COMPENDIUM Compendium for the COMESA Regional CAADP Framework/ Compact Submitted to Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa By Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) 13 August 2010 REGIONAL SECRETARIAT 141 Cresswell Road, Weavind Park 0184 Private Bag X2087, Silverton 0127 Pretoria, South Africa Tel: +27 12 804 2966 Fax: +27 12 804 0600 Email: [email protected]www.fanrpan.org
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COMPENDIUM
Compendium for the COMESA Regional CAADP Framework/ Compact
Submitted to
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
By
Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
13 August 2010
REGIONAL SECRETARIAT 141 Cresswell Road, Weavind Park 0184 Private Bag X2087, Silverton 0127 Pretoria, South Africa
Seed Control and Certification Institute (Zambia) ............................................................................................ 70
USAID East Africa .............................................................................................................................................. 73
I think that a forth priority which needs to be considered in this regards is to support a strategy to educate and inform western countries like the United States about the priorities of agriculture in Africa and to engage the African Diaspora to lobby and pressure these countries to support agriculture initiatives through African regional organizations.
Melvin Foote, President
Constituency for Africa (CFA), Washington, DC
2. From: Marianne Banziger [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 3:25 PM To: 'Listman, Mike (CIMMYT)'; 'Russell, Nathan (CIMMYT)' Cc: Lindiwe Sibanda; 'Prasanna, B.M. (CIMMYT-Kenya)'; 'Sophie Higman (Green Ink)'
Thanks Lindiwe!
Mike/Nathan:
Link to CAADAP priorities that needs to be outlined in the introduction of MAIZE.
i. increasing food output through increased productivity and production, ii. developing agricultural trade and development corridors and,
iii. developing human and institutional capacity towards a harmonized policy environment in the region.
Prasanna do we have something similar for Asia?
Tks - Marianne
3. From: Francisco MITI [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 6:34 PM
4. From: Sam Mwambazi [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:16 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Sam Kanyarukiga
Dear Dr Sibanda, I have received the FANRPAN Draft with interest. I have noted that one of the
GAPs identified is the need for developing Food safety Standards, which for COMESA falls in the
domain of the Standardization and Quality Assurance programme. As a matter of fact a number
of Food Standards have already been harmonised in COMESA and they cover both Quality and
Safety parameters. Many of them are likely to be reviewed in due course because the
International Standards upon which they were based have since been withdrawn by Codex
Alimentarius Commission. I have shaded them in grey color.
There is thus no doubt that there should be collaboration between FARNPAN and the SQA
Programme so that the stakeholders can keep abreast of what is being proposed in term of Food
Quality and Food safety standards.
In view of that I will look of the Draft and see if I can make some comments on the relevant
sections.
Thanks, Samuel A. Mwambazi, Standards and SPS Expert
5. From: Cris Muyunda [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 10:19 AM To: Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Miranda Mafafo; [email protected]; Carol Jilombo; Jones Govereh
Good draft. A little bit thin on ACTESA. The STATISTICS need some checking – it appears the
source was the COMESA report which we had inadvertently not corrected ourselves. To
conclude this work properly, FANRPAN and ACTESA need a day’s sitting down. Meanwhile Carol
will forward the ACTESA summary to Dr. Mafafo for inclusion. Given the binding AGREEMENT
between COMESA and ACTESA, we need to articulate better the lofty goals set for agri
input/output trade and value addition over the next 10 years.
Through the Regional CAADP Compact, COMESA identifies two strategic priorities to streamline
current regional programmes to strengthen the production and productivity of food staples and
to develop agricultural trade and development corridors as a means of achieving the desired
food security and poverty alleviation. This paragraph should come after the analysis...the
analysis should inform priorities selected
FOR EXAMPLE:
The main purpose of the Regional Compact is, through a consultative process, to develop a framework for enhancing regional investments in the agricultural sector. The Compact will ensure Regional Investments add value to national agriculture and food security investment plans (NAFSIP) and further strengthen regional integration.
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Given the premise that food supply in the COMESA region has to double in the next decade in order to feed increasing urban populations, the framework will focus on strategic regional priorities, building on investments at country level related to increased productivity through transfer of improved/new technologies, sustainable management of land and agricultural resources, value addition, development and expansion of commodity chains into regional and global markets as well as strategic investments into rural infrastructure such as energy, roads, storage and markets whilst supporting a conducive policy environment for private sector investments and effective dialogue with all key stakeholders.
Selected priorities will reflect the COMESA Treaty and fit within the newly developed Strategic Framework for Agriculture that will guide all CAADP-related activities at the COMESA Secretariat.
INSERT SECTION ON: COMESA COUNTRIES’ PRIORITIES
Based on analysis of national stock taking reports (COMESA can provide some of the docs), national Compacts (where they exist) and in countries where none of this exists, we can base the analysis on national agriculture strategy documents and/or existing programmes.
INSERT SECTION ON: DONOR COORDINATION AT REGIONAL LEVEL
Based on COMESA’s experience, what are the lesson learnt, what was best practice, what must we do differently, this analysis should inform the Compact in terms of “role of Development Partners’ (DPs) and a list of Donors active at regional level can be annexed
DPs have commissioned a study on donor coordination which is not complete but should be very useful (will send the contacts of the Consultant working on this)
The proposed sections would bring ownership to countries, i.e. that indeed regional priorities are in synergy with investments at country level and that COMESA, leveraging its experience with donors at regional level to ensure future regional programmes are well coordinated and effectively delivered.
Under Section 7.1 : Comment
Regional programmes should not be basis for prioritisation, rather, they should provide evidence to inform the Compact on
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a) Best Practices that need to be scaled up b) Synergies that need to be enhanced c) An effective donor coordination strategy, drawing on COMESA’s experience with donor
coordination at regional level
Under Section 8 : Comment
Components of the COMPACT document could be according to the guidelines in the CAADP guide. I do not see the value of this section as the Compact is not required to have detailed programmes with an implementation strategy (CAADP guide is found on the NEPAD website)
Under Section 8.2 : Comment
I understand CAADP has a resource mobilisation strategy jointly led by COMESA and the AU/NEPAD, but that is subsequent to elaboration of the investment plan, detailing programmes with proper costing usually done by the FAO Investment Centre.
The Regional Compact is the first step and a separate document to be followed by development of the investment plan.
Under Section 8.3 : Comment
I understand the Investment Plan to be the document that will guide future investments in regional agriculture projects, but not a guide to bidders. In other words, once the investment plan is developed, future programmes can base on it to mobilise resources. Such Programmes are initiated by interested stakeholders, who follow individual donor bidding procedures and guidelines. There is thus no need for establishing a fund and a separate mechanism for bidding and resource mobilisation.
