The 5th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform Meeting opened on Monday in Abuja with more than 50 African countries and donor agencies in attendance.
The meeting is being held in preparation of the three-day World Summit on Food Security in Rome (16-18 November) where Africa hopes to table recommendations of the Abuja CAADP meeting.
At the opening of the meeting, the participants noted with delight that the continent had been encouraged by the engagement it had with the international community in response to Global Food Security and concern and support to Africa’s agriculture.
The Africa Union Commission’s (AUC) Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Mrs Tumusuiime Rhoda Peace, told participants that many of the presence of strategic partners at the meeting, including bilateral ones such as USAID, DFID, the Netherlands and Italy.
Others, she said, were UN agencies, the World Bank, FAO, IFAD and the EU.
“We are beginning to hear more commitment by the development partners at the country level in appreciation of and support of CAADP. This has helped in accelerating country buy-in and process implementation,’’ she said.
In spite of the supports, CAADP, she said, was challenged by concrete results on the ground in member states.
“We note the food security facility and are keen to see the due recognition is given to the fact the Africa is ready with the CAADP framework,” she pointed out.
According to Rhoda Pecae, the AU Commission would welcome suggestions that would assist to make the process move faster because CAADP will create the opportunity to do business differently.
It would also demonstrate that agriculture development efforts this time around would extricate Africa from poverty and as well as guarantee food and nutrition security.
Source African Press Agency
