strengthening women’s direct access to, and control over, resources and incomes. Increasing agricultural production by 2.5-3 percent by closing the gender gap could reduce the number of undernourished people by 12-17 percent. When women control additional income, they spend more of it than men do on food, health, clothing and education for their children. This has positive implications for immediate well-being as well as long-term human capital formation and economic growth through improved health, nutrition and education outcomes.
This panel will serve as a platform to discuss women’s role in food security and nutrition in order to identify specific challenges and opportunities, and ways to use them to improve food security and nutrition across the board.
Proposed panelists include representatives from Nutrition, Government, Academia, Research, and a Farmer/Practitioner. Proposed moderator is Mr. Cheikh Sourang, IFAD.