In ANNEX 1: Comment
CAADP has an agreed implementation framework coordinated at continental (AU/NEPAD), Regional (RECs) and country levels. Is there need for a parallel arrangement ??
In ANNEX 3 : Additional/suggested programme under pillar 2:
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The East Africa Phytosanitary Information Council (EAPIC) Regional Pest Data base/ [ USDA/USAID/FAO/East Africa] / Coordinated by KEPHIS in Kenya
In ANNEX 3 : Additional/suggested programme under pillar 3
The East Africa Phytosanitary Information Council (EAPIC) Regional Pest Data base/ [ USDA/USAID/FAO/East Africa] / Coordinated by KEPHIS in Kenya
Attached please find our comments/inputs to the COMESA regional compact on the identified
three regional strategic priorities. Under the CAADP framework, added responsibilities and
coordination of some activities will be expected from the RECs as you know CAADP process has a
regional focus. The document attached just summarizes some of the issues but we are available
to guide in Pillar II Strategic Areas as you develop the regional compact.
Please refer to Pillar II implementation guide and roadmap for more information and do not
hesitate to contact us for any additions or clarifications.
Kind regards
Nicholas Sabwa - Expert - International and Regional Trade
CMA/AOC - Conférence des Ministres de l'Agriculture de l'Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre
Lead institution for CAADP-Pilar II of NEPAD
tel: (221) 33 869 11 90; www.cmaoc.org
11. From: Livingston, Geoffrey Oscar Sent: mardi 27 avril 2010 17:18 To: [email protected] Cc: de Willebois, Ides; Zahreddine, Chadia; Getachew, Rahel
Dear FANRPAN Representative,
We read the draft COMESA compact with interest and would like to congratulate you on a
comprehensive and well thought out document. The profile of agriculture in the COMESA region
is very well done, as is the analysis of regional constraints and opportunities. In addition, the
document provides helpful information regarding current on-going regional initiatives leading to
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an instructive gap analysis.
We believe that the document could be strengthened if the 12 potential regional programs
which appear on page 32 could be distilled and prioritized and additional information provided
which would afford greater insight into the nature and objectives of the particular prioritized
programs. For instance, what role is envisaged for COMESA regarding a regional nitrogen
fertilizer facility on Lake Kivu?
It would also be helpful to clarify the content of the column entitled "Policy Requirement" on
page 32.
We would encourage you to provide greater prominence to questions related to soil fertility,
climate change and the role of the private sector in compact implementation.
There appears to be a few errors in the text such as the footnote on page 13 regarding the
estimated GDP for COMESA and the amount of arable land in the COMESA region on Page 17.
As you are aware, IFAD provides loans and grants to sovereign governments and, with the
exception of a small grant facility, does not have the possibility of funding regional institutions.
Nevertheless, we recognize the key roles that regional economic communities play in
development and we support REC objectives through our assistance to individual members of
COMESA, EAC, ECOWAS, and SADC.
Again, we congratulate you on the production of a good document and look forward to seeing a
revised version in the near future.
Kind regards,
12. From: Walter Middleton [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 2:06 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Thabani Maphosa
Dear Dr. Lindiwe, Hearty congratulations on being contracted by COMESA Secretariat to develop the CAADP Regional Compact that will drive the agricultural development agenda in the region. Well done. We are proud of you and your organization. We will review the draft document and if we have any comments/feedback will send to Dr. Miranda. As you know we are very much interested in tackling the root causes of food insecurity in Africa. In fact we are currently in the process of hiring a top notch food security and agriculture person. We are hoping this person can work
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closely with you and your organization as well as CAADP. We would also like to participate in some of the meetings. Regards, Walter Middleton | Vice President | Food Programming & Management Group | www.wvi.org Phone: +27 (0) 11 671 1300| Cell: +27 (0)82 561 1352| Fax: +27 (0)11 472 8968 E-mail: [email protected] | [Physical Address: 5 Main Avenue, Florida, Johannesburg. Mailing: Private Bag X12, Florida 1710, Johannesburg , Gauteng, South Africa ]
13. From: Peeling, Dil (FAO/IGAD LPI) [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 12:46 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda; Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Mtula, Otieno (FAO/IGAD LPI)
Hi Lindiwe
Sorry I missed you the other week when you were in ILRI.
As chance would have it – there is an issue of mutual interest that I’d really like to have gone
over with you. I did call Pretoria but the number I have for you (+27 (0) 12 845 9131) is answered
by a very nice man from IWMI, who doesn’t know you.
I’d really like your take on the prospect of IGAD doing a CAADP compact on livestock.
The idea is being mooted for a number of reasons.
• The IGAD LPI (that I manage) is building capacity in IGAD (the secretariat and member states) to develop livestock related polices that impact the poor and women. We recently got agreement between IGAD’s member states on a regional policy framework on animal health, trade and vulnerability and we are also supporting national level engagement with PRSPs.
• Over the last two years, the advent of CAADP has meant that PRSPS and CAADP have had to align themselves - it is getting less and less tenable to talk about PRSP without also talking about CAADP.
• There has been some fairly high level interest in IGAD’s picking up on livestock and CAADP, notably from Boaz Kasyre and Rhoda Peace Musiime in the AU, and from the UN’s High Level Task Force on the Global Food Crisis.
• I don’t know if you would agree, but having looked at the working draft of the COMESA CAADP compact that is being circulated, I would say there is room for IGAD to go deeper on livestock, think beyond trade alone and be more specific about poverty and about women – though still in line with COMESA’s broader compact. And with most of Africa’s livestock within its borders, there is a sense here that it has a comparative advantage with respect to livestock and pastoralism.
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It would be useful to know how you would see this, from your engagement with COMESA. Is
there some time I could give you a call?
What’s on my mind, technically, is…..
• The intention would be for a constructive engagement that adds value to the COMESA compact being developed at the moment – but not everyone may see it that way. Do you think it would be welcomed in COMESA circles?
• Though the focus would be on livestock and pastoralism, issues of access to land, water, movement – and the damage that some crop based policies can to do pastoral livelihoods mean that the edges would be blurred. Do see any problems in focussing broadly on one sector, in a ‘Comprehensive’ Development programme?
• Do you think regional compacts are of use? Many countries have demonstrated how well they can agree to one thing at a regional level, then forget about all that and agree to something else at a national level. What will the regional compacts do that won’t be covered by national initiatives?
