Agriculture and Food Security

The Agriculture and Food Security Division coordinates the implementation of AU decisions related to agricultural transformation in Africa.

The Division currently coordinates the implementation of 4 continental initiatives:

Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Assembly/AU/Decl.7 (II)
Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA) EX.CL/768 (XXII)
Africa Seed and Biotechnology Programme (ASBP) Assembly/AU/Dec.86(V)
Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative(EOAI) EX.CL/Dec.621 (XVII)
Geographic Indications Strategy for Africa (GISA) EX.CL/Dec.987(XXXII

i. The AFSD in collaboration with African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordinating Agency (AUDA-NEPAD and AU-IBAR has strengthened cooperation among Africa’s Regional Fisheries Bodies (RFBs), Basin Commissions and Regional Economic Communities (RECs). This has resulted in building a common position among these institutions to speak with one voice on matters of fisheries and aquaculture at continental and global fora.

ii. In line with African Union Heads of State and Government’s decision on Organic Agriculture (Ex. CL/Dec. 631 (XVIII)), the Division has been promoting organic agriculture in Africa in partnership with other partners. A Continental Steering Committee for the Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative for Africa has been established and functional chaired by the African Union Commission. Under the technical guidance of AFSD, the committee has developed a revised EOA Action Plan (2015-2020) and EOA Strategic Plan (2015-2025) to boost organic agriculture in Africa.

iii. The division also facilitates organization of regional training workshops on organic standards and certification systems and modern organic production and marketing for organic farmers and practitioners from member states of the African Union. This has led to strengthening of technical and institutional capacities of EOA platforms in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), East African Community (EAC), Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

iv. The Division initiated establishment of a Facilitation Unit to implement the Africa-Arab Joint Action Plan (JAP) on Agricultural Development and Food Security. This move is geared towards strengthened cooperation between Africa and the Arab region in the area of agricultural development and food security

v. The AFSD is facilitating the implementation of the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer by Member States of the African Union and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) with the objective of increasing fertilizer use in Africa to 50kg/ha considering that the current usage is estimated at 22kg/ha.

vi. The Division promotes Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures to facilitate market access to enhance trade in agricultural commodities on the continent. The division supports SPS capacity building of African experts and facilitates training on international SPS measures and compliance in collaboration with the WTO Standards and Trade Development Facility, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and FAO. A Continental SPS Committee, which is chaired by the African Union Commission, has been established to coordinate SPS issues at the continental level.

vii. For Africa to obtain premium benefits from its unique agricultural products, the division has been creating awareness on the subject of Geographic Indications (GIs) in the overall context of organic agriculture. The AFSD is coordinating the development of the Continental GIs Policy framework. The framework is expected to enhance the protection and exploitation of African agriculture.

viii. The Division coordinates the implementation of the African Seed and Biotechnology Programme in line with the January 2007 Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia through Decision of the Assembly/AU/Dec.135 (VIII). Member States are provided with technical backstopping in the development of a range of measures to enhance the functioning of the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. These measures will increase user-based payments and contributions to the Benefit-sharing Fund in a sustainable and predictable long-term manner and enhance the functioning of the Multilateral System that aims at facilitation of access to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

ix. In the bid to improve distribution of quality seeds to farmers, the Division is facilitating development of a Continental Curriculum for Seed Testing Protocols and benchmarking best practices in Seed Sector Development in Africa.

x. The Division has embarked on the process to develop guidelines for member states on the movement of genetic materials to contribute towards boosting Intra-African agricultural trade with the adoption of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The guidelines seek to provide objective technical information for reference while fully recognizing the sovereign rights of Member States over their own plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture.

xi. On water governance, the Division has initiated collaboration with key stakeholders to advocate for adaptation of agricultural and food systems to mitigate the impacts of water scarcity and climate change in order to avert food and water insecurity. The Division is actively engaged in the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture, an initiative that brings together key players across the globe and across sectors to tackle the collective challenge of using water better in agriculture to ensure food security.

xii. The Division supports member states and RECs in addressing complex food security, consumer health and trade challenges due to aflatoxin contamination of staple and cash crops. The Secretariat of the Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), established under AU Executive Council Decision No. EX.CL/768 (XXII) adopted at its 22nd Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is developing and piloting approaches for aflatoxin control by directly supporting six AU member states (Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, The Gambia and Uganda). PACA has provided support in generating evidence, developing government-led and stakeholder-aligned comprehensive aflatoxin control plans, mainstreaming the plans in national strategies, providing support in establishing aflatoxin testing centers, and mobilizing resources to implement the plans as well as in tracking progress. Through PACA support, Malawi and Tanzania are implementing USD 1.2 million and USD 20 million worth aflatoxin control projects, respectively. ECOWAS and COMESA also directly received support to develop their regional aflatoxin control plans and build regional capacity such as in sampling and analysis of aflatoxins.

xiii. The Division also undertakes policy advocacy and awareness creation at continental and global levels to sustainably address aflatoxin control and food safety. It has organized biennial PACA Partnership Platform meetings since 2014 to exchange information for increased action, provided support in developing and tracking the Africa Food Safety Index through the Malabo Biennial Review, and organized the First AU/FAO/WHO International Food Safety Conference and brought food safety at the center of global policy dialogues. The Division is working towards improving food safety to support implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) including the establishment of an Africa Food Safety Agency to coordinate risk based approaches and contribute to raising food safety levels in AU member states.

Activities

News

Africa Mobilizes Common Position for the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS)

July 15, 2021

An extraordinary meeting of the AU Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE), comprising ministers in charge of the relevant offices in the member states was held on Thursdays, July 15, 2021

Continental Consultative Meeting held to develop an Africa Food Safety Strategy

June 08, 2021 to June 11, 2021

A four day continental consultative meeting of major stakeholders from all the 55 African Union Members States to develop an Africa Food Safety Strategy (AFSS) was held from June 8-11, 2021