FAO honours AUC, Thai Ministry, National Geographic Society with awards

NaijaAgroNet:

The African Union Commission (AUC), Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the National Geographic Society and the non-profit World Rural Forum have received awards from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for their outstanding efforts in supporting Zero Hunger, and improving nutrition as well as raising awareness of the challenges facing the world's food systems, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The awards ceremony, which took place at FAO headquarters at the start of the organization's governing council, is the last in a series of events this year marking the 70th anniversary of the UN agency's founding.

Former FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf attended the ceremony and presented an award named in his honor to Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). The award recognizes the AUC's efforts to boost sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition through its Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). 

NaijaAgroNet reports that FAO recognized CAADP was helpful in paving the way to the commitment at the 23rd AU summit in Malabo to eradicate hunger in Africa by 2025.

The AUC shares the award with the World Rural Forum, a globe-spanning network of rural organizations and researchers, which works to support dialogues among rural communities and its policy advocacy on behalf of family farmers. 

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva in a video message congratulated the winners and said "Our mission now is to help countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal, and prepare a greater event in 2030 to celebrate the eradication of hunger and extreme poverty. We have the conditions for that. Let us be the first generation free from hunger. Let us all work together to make it a reality."

The awards ceremony featured a special musical performance by a well-known Rome-based musical group, the Piazza Vittorio Orchestra, and a young multi-ethnic band the Piccola Orchestra di Tor Pignattara.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE 
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Earth observation applications critical for African regional integration

 NaijaAgroNet

The Commissioner, Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission, (AUC), Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, has said earth observation applications at continental, regional and national levels are critical for African integration, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Speaking recently at the 1st Monitoring for Environment and Security Forum which examined how earth observation data through Monitoring for Environment for Security in Africa (MESA) Project supports policy, planning and decision making at the national, regional and continental level in Africa.

With the theme “Streamlining MESA products and services towards the decision-making cycle in support of sustainable environmental management” the forum, NaijaAgroNet gathered, was organised by the African Union Commission (AUC) in association with Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources with the support of the European Union.

Rhode stated  that  “the MESA Project contributes to the increase of information management, decision-making and planning capacity of African institutions mandated for agriculture, environment, climate, fisheries, food security and related responsibilities. This is critical for African regional integration.”

NaijaAgroNet also learnt that the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources, Judi Wakhungu, said, cases of poaching and deforestation have reduced by 50 per cent this year compared to 2013.

 “Before this, my office and team members had to travel physically to protected area which took several days and incurred huge costs. Thanks to MESA projects, Kenya Wildlife Service can now get snapshots of satellite images of the protected areas on a single page,” said Wakhungu.

MESA has brought together 250 international delegates comprising decision and policy makers, planners, earth observation data users and experts from across the continent, NaijaAgroNet.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE, additional report from Capital News

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AUC commends FAO resilience policies on humanity, resources, income

NaijaAgroNet

The African Union Commission (AUC’s) Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture Ms. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, has commended the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO’s) commitment in promoting resilience policies and strategies, NaijaAgroNET reports.

She said that such policies have the prospect of addressing the different needs and experiences of men, women, boys and girls, and equal access to and control over resources and incomes.

The Commissioner, NaijaAgroNet gathered, was speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and African Union Commission (AUC), on the implementation of the Regional Initiative on Resilience in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa.

In a statement from the FAO and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the initiative would establish effective knowledge platforms between Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member-states, as well as strengthen the capacity of institutions to scale up proven cost-effective resilience enhancing good practices.

The Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is a trade bloc in Africa, established in 1986, with a focus on development and environmental control, NaijaAgroNet learnt

It said in the Horn of Africa, the focus would be on supporting IGAD and member-states (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan), to enhance knowledge on practical means for resilience building, as well as heighten the awareness of dynamics of resilience programming.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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 Pix: Ms. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime,

FF, AUC say leadership, partnership key for Africa’s agricultural transformation

NaijaAgroNet

 
A panel co-hosted by the United States government's global food security initiative, Feed the Future, and African Union Commission (AUC) have said government leadership and partnerships with the private sector as well as civil society are crucial for Africa to achieve food security, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Held recently in Addis Ababa, the panel was a side event of the Third Finance for Development Conference aimed to highlight how the commission's Comprehensive Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) set the foundation for enhanced engagement for the governments throughout the continent with the private sector as well as how non-state actors could play a role in advancement of country-led approaches towards food security.