And then on the process of developing the COMESA compact…
• USAID sponsored a lengthy process of developing a COMESA regional policy framework on pastoralism – Tufts facilitated it and it’s quite good. But its thinking is conspicuous by its absence from the COMESA compact. Is there a story there we should be aware of?
• Are you aware of IGAD being involved in the COMESA process? My impression is that they were approached, but didn’t really respond, or do you know differently.?
Anyhow, in short, as you say yourself, you owe me one.
Can you please give me your phone number and suggest a time to call? It’d be good to chat
All the best
Dil Peeling, Chief Technical Adviser, FAO IGAD Livestock Policy Initiative
E-mail: [email protected] ; Tel + 251- (0)11 617 2573, Mobile +251 (0)913 200895
16. From: Wynand van der Walt [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 9:25 AM To: Lindiwe M Sibanda; Lindiwe Sibanda
Dear Lindiwe,
Today was spent in the WEMA maize project workshop-update in Johannesburg. This approach
seems to me to be a correct one and an impressive of range of MPs, regulators, scientists,as well
as media participated.
I have gone through the Compact last night (Tuesday) and I found it a very ambitious and
comprehensive document. It addresses all the right issues and presents the appropriate actions.
As with all similar agreements and initiatives, its success will depend upon country buy-in and
committment which often takes too much time. Also funding.
All investigations into upliftment of peasant farmers and rural economies with which I am sort of
familiar (Africa, Latin America, Asia), including one that I help to draft on local smallholder
farmers with input suppliers in Bongi's time, identified the same key constrants: lack of access to
land, to capital, to crop financing, to inputs, to extension services, to technologies, to capacity
building, to markets, as well as to grain storage facilities, and to have proper government
policies and support. The compacts addresses almost all of these.
At the risk of having missed some fine print , I wish to offer the following comments:
Preamble
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• I continue to believe that food security exists at 3 levels: household, emerging
smallholders, and large-scale commercial farmers. The former ensures family food,
emerging farmers should be supported so they can enter mainstream commercial
agriculture, and commercial farmers help to ensure national food security and surpluses
for export. Without the latter, there can be no private sector input supply, grain storage
and trading, downstream agro-processing or employment creation industries. The
commercial aspect is contained in Section 4 but perhaps not highlighting commercial
farmers. Section 5 includes financing and commodity value chains where commercial
farmers are a key player. Section 7 deals also with a regional investment programme.
The input supply,grain storge, handling and trading, and the downstream agro-
processing industries will bring private sector investment but they will require a
dependable supply of raw products which in turn, requires a large-scale commercial
farming sector.
• Preamble: As above there needs to be included the value of having to create an
enabling environment for commercial farming. Governments are not successful farmers
and should not perpetuate serving as distributors of subsidized or relief seed, fertilizers
and other inputs. It is helpful to bridge the present gap but it is not the final solution. A
second aspect in the preamble is that NEPAD -CAADP spells out that Africa must take
ownership of this initiative. Perhaps it is not coming out clearly in the compact.
• Background: The major constraints and secondary ones in achieving food
security,nutrition and alleviating rural poverty are highlighted. However, the one major
constraint is missing, as it had been missing in South African draft policies, namely, land
tenure systems. Without access to and ownership of land, farmers cannot function if
they are subjected to decisions by the King, government or tribal chiefs on allocation of
land. Without ownership farmers have no collatoral when applying for credit. Our
National Credit Act prevents finacial service providers to give credit to people who can't
repay, thus ruling out farmers without assets as collatoral. The land tenure issue is a
politically sensitive matter and many if not most governments prefer to not antagonize
traditional leaders and tribal chiefs. This issue is also relevant in Section 4.
• Seed is the vehicle to bring genetic innovations to the farmer and its consequent
products to the consumer. Although seeds are mentioned, there is no clear reference to
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this industry as a key partner. Only 10% of farmers use improved seed varieties. The
African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and its member national associations in some
35 African countries plus the estimated hundreds of public and private seed companies
should be mentioned by name.
• The need for harmonization of policies, regulations and trade requirements must
be endorsed by member states, failing which, the objectives of this Compact will be
difficult to be achieved.
I trust that COMESA member states will support these objectives and overcome their lethargy in
moving forward. Good role models exist in Latin America (Argentina and Brazil becoming
agricultural giants), Asia (India and China), and South East Asia.
I hope that my comments will convey some value.
Regards, Wynand
17. From: OurabahHaddad, Nora (ESW) [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 5:23 PM To: Miranda Mafafo; Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Djeddah, Carol (ESW); DeVillard, Soline (ESW); DallaValle, Francesca (ESW); Wobst, Peter (ESW); Estruch, Elisenda (ESW); Grandelis, Ileana (ESW); Seiffert, Bernd (ESW); Kabahizi, Jean (TCSP); Crowley, Eve (ESW)
Dear Miranda, Lindiwe,
We would like to thank you for providing FAO, the opportunity to comment on the COMESA
regional CAADP Compact document. Please find attached some general and more specific
comments from the FAO Social and Economic Department, Gender, Equity and Rural
Employment Division.
We are grateful in advance for taking into account our contribution.
Lindiwe, I would like to seize this opportunity to send you my greetings from FAO Rome. I have
joined the organisation a month ago.
I very much hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with you in a near future.
I will try to get in touch with you sometime next week or the following,
Nora Ourabah Haddad
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18. From: OurabahHaddad, Nora (ESW) [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 5:23 PM To: Miranda Mafafo; Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Djeddah, Carol (ESW); DeVillard, Soline (ESW); DallaValle, Francesca (ESW); Wobst, Peter (ESW); Estruch, Elisenda (ESW); Grandelis, Ileana (ESW); Seiffert, Bernd (ESW); Kabahizi, Jean (TCSP); Crowley, Eve (ESW)
Dear Lindiwe,
Good to hear from you. I have looked over this document and have a few general comments,
but some of the questions that are asked are difficult to answer quickly. One question - have
you sent this to others in FAO? I am thinking especially of those that have been more involved in
CAADP Compact development than I.
Let me know if you think I should forward this to some others here in FAO, or if this has already
been done.
I trust all is well down south!
