AUC

African Union Commission Department of Rural Economy
and Agriculture, Commissioner, Tumusiime Rhoda Peace,
has disclosed that the AU is determined to ensure that
agricultural transformation is driven by its citizens.
She added that the continental body’s aspirations is to
have a food and nutrition secure and poverty free
citizenry that is prosperous.
Tumusiime Rhoda Peace made this known while
addressing journalists ahead of the 23rd Ordinary
Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of
State and Government in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea with
the theme, “transforming Africa’s agriculture for shared
prosperity and improved livelihoods, through harnessing
opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable
development.”
The Summit is also significant as it is also being held in
the 2014 AU Year of Agriculture and Food and Nutrition
Security and the commemoration of the 10 year
anniversary since the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture
Development Programme (CAADP) was adopted.
It is expected that the AU Leaders will commit to the
resolutions endorsing seven Africa Accelerated
Agricultural Growth and Transformation Goals (3AGTGs)
for 2025 that were adopted by the AU Joint Conference
of Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries
and Aquaculture meeting, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
from 1st to 2nd May 2014.
The joint conference recommended among other things
the need to enhance Public-Private Partnerships and
Investment Financing for African Agriculture and called
on stakeholders to establish and/or strengthen inclusive
public-private partnerships for at least five (5) priority
agricultural commodity value chains with a strong
linkage to smallholder agriculture and to strengthen the
capacities of domestic apex private sector intermediary
institutions for inclusive facilitation and coordination to
ensure engagement of the private sector in CAADP
implementation. “Africa needs sustainable
transformation and inclusiveness through agriculture to
benefit both the present and future generations, it also
requires more innovative technologies, public and private
investment to be able to mobilise resources for inter-
Africa trade”, she said.
She further informed the media that building resilience to
reduce vulnerability of Africa’s citizens is one of the key
components of Africa Agenda 2063,”A shared Strategic
Framework for inclusive Growth and Sustainable
Development,” which also targets the most vulnerable in
society, like women, children and youth.
The Commissioner highlighted the agricultural
transformation has been taking place as a result of
CAADP implementation and said, “in recognition of the
instrumentality and the added value that CAADP has
been demonstrating over the last decade of experience,
the recommitment to the principles and values of CAADP
and sustaining the momentum is of paramount
importance.”