A new report - Ripe For Change: the promise of Africa's Agricultural Transformation

A New Report - Ripe For Change: The Promise Of Africa's Agricultural Transformation

January 29, 2014, in Addis Ababa, A new report called Ripe for Change: The Promise of Africa's Agricultural Transformation has been launched. The launch of report in Addis Ababa coincides with the 2014 January African Union (AU) summit, where Heads of state have gathered to discuss key development challenges across the continent. The AU has declared 2014 the Year of Agriculture in Africa.

The report home3/actafric/public_html/image/ONE_Ripe_for_Change_report_EN.pdf calls on African governments to implement an "enhanced CAADP" package of policies to accelerate economic development in Africa through an African-led agricultural transformation agenda steered by the AU's own CAADP (Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme). The package of policy recommendations, was developed after a lengthy consultation process with African farmers and farmers associations from all over the continent.

In the first section, "Profiling Success", the report presents three case studies of African countries (Ghana, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso) where real leadership, reform and investment in agriculture have helped foster national growth and development. Public spending offers one of the most direct and effective instruments for governments to promote inclusive agricultural growth. Yet as governments seek to implement reforms, increase agricultural spending and boost growth, they must grapple with a range of options and reforms to address their country- and context-specific concerns and reach their goals. These case studies illustrate how leaders in Ghana, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso have navigated these decisions and how they have shown remarkable progress in both agricultural success and economic development. They also offer important policy lessons for other leaders who wish to see similar results.

In the second section, "Renewing Maputo’s Promise", the report looks at progress made by African countries in achieving (or falling short of) the Maputo targets, and surveys the challenges that they have faced in striving to reach these goals. There is a particular focus on the CAADP results framework, which underscores the importance of accountability and of improving farmers’ access to information. Farmers have not had opportunities to hold leaders to account on prioritising the agriculture sector or on achieving CAADP progress and implementation. These challenges also demonstrate important areas for reform that could be enhanced in any new agreement reached in 2014.

Finally, in the third section, "Policy Recommendations for Africa’s Agricultural Transformation", the report concludes by calling on policy-makers to seize the opportunities presented through transformations in the agriculture sector, the enhancement of public investment, strengthened ties with farmers, civil society and the private sector, and enhancements to the quality of public policy and spending. A range of policy options are presented for consideration by African leaders, including programmes aimed at narrowing the gender gap in agriculture, reforms designed to facilitate intra-regional trade and heightened resources targeted at improving land governance.

Further reference: http://paepard.blogspot.be/2014/01/ripe-for-change-promise-of-africas.html