Deputy Chairperson, AUC, Erastus Mwencha, in his keynote said, "Since the initiation of CAADAP we have seen a tremendous transformation in agriculture sector."

Acting Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),  Ambassador Alfonso Lenhardt, on his part, said that "the possibilities are truly endless" when the private sector, the civil society and all relevant stakeholders are engaged in ensuring food and nutrition security, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

He went further to say, "We are on a critical part of the post-2015 agenda. And we must work together" towards the transformation of the agricultural sector."

In support of  Lenhardt’s position, NaijaAgroNet reports, was a panelist, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ethiopian Government's Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), Khalid, Bomba who said "increase production and productivity, manage risks and disaster as well as work on commercialization, we must work together to translate policies into action. We must engage the private sector and civil society groups."

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

 
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54m kids under 5-yrs in Africa go hungry-AUC

NaijaAgroNet:

The African Union Commission (AUC) has said that over 54 million kids in Africa under the age of five years go hungry and urged leaders in Africa  to work together to tackle malnutrition and under-development on the continent, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The AUC made this disclosure as the African leaders, agriculture and nutrition experts from the private and public sector marked this year’s Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day in Niamey, Niger, to tackle malnutrition and under-development on the continent.

The AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, said “The African Union Commission accords special importance to this year’s day as a prelude to 2014 the AU declared Year of Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Security and also marking the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive Africa agriculture development programme. 

Peace said that the day remains an opportunity for all AU member states, governments and partners to heighten awareness and reinforce commitment to accelerating the collective efforts towards a food and nutrition secure Africa, while the Africa Agenda 2063 will be considered for adoption by AU heads of state and government at their summit to be held in January next year.

The Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Agency, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, said “Proven solutions for food and nutrition security challenges already exist and needed to be replicated. The era of pilot projects is long gone and it is now time to take action.  The private sector is a valuable partner in the fight against malnutrition whereas civil society remains our most important voice of conscience”.

AN/GEE

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CAADP 9th kicks off in Addis Ababa on Monday

The African Union Commission (AUC) Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Rhoda Peace Tumusiime alongside the Chief Executive Officer,  NEPAD Agency,  Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, are billed to grace the 9th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform.

The two-day meeting scheduled for African Union Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, NaijaAgroNet gathered would hold between Monday 25 and Tuesday 26, 2013, with the theme “Sustaining the CAADP Momentum - from Decisions and Commitments to Implementation for Results and Impact.”

The continental annual forum which brings together stakeholders in African agriculture, would be graced by President of Benin, H.E Boni Yayi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E Hailemariam Desalegn  and  AUC Chairperson, H.E Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Also expected in attendance would be High level African Leadership, Regional Economic Communities, government ministries, farmers’ organizations, the private sector, civil society, development partners, donor communities, the African Union Commission, and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development stakeholders involved in agricultural development.

NaijaAgroNet recollects that the CAADP PP is a programme that facilitates practitioners, especially country level players and other stakeholders to share and learn lessons.

In addition, the 9th CAADP PP would build on the discussions and outcomes of the 8th CAADP PP but with more focused attention on implementation, results and impact.

This year’s theme NaijaAgroNet learnt is within the broader CAADP framework of eliminating hunger, job creation and reducing poverty through agriculture.

The theme on “Sustaining the CAADP momentum” according to the organizers, is aimed directly at renewing the thrust of CAADP by providing a clearer perspective and the overall role of agriculture in the economic transformation of the continent.

 It will particularly aim to examine achievements and successes during the past 10 years of CAADP in order to achieve CAADP objectives. The 9th CAADP PP will take into account  the creation of a platform for “CAADP at 10”, which will provide an opportunity to reflect on drawbacks in order to impress a new thinking and visioning on how to transition the CAADP agenda into the next decade. 

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