Key stakeholders and experts, convened a meeting in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, on 31 July,1st and 2nd August 2023 to review and validate the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) report prepared by Uganda.
The 4th CAADP BR report will be presented to the African Union Assembly of the Heads and States Summit in February 2024 highlighting the extent to which Member states have recommitted to (i) the Principles and Values of the CAADP Process; (ii) Enhancing Investment Finance in Agriculture; (iii) Ending Hunger in Africa by 2025; (iv) Halving Poverty by the year 2025, through Inclusive Agricultural Growth and Transformation; (v) Enhancing Resilience of Livelihoods and Production Systems to Climate Variability and other related risks; (vi) Mutual Accountability to Actions and Results.
Uganda’s national Steering Committee include among others; Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry (MAAIF)/ National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS)/National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MFPED)/ Financial Institutions, Ministry of Trade Industry and Cooperative (MTIC), Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Ministry of Local Government (MLOG), Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), National Planning Authority (NPA), Development Partners, Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE), Private Sector , Academia and Technology .
Speaking to Journalists on the sidelines of the validation meeting at Protea Hotel Kampala, seasoned Food and Agriculture policy analyst Ms. Agnes Kirabo, the Executive Director of Food Rights Alliance (FRA) hailed MAAIF for coordinating the rest of stakeholders in Uganda to authenticate the report.
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Kirabo, a member of the CAADP Non-State Actors who also doubles as the Chairperson for Eastern region (CAADP Non-State Actors) added that Uganda has been consistent in submitting the report and there has been improvement every year the country provides its biennial report.
According to Wilson Lufafa from MAAIF, Uganda is validating data that the CAADP country team has been putting together, reviewing all the seven commitments under the CAADP.
‘’After its validation exercise is completed through the Permanent Secretary (PS) MAAIF we shall have to submit the eBiennial Review (eBR) to the African Union heads of summit which will take place in February 2024’’, noted Lufafa.
Grace Musimami Kezirone, a member of CAADP journalists’ network, a group of journalists and media practitioners working or interested in reporting on Agriculture in Africa enlightened the relevance of being part of the CAADP BR report, saying that it helps in better dissemination of the information and keep all stakeholders accountable.
‘’We just had a validation meeting where stakeholders are basically calling for inclusion, accountability and better dissemination of this report so that it is understood by everybody. This report helps leaders and decision makers to review their commitment towards improving agriculture on the continent’’, said Musimami.
Early this year, the African Union Commission and Africa Development Agency (AUDA- NEPAD) in collaboration with partners, conducted the Training of Trainers (ToT) for the 4th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Biennial Review (BR) reporting cycle.
The trainees were drawn from the African Union, Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) , various organizations and institutions including universities, agricultural research (national and regional), agricultural advisory services.
The 4th BR cycle roadmap commenced with Critical Analysis of the previous BR cycles. This exercise was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon August 2022, it took stock of the previous three BR cycles and reflected on the lessons learned, examined and identified solutions to the challenges encountered and charted a way forward by including additional indicators, updated BR Technical guidelines and reporting tools and electronic BR platform.
The Critical Analysis followed the successful completion and launch of the 3rd CAADP Biennial Review (BR) report by African Union Commission (AUC) in 2022, with the endorsement of the 3rd CAADP Biennial Review (BR) Report during the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government in February 2022, dialogues were held in every AU Region to discuss the findings and policy implications of the 3rd BR Report, including suggestions for improving performance of member states in the agriculture sector.
It should be noted that at their Maputo Summit in 2003, African Heads of State and Government adopted CAADP as Africa’s overall vision to eradicate poverty, boost economic growth through agriculture transformation, in order to achieve food security, and hence build the foundation for sustainable broad-based economic development on the continent.
Ten years after implementation of CAADP through the Maputo Declaration, the Malabo Declaration was signed by Heads of State and Government in June 2014. It recommits to the Principles and Values of the CAADP process, and emphasizes for the next ten years, the need to achieve results and impact. This will happen with the implementation of 11 Strategic Action Areas aimed at: (i) bringing about agriculture transformation and sustained growth, (ii) strengthening systemic capacity at the local, national and regional level, to enable that transformation and growth to occur.