Regards, Mark
19. From: johannes chigwada [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 2:13 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Miranda Mafafo
Hi, this is good work. Could think that the MDGs we could cover all including the education etc On the ministries I was of the idea of Ministry of Finance Science and technology, and the SMEs ministry. With climate change I think we should not stick to ren fed agriculture the construction of dams and sharing of water resources in the region would be very good Regards Johannes
20. From: Mr patrice sagbo [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 2:44 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda; Miranda Mafafo Cc: [email protected]
Dear Drs,
Many thanks for your good job. I thank you also to ask the contributions of all the stakeholders
and I hope that you will take in consideration our contributions to improve your strategy.
But first , I want to remember you that, Africa is one and is belong to allAfricans. Thus, Our
CAADP and the African Forum aren't only for african english people , but for all the Africans. For
those considerations, I think sincerely that you have to do your possible, all the efforts to
translate all the documents simultaniously in french and english in order to give the same
opportunity to everybody. We will be at same level of information at the same time.
That will ovoid that such of discrimination.
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Please , excuse my bad english. As you see, I from Benin, a french country.
After pointing out that reality, I will continue now in french.
Depuis la première revolution verte, la stratégie de la productivité a été adoptée et a connu ses limites et c'est comme si nous n'en avons pas tiré les leçons pour mieux aller de l'avant.
La Nouvelle Revolution Verte pour l'Afrique AGRA est revenue de nos jours pour nous faire les mêmes propositions à travers certaines institutions de recherche et autres structures qui reçoivent des financements et proposent à l'Afrique des solutions dépassées et préjudiciables à l'environnement, à la souveraineté alimentaire et aux droits des paysans sur leurs propres terroirs
Si nous savons que la surproduction, la haute productivité fait forcément appel ou nécessite la mobilisation massive de terres agricoles qui dépasse les capacités des paysans africains, l'utilisation massive et incontrôlée d'angrais synthétiques et chimiques et de pesticides qui détruisent la biodiveesrsité et polluent irrémédiablement l'environnement, une utilisation massive d'eau provoquant le tarrissement massif de nos riviéres, lacs , lagunes et autres zones humides , tout ceci avec l'utilisation de hautes technologies et d'énergies , des semences dites à haut rendements mises au point par des multinationales à la recherches gros profits, on est en droit de se demander pour qui cette stratégie est-elle élaborée? A qui profitera en réalité cette stratégie de " increasing food output through increased productivity and production"? Je crois fermement que vous ne prendrez pas le risque de dire que votre stratégie est conçue pour nos paysans africains dans ce contexte où ces paysans et toute l'Afrique sont confrontés à l'achat massif des terres agricoles ( Daewoo à Madagascar, la Libye au Mali , Israel en RDC etc la liste est longue) avec la complicité de la Banque Mondiale et autres institutions internationales pour produire des vivres sur nos terres agricoles et les exporter à l'exrérieur, nous n'allons pas maintenir les paysans dans la misère et les encourager à brder leurs capital terre à des multinationales ; à la production massive d'agrocarburants sur les terres agricoles de l'Afrique pour alimenter les véhicules des pays du nord..... Ne voyez vous pas que nous sommes totalement en déphasage par rapport aux défis réels auxquels sont confrontés les paysans, populations et consommateurs africains?
Au vu de tout ce qui précède, il serait souhaitable que la stratégie de la COMESA permette prioritairement de maintenir les paysans africains sur les terres agricoles, de renforcer leurs capacités à être plus performants et plus professionnels dans leurs activités agricoles afin qu'ils soient plus compétitifs sur le marché où rien ne leur est favorable, à faciliter à leurs products
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l'accès au marché.
Il faudra encourager une agriculture qui prend en compte la sauvegarde de la diversité biologique des sols, des plans d'eau et de tous les écosystèmes et de l'environnement; une agriculture qui valorise l'environnement , la diversité biologique et les africains afin que nos décisions d'aujourd'hui, nos mauvais comportements et actions d'aujourd'hui ne compromettent pas l'existence des générations futures car autant nous avons besoin de vivre aujourd'hui , autant les générations de demain ont aussi le droit à la vie sur les mêmes terres.
Voilà ma petite contribution
Je suis désolé qu'elle soit en français , mais c'est la langue que je maîtrise mieux
Patrice SAGBO
01 BP 3125 COTONOU Recette Principale Ganhi
Tél : +229 95955583, République du Benin
21. Mara de Villiers ARC-Institute for Soil, Climate and Water Private bag X79, Pretoria 0001. South Africa 600 Belvedere Street, Arcadia, Pretoria Tf: +27 12 310 2650 Fax: +27 12 323 1157 E-mail: [email protected] www.arc.agric.za
Dear Miranda Thank you, FANRPAN has done an excellent job as usual! The document was circulated to ARC-Institute for Soil, Climate and Water Programme Managers and between them and me no comments are relevant. There are smaller aspects requiring attention in more detailed actions, namely that water availability, in most SADC countries, precludes expanding irrigated agriculture and that soil suitability for irrigation is paramount in view of sustainable production and soil resilience. Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in this most important development! Congrats, very best and a pleasant day! Mara Mara de Villiers ARC-Institute for Soil, Climate and Water Private bag X79, Pretoria 0001. South Africa 600
24. From: sbenstro [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 5:58 AM To: Lindiwe Sibanda
Dera Dr Lindiwe, Thanks so much. This an opportune time for this execise as farmes of seychelles, especially the livesock producers are faced with very big challenges at present with regards to [production, productivity and competiveness. I will indeed make my contributions topwards this process. Regards, Serge.
25. From: Corin Mitchell [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 3:03 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Andre Dellevoet; Hugh Scott
Dear Dr Sibanda,
We are very pleased, as the AECF (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund www.aecfafrica.org ), to
have received your email concerning the regional CAADP Compact. As the AECF has already
engaged with CAADP on designing a possible special spatial corridor funding window under Pillar
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II, we will certainly revert to you with our feedback later next week.
Specifically, Mr Andre Dellevoet, the AECF Executive Manager, will respond to you.
In the meantime, should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards, Corin
Southern Africa Manager
Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund
www.aecfafrica.org
26. From: Dr Pharaoh Collins Sianangama [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:06 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda
Hi Lindi
Thanx for the link and for reaching out. will do as requested. I am sure you are fine. I am ok...
Dr Pharaoh Collins Sianangama
Head - Livestock and Pest Research Centre &
Head - Livestock Productivity and Disease Control Programme
National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research
[mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 8:08 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda
Unfortunately, my e-mail to Dr Mafafo seems to be bouncing, is there an alternative address to [email protected] that I could perhaps use? Kind regards, Laura Pereira DPhil candidate School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford E-mail: [email protected] Mobile (UK): +4477656 96614 Mobile (RSA): +2782 817 4748
37. From: Tebogo Seleka [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 5:55 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda
[mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 6:37 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda
Thank for your message and for the attached informations. I am struggled to get a sit on a flight to Geneva but this seems Mission Impossible. After, I hope to be able to provid my inputs to the request. Take care and be happy Barthelemy Nyasse
40. From: philippe dardel [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 6:27 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda
Dear Lindiwe, Thank you very much. Have you shared this with SADC colleagues? In other words, are you sending me this as "SADC" or more on a personal basis? Best regards, Philippe Dardel Agricultural Policy FANR Directorate - SADC Gaborone - Botswana Cell: +267 72710170 Skype: philippe.dardel
41. From: LUKYAMUZI Joseph [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 3:57 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda
Dear Dr. Lindiwe, thanks for this informative dossier.
Improvement initiatives in agriculture interest me very much and we shall keep in touch.
Thank you for all the comments from various stakeholders. They are quiet encouraging. We shall continue to analyze them carefully.
While we may improve on the background paper /strategy and the draft compact, it is important that COMESA follows the established procedure in submitting these documents so that it is not high jacked on procedural matters. This a matter of COMESA and as a team we may not do much as long they are convinced that they may present a strategy or a compact during the ministerial meeting in May.
Second, from interacting with those involved in the CAADP process in Uganda at technical and indeed they are the advisors of the ministers; we have established that at some officials think that the proposed COMESA Regional CAADP Compact is not based on a rigorous analysis. Why COMESA is excused to have a compact when the countries have to go through a rigorous analytical process and even work on Development Investment Plans before signing the compact? Such issues are being raised at technical level. For all these good enough there are a number of studies on which we can base our arguments to support the technical rigor of the COMESA compact. We may improve on the literature review of the background paper. This paper should be kept upfront because once accepted the compact will have been accepted.
Attached herewith please find a synopsis compiled on ASARECA Regional Projects.
ASARECA being a regional research organization, their projects focus on research and promotion/dissemination of research findings. We can use the list of its projects as a basis for developing regional projects on value addition chain.
[mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 2:23 PM To: Miranda Mafafo; Lindiwe Sibanda Subject: FW: COMESA Regional CAADP Compact, DRAFT for Stakeholders' Comments
Dear Dr. Lindiwe and Dr. Mafafo,
Quick introduction of myself for the sake of Dr. Lindiwe whom I haven’t met yet. My names are Joseph Methu and I am in charge of the Partnerships and Capacity Development unit at ASARECA. Of course Dr. Mafafo does not need my introduction since we already met in Lusaka at the COMESA CAADP Country Focal Points meeting about three weeks ago. By the way I enjoyed your presentation on the Compact in Lusaka although we did not have much time to discuss. I had hoped we would discuss further at the 6th CAADP PP meeting but unfortunately I was unable to travel to SA for the meeting.
We at ASARECA would like to send our comments on the version of the draft COMESA Regional CAADP Compact document that is on your website. I do realize your deadline for submission of comments was 30th April but I am hoping you can give us the next two days – to submit on Wednesday 5th May at the latest. This has been occasioned by the fact that most of our key people were travelling over the last more than a week and did not get to see the document on the web.
To hasten our response we are kindly requesting for a WORD version of the document so that we can send back comments on track changes. If this is acceptable, kindly email the document to us immediately so that we can respond.
[mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 10:50 AM To: Lindiwe Sibanda
Dear Dr. Sibanda,
I am sending you my comments on the above document because it bounced when I sent it to Dr. Miranda Mafafo.
The comments are attached.
Kind regards, Augustine Mwendya
47. From: Geoff Heinrich [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 2:52 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda
Dear Dr. Sibanda,
Thank you for sending this link. this looks like a very important and useful document, and I while I was not in time to send comments, I do look forward to reading the document in detail.
Trust all is well with you and yours,
Geoff.
Geoffrey M. Heinrich, Ph.D.
Senior Technical Advisor, Agriculture and Environment
Catholic Relief Services, Southern Africa Regional Office,
RE: COMESA Regional CAADP Compact, Version 22 signed-by msu.edu
Meanwhile, I would like to pass on to you and the rest of the team some comments/ideas from Helena McCloud from DFID (see below). She had scribbled these on a couple of pieces of paper and given them to me last week before she left Lusaka. Best regards, Jan =========== Notes from Helena: Ideas for regional compact; 1. Market information using SMS technology scaled up at regional level. 2. Regional storage silos with smaller satellite community level storage. PPPs? 3. Spatial development areas linked to transport corridors, e.g. Tete Northern Mozambique - link increasing agricultural productivity to industrial development (in this example mining). 4. Increased food supply needs conservation agriculture to support the bread basket triangle and feed into the regional market. Incorporate weather insurance. 5. Market information and forecasting on how much grain exists at any one time. To combat "untreliable" information challenge. And vulnerability analysis to estimate likely future shortfalls (see SADC Hub Vulnerability Assessment Committees) 6. SAFEX subsidy at a regional level (guaranteed by donors). Is there a regional benefit, e.g. pooling to reduce exposure? 7. Social protection interventions but maybe at SADC level. 8. Integrate agricultural market efficiency into North South Corridor priorities. Could be separate funding but same approach. 9. Resaerch and roll out of new technologies. 10. Nutrition 11. Addressing regional monopolies through implementation of regional competition policy. ============
Hi Wilberforce, Many thanks for passing along this major revision. I do have a few editorial suggestions, but before getting into the text, I have a few general questions about what I see as the three important changes embodied in this draft. 1. Dropping the stocktaking and programme areas. I see that this revision drops the old Section 7 on stocktaking, gaps and the investment programme areas. I was surprised to see this, since REDSO's
RE: COMESA Regional CAADP Compact, Version 22 signed-by
msu.edu
detailed comments as well as Miranda's indicated that the stocktaking was the weakest part of the document and the part that needed the most strengthening. Has COMESA decided to drop the stocktaking from the compact? Will it appears as a separate, stand-alone document? How does COMESA plan to move from strategic priorities to key programme areas without a stock taking of existing regional programmes? I notice that the executive summary includes a section on key programme areas (section 2.c). But there is no longer any discussion of these key programme areas in the main document. If indeed COMESA has elected to drop the stocktaking and key programme areas from the compact, then the executive summary will need to delete this item as well. 2. Strategic Priority #1. This version changes the title of the first strategic priority from "Food system productivity" to "Food and priority agricultural system productivity". The addition of the "and priority agricultural" dilutes the focus substantially. Anything goes and it's therefore not clear what priorities COMESA has identified. Possibly this was the intent. The earlier move from "food staples" to "food system productivity" was intended to broaden the scope of priority activities to include food processing, livestock and all other food products, not just staples. That's why the text talks about milk, high value horticulture, livestock products, and the like. Even cocoa and coffee would fit under "food system" label. Only cotton would be excluded. I would recommend reverting to the "food system productivity" label. That gives the compact some focus. And the focus is consistent with the COMESA treaty's key goal of regional food sufficiency. 3. Introduction to the COMESA region. This draft drops the earlier introductory material (background and goals of the regional compact, and guiding principles) and blends part of it elsewhere in the document. Instead, the revision adds a new Section 1 providing general information on COMESA. Is this necessary? It seems to divert attention away from the CAADP goals and the agricultural issues that form the core of the
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CAADP compact. As it stands, the reader must navigate three introductory sections, the first with general information on COMESA membership and structure, the second on general agricultural challenges in the region, and the third on CAADP elsewhere in Africa, before getting into the meat of the compact which is the goals, strategic priorities, programme areas and implementation machinery envisaged for the COMESA regional compact. I would be inclined to drop Section 1, or put it into an annex, and start with Section 2 on agriculture in the region. But I would include a new section 2.1 that specifies the three goals of the COMESA regional CAADP compact (the three bullets from the old section 1.2). I will be happy to contribute to finalizing the compact following whatever framework the COMESA leadership has adopted. But before doing so, it would help me to understand the thinking behind the three changes noted above. Congratulations on what I understand was a very successful seminar last week in Lusaka. Best regards. Steve
Dear Lindiwe, I just have a couple of points in addition to what was discussed last week. First In Section 5, you start out by saying that "implementation of the Regional Compact and its associated RIPA will be coordinated within the existing COMESA institutional framework." Yet you go on to propose a number of entirely new bodies and committees: A high-level steering committee A Technical Advisory Committee A stakeholders' review forum I think you should go through the various oversight and review mechanisms that already exist in the Secretariat, ACTESA, the Private Sector Forum, and mechanisms linked to REFORM, the Conservation Agriculture program, and other related structures. You can propose several scenarios to modify, strengthen, coordinate etc. I do not think you should propose a whole new set of committees and consultative and oversight mechanisms. There are many
meetings and stakeholder forums already, and you do not want to keep adding layers and additional complexity. Second, I am still concerned about the evidence base for evaluating the scope and effectiveness of the existing portfolio of regional projects, both within COMESA and managed by other institutions, before setting up criteria for selecting additional projects and activities. The RIPA should be subject to rigorous, objective scrutiny, along the lines of the procedures set up for the post-compact processes at the national level. Thanks, Peter
53. From:Cris Muyunda [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 2:23 AM To: Ewell, Peter (Nairobi/EA/REGI); Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Sam Kanyarukiga; Khupe, Cecilia (PRETORIA/EG); [email protected]; Sundsmo, Kaarli (Nairobi/EA/REGI); [email protected]; [email protected]; Cris Muyunda Subject: RE: A couple of additional points on the framework
Lindiwe: Greetings. I have also just quick read VERSION 25 of the Regional Compact. This is a much improved version and I believe we are getting closer to hitting the nail on its head. A couple of points: (i) I fully agree with Peter's counsel below - those committees and review forum are recipes for collective failure - kill them. (ii) Your Tables in Annex 4 (Existing Programmes) and Annex 6 (Potential Future Programmes) are very useful. To the existing programs, you can add SMART-FS, the new initiative supported by AUSAID under ACTESA. Actually, what we want to do is to ensure those stakeholders/platforms involved in implemeting regional agricultural programmes are given more teeth to deal with the regional CAADP Priorities. (iii) Overall, this report needs to have a clincher statement somewhere that says, "COMESA has made significant progress in ensuring that there is direction in how the Regional Compact priorities will be dealt with through its Agreement with ACTESA (covering Pillar II and III issues) and its MoU with ASARECA (on Pillar IV) and the creation of the COMESA Climate Change Unit (with important responsibilities on Pillar I)." (IV) This report could perhaps benefit from carefully looking at and referencing the COMESA Agricultural Strategy which we wrote last year and which is approved by CAADP MDTF. Best of Luck and Cheers. ACTESA CEO.
54. From: Ian Mashingaidze [mailto:ianmashingaidze@yah
The draft Regional Compact does not recognise the impact of the global HIV/AIDS
epidemic on the COMESA region in general, and agriculture sector in particular. This is
51
oo.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 3:31 PM To: Lindiwe Sibanda Cc: Sithembile Ndema Subject: COMESA Compact
moreso considering that 80% of the population in COMESA relies on agriculture for
their livelihoods, the majority of whom are women who, at the same time, are worst
affected by the epidemic. Impacts on agriculture include loss of labour, skills and
knowledge, increasing dependency ratios, and the costs associated with treatment and
funerals.
With an adult HIV prevalence of 5%, Sub-Saharan Africa is the continent worst affected
by the AIDS epidemic. Of the 14 countries globally with prevalence rates over 5%, five
are COMESA member states (Malawi, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe). Of
the remainder, seven countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South
Africa and Tanzania) are members of the SADC region whose economy is inextricably
linked to that of COMESA.
Against this background, there is no way that COMESA can expect to contribute to
increasing agricultural production and productivity without addressing the impact of
HIV/AIDS on the sector. This is especially true for subsistence farmers, the majority of
them who are living in chronic poverty, and are also at greater risk due to their
vulnerable to erratic weather patterns.
One programmatic gap that the Regional Compact needs to address is the inclusion of
social protection interventions that can address the vulnerability of subsistence farmers
if they are to play their expected role in increasing agricultural production and
productivity in the region. Of the 13 African countries that came up with the 2006
Livingstone Call to Action on Social Protection, 8 are COMESA member states.
Whilst it might not be prudent for COMESA to have programmes on HIV/AIDS
prevention, treatment and care, it is imperative that the regional body invests in social
protection programmes addressing the needs of subsistence farmers to reduce the role
of HIV/AIDS in increasing their vulnerability and reducing their capacity to contribute to
the realisation of the vision of the Regional Compact.
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In this regard, priority social protection investments would include:
Dear Lindiwe, I am not sure if FANRPAN is still receiving comments from various stakeholders on the draft
COMESA regional compact (or if version 25 is still the correct one to look at?) but thought I
would share with you CIDA's input. We are actually unclear as to what this document actually is.
