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F-SAMA WEBINAR ANNOUNCEMENT
Joint Actions on Operationalization of the Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa (F-SAMA)
Summary
Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (SAM) in Africa is an urgent matter and an indispensable pillar for attaining the Zero Hunger vision by 2025, as stated in the Malabo Declaration of 2014 – Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals – and the Prosperous Africa We Want of Agenda 2063. Doubling agricultural productivity and eliminating hunger and malnutrition in Africa by 2025 will not be realized unless mechanization is accorded utmost importance.
Understanding this situation, the African Union Commission (AUC) and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), through an Africa-wide consultative process, developed a Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa (F-SAMA) that was launched in October 2018. It aims to inform policy and decision makers in the Member States, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa, and the wider development community dealing with agricultural development on the significance of mainstreaming SAM in the overall national and regional agricultural development programmes.
During the fourth quarter of 2020, through the Africa-Mechanize information platform www.africamechanize.org, FAO and the African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) in collaboration with AUC-DARBE[1] organized a series of Virtual Discussions with Directors and Heads of Agricultural Mechanization Services, farmer organizations, non-governmental organization, the private sector and other selected stakeholders of SAMA in SSA on key initial activities on operationalization of F-SAMA. The objective here was to create a participatory environment for the establishment of a regional implementation mechanism of F-SAMA as well as facilitate the creation of a Network for Information exchange using the Africa-Mechanize Information Platform.
To sustain the momentum of the continental information exchange through the Webinars initiated in 2020, the next series of Discussions/Webinars under the Africa Mechanize platform for 2021 will be organized around the ten elements of F-SAMA; as an assurance and in compliance to the African Union’s long-term vision of agricultural development and food security of the continent and in attaining the Malabo goals. For each of the selected elements, a Discussion Paper, providing in-depth analysis of past agricultural mechanization programmatic experience in SSA and elsewhere, will be prepared and presented to stimulate open and objective discussions and debates, so as to tease out accordingly the reasons for success and/or failure. The record of the deliberations will contribute towards the formulation of detailed guidelines, vital in helping member countries design and formulate policies, strategies and action plans for the implementation of F-SAMA. The captured recordings and meeting reports will be synthesized and also shared as Guidelines, Policy briefs, Newsletters and Essays will be shared openly and widely on the Africa-Mechanize information platform in both English and French.
Topics for the scheduled Webinars for March to December 2021 are presented below:
| Webinar No. | Title | Scheduled Time |
| Webinar 3 | Country presentations: Increasing production and productivity in agriculture by accelerating adoption of mechanization: A case of Nigeria and Cameroon. | 30th March 2021 |
| Webinar 4 | Discussion Paper on Element 1 of F-SAMA: Impact of Paradigm Shifts on Development of Agricultural Mechanization in SSA: A Case Study of Farm Power. | 29th April 2021 |
| Webinar 5 | Discussion Paper on Element 2: Promoting innovative financing mechanisms for agricultural mechanization. Regional Banks and International Financial Institutions to sponsor and prepare the lead paper. | 20th May 2021 |
| Webinar 6 | Moderated virtual workshop: Developing a problem tree and objectives for a shared sense of understanding, purpose and action contributing to the F-SAMA operational plan and P-SAMA/flagship projects. | 24th June 2021 |
| Webinar 7 | A Countries presentation: Increasing production and productivity in agriculture, by accelerating mechanization: Two countries (TBC). | 22nd July 2021 |
| Webinar 8 | Discussion Paper on Element 3: Manufacturing, Testing & Standards, and Distribution of Agricultural Machinery and Implements in SSA. Organizations to prepare the discussion paper to be confirmed. | 26th August 2021 |
| Webinar 9 | Discussion Paper on Element 3: Cross-border Trade and Distribution of Agricultural Mechanization Inputs and Services. The role of F-SAMA in operationalization of the AfCFTA; unlocking opportunities of cross-border provision of mechanization services & trade by small, medium & large-scale enterprises. Organizations to prepare the discussion paper TBC. | 23rd September 2021 |
| Webinar 10 | Discussion Paper on Element 7: Social sustainability and the roles of small-scale farmers and their organization, women and youth. Organizations to prepare the discussion paper TBC. | 14th October 2021 |
| Webinar 11 | Concluding Webinar for 2021 Annual Summary Paper to be prepared by Africa-Mechanize Secretariat. | 18th November 2021 |
Organizing Partners
The Webinars and Discussion Forums are being organized by:
| | The African Union Website: https://au.int/ |
| | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Website www.fao.org. |
.jpg) | African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) Website: www.act-africa.org |
For more information, contact:
o Saidi Mkomwa, Executive Secretary, ACT Nairobi, Kenya. (Email: saidi.mkomwa@act-africa.org)
o Joseph Mpagalile, Agricultural Engineer (Sustainable Mechanization), FAO Regional Office for Africa (Email: Joseph.Mpagalile@fao.org)
o Prof. Jerome Afeikhena, Special Adviser to the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Email: Jeromea@africa-union.org)