Is it a framework or a draft compact? The preamble states that the next step is "signing" of the
COMESA CAADP Regional Compact. If a compact will be signed as the next step, why is there a
framework and how will it be used? General comments are as follows: -the compact should relate to country strategies/relationship to countries in order to ensure
Member State ownership; -will the compact look at how money is mobilized at the regional level? -the document does not recognize all of the work that has already been in done in the region on
research; -in terms of implementation, there should be more analysis of regional stakeholders and the role
they can play e.g. farmer organizations. They should also be clearly identified. -the paper does not flow in terms of logic and coherency, in particular in framing the challenges,
in identifying the three priority areas and then in listing potential investment programs. In
particular, the investment programs are linked to the CAADP Pillars rather than the three priority
areas. At the same time, the three priority areas do not make linkages to the CAADP Pillars as the
basis for identifying and working on particular areas. There is reference to work on livestock and
fisheries as a programming option, but the analysis includes no reference to its importance. -is it not premature to include the investment programs at this point? -the paper is too long. It has included a lot more on COMESA and CAADP which could go in an
annex. As well, it includes too much detail in some areas e.g. on options for funding, it goes into
detail on how carbon funding could work. -the capacity building priority area is weak. Many of the activities cited are not capacity building
activities. The approach to capacity building is limited to training despite the presentation at the
CAADP PP highlighting a more comprehensive and broad approach to capacity building that
would include coaching, mentorship etc... -it would be helpful to include numbering of paragraphs; -the challenges listed are huge. Whereas it is recognized that COMESA has to be focused, the
actions/programming proposed do not effectively seek to deal with many of these challenges.
53
Also, some of the opportunities seem to contradict what is stated in the challenges section. -it is not clear what the role of COMESA will be, particularly as it relates to management of
funding. It proposes the establishment of a Special Fund to support COMESA's role in
coordinating activities, but also mentions that COMESA will play a lead role in mobilizing the
resources. -the integration of gender issues is very weak. As well, there is no reference to specific activities
and programming to address the fact that women represent the "majority of producers" and yet
have very limited access and control of resources. The attached document includes additional comments. Overall, the compact should be shorter,
more concise and focused. This looks more like a strategy and an operational plan. The document
needs to re-inforce the regional argument overall or value added. Hope these comments will be useful. Would it be possible to provide us an update in terms of
timing for the COMESA compact? Should we expect it to be ready for signature soon? Best regards, Marie-Claude. ___________________________________________
Agente princ. de programme / Senior Program Officer
Direction générale de l'Afrique / Africa Branch
Programme régional / Regional Program
Afrique australe et de l'Est / Eastern and Southern Africa
ACDI / CIDA
200, promenade du Portage, Hull (Québec)
Canada K1A 0G4
54
Additional Lengthy Comments By Stakeholders
55
CMA/AOC - Lead Institution for CAADP-Pillar II of NEPAD
Nicholas Sabwa - Expert - International and Regional Trade
CMA/AOC - Conférence des Ministres de l'Agriculture de l'Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre
Lead institution for CAADP-Pilar II of NEPAD
tel: (221) 33 869 11 90
www.cmaoc.org
PILLAR II COMMENTS ON COMESA REGIONAL CAADP COMPACT
CAADP Pillar II seeks to support regional countries own goals of accelerating growth and
alleviating poverty, while recognizing that assistance to individual countries with a
heightened focus on cross-border constraints and opportunities facing these countries
will remain the primary vehicle for support. The strategy focuses on linking farmers to
markets, the integration of markets for goods, infrastructure services and financial
capital. This includes three complementary facets:
i. a commercial policy to facilitate freer regional and international trade;
ii. arrangements for more efficient, and increasingly private, regional networks for
infrastructure services; and
iii. a more unified regional business environment to encourage businesses and
banks to operate nationally and regionally.
Similarly, distortions in domestic marketing policies as well as administrative and regulatory barriers to cross-border trade reduce the efficiency and slow down the expansion of regional trade. Distortions raise the cost of moving goods and segment regional markets. The policy reforms of the eighties, because they focused exclusively on domestic marketing and were not coordinated across countries, have not led to significant changes in the area of regional trade. The observed impact of reforms on the operation of domestic agricultural markets suggests, however, that greater harmonization of national policies and the removal of the above administrative and regulatory barriers would lower the cost of trading in regional markets. Experience of Benin, indicate, for instance, that the adoption of measures to remove the barriers to cross-border trade and harmonize policies would contribute to greater integration of regional markets (Badiane and Kherellah, 1999). In particular, it can be
56
expected that such measures would lead to similar effects in regional markets in terms of:
• lowering the cost of moving goods across space and over time, as reflected in the decline in price margins, and
• reducing the level of price instability, consequently, the creation of a unified agricultural trading space through the harmonization of individual country policies and the removal of administrative and regulatory barriers affecting transborder trade is the key strategy element to be supported in this area under the second component of the project.
Regional agricultural markets can play a key role in the development process among African countries. Moreover, efforts to promote regional trade and integration within the framework of inward-looking industrialization and development strategies are likely to fail given the impact of the latter strategies on the potential of integrating countries to maintain export competitiveness and expand demand in regional markets. Because of the strong and positive relationship between trade orientation and a country’s regional and global economic performance, anti-trade and protectionist strategies tend to slow down the rate of economic growth and hence the pace of demand expansion in national and regional markets. Lower expansion rate of demand in regional markets means a slower rate of economic integration through trade. On the other hand, strategies that are biased against trade are associated with lower levels of competitiveness of domestic sectors. A lower level of competitiveness makes it difficult for individual countries to increase exports to regional markets and gain market shares. The consequence is not only a slowing down of the pace of integration but the capture of greater shares of the regional market by foreign suppliers. Due to the economic policy reforms undertaken over the last decade, the macroeconomic and trading policy environment has improved in most African countries. However, regional trade is not affected by macroeconomic policies alone. The bias against trade is also reflected in sectoral policies that discourage cross-border trade. It is also known that national infrastructure development strategies hardly give priority to the development of inter-country trade as compared to trade with overseas markets. Moreover, disharmony or incompatibilities between agricultural sector policies have often generated disincentives for greater trans-border trade. Finally, and more importantly, the large body of research that has been carried out by the CILSS/Club du Sahel and IFPRI during the 80s and 90s reveals that trans-border trade has been subjected to substantial regulatory and administrative obstacles which, in time, raise the cost of moving goods across regional markets. In summary, the main issue to be addressed here deals with the need to align and harmonize national and regional sectoral and economy-wide policies with the objective of greater integration of regional markets.
57
PILLAR II OBJECTIVE
The ultimate objective of Pillar II is to accelerate growth in the agricultural sector by raising the capacities of private entrepreneurs, including commercial and smallholder farmers, to meet the increasingly complex quality and logistics requirements of domestic, regional, and international markets, focusing on strategic value chains with the greatest potential to generate broad-based income growth and create wealth in rural areas and the rest of the economy. The pillar agenda focuses on policy and regulatory actions, infrastructure development, capacity-building efforts, and partnerships and alliances that could facilitate smallholder-friendly development of agricultural value chains to stimulate poverty-reducing growth across African countries. The strategy is to increase market access through improved rural infrastructure and other trade related market access. The strategy will be achieved through:
• Improving local infrastructure so farmers have better connections to markets • Improving competitiveness through sound trade policies • Strengthening the capacity to participate in trade negotiations and address
market access requirements for world trade (quality, grades and standards, etc.); Clearly articulating issues relevant to the continent
• Strengthening capacity among agribusiness community and facilitate business partnership with importing companies
• Building strategic alliances to create industry-to-industry linkages and expand domestic and foreign direct investment in agriculture
African producers are competitive and a source of innovation if they can access, and especially, export markets and in favorable contexts that allow them to market surplus. Policy actions to raise competitiveness and facilitate cross-border trade and access international markets should therefore, be accorded the highest priority. Policy interventions to enhance the countries competitiveness and profitability include trade structural and institutional reforms for greater market access; simplification of procedural and administrative impediments to trade, such as customs administration, standards and technical regulations, and strengthening regional and national trade policy analysis and negotiation capacities. A number of trade facilitation projects are being implemented to facilitate regional and international trade. In Southern Africa, for example, the Trade Facilitation and Capacity Building project is helping to boost the international competitiveness of 10 countries in Southern Africa: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zambia. The objective is to increase economic growth in Southern Africa through four activities: capacity building and policy reform, trade facilitation, financial services and dialogue for competitiveness. In West Africa, the Agribusiness and Trade Promotion Project (ATP) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (ATP) is developing a network of traders and transporters to track trade flows on a more accurate and timely basis than possible with official data sources – opportunities to gain
58
insight into barriers of trade. These are just two of the work currently on-going in different parts of Africa to enhance cross border trade. The CAADP Pillar II agenda builds on this current momentum in the region and within the RECs to implement trade facilitation actions with the potential of increasing trade flows and especially cross-border trade. To achieve the desired outcomes, implementation of these actions will be continuously monitored and evaluated and information shared among regional countries (Regional Policy Monitoring Systems). The data collected and data from the World Bank’s Doing Business Database will be used to make calculations on time required to export or import as indicators of cross-border transaction costs. The RECs and ReSAKSS will analyze the data and produce periodic reports and circulate among the member countries.
Implementation of CAADP Pillar II Strategic Areas
Actual implementation of the agenda under Pillar II is to be carried out through the
following four main clusters of activities, or strategic areas. The framework specifies
core program components for each of the strategic areas to guide planning and
implementation activities by regional economic communities and their member
countries. Not all countries and regions have to implement all of the individual program
components. Rather, the set of activities are to be treated as guideposts for defining
national policies and investment programs, as well as for establishing the necessary
partnerships and alliances to advance the Pillar agenda. It is to be expected that some
elements may be more relevant than others, depending on the challenges, options, and
pre-existing strengths in individual countries and regions.
The Four Pillar II Strategic Areas:
� Strategic Area A: Raising Competitiveness and Seizing Opportunities in Domestic,
Regional, and International Markets
� Strategic Area B: Investment in Commercial and Trade Infrastructure to Lower
the Cost of Supplying Domestic, Regional, and International Markets
� Strategic Area C: Value-Chain Development and Access to Financial Services
� Strategic Area D: Strengthening the Commercial and Technical Capacities of
Farmer Organizations and Trade Associations
CAADP Pillar II Strategic area A early actions will work towards raising competitiveness and seizing opportunities in regional and international markets through simplification of procedural and administrative impediments to trade, such as customs administration, standards and technical regulations; strengthening regional and national trade negotiation capacities and enhancing the quality of management and certification
59
services. These are policy, technical, institutional and infrastructural capacity constraints which are addressed at both national and regional levels. Regional Level:
• Building international trade advocacy and negotiations skills
• Enhancing the quality of management and certification services
• Promote creation of systems of harmonizing policies and standards
National Level:
• Raising and sustaining performance in traditional, and new regional export
markets
• Raising competiveness and expanding trade in domestic and regional markets
• Establish partnerships and alliance for value chain enhancement
STRATEGIC ACTIONS TO ADDRESS THE ACTIONS AT DIFFERENT COORDINATION
LEVELS: Detailed Description of Early Action and Level of Coordination
Early Action Coordination
Level
Potential Stakeholders
Enhancing Agricultural trade facilitation mechanisms RECs; ReSAKSS National Ministries of Trade IT Developers & M&E Expert Trade Expert
Develop and operate agricultural sector and trade policy surveillance systems to effectively monitor and remove barriers to trans-border commodity movement (Regional Policy Monitoring Systems and publication of Policy Report Cards
Regional
Collect and disseminate information on regional trade flows as well as
study trends in regional commodity markets (Regional Trade Information
Systems and publication of Regional Commodity Outlook Reports)
Regional
RECs & ReSAKSS National Ministries of Trade IT Developers M&E Expert & Trade Expert
Creating trading platforms to better link supply to demand across
countries and reduce the cost of transactions across regional staple
markets by building on the efforts under way in East Africa, such as under
the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC), to develop a regional commodity
exchange in that region
Regional
RECs EAGC; Grain Trade Associations Grain farmer Organizations National Ministries of Trade
Replicating the same efforts in West Africa, leading to a commodity
exchange in the near future
Regional
RECs & EAGC Grain Trade Associations; Grain farmer Organizations National Ministries of Trade Existing exchanges in West Africa
Building international trade advocacy and negotiations skills
Establishment of full-time regional and national negotiating teams with
the appropriate mechanisms for effective coordination of positions and
representations
Regional National
RECs National Ministries of Trade Universities/Policy Institutes
Providing short-term training in international trade policies and Regional RECs; National Ministries of Trade
60
negotiation processes to equip these teams with necessary skills to
effectively formulate and represent regional and country positions
National Universities/Policy Institutes Professional Trade Consultancies
Enhancing the quality of management and certification services
Strengthening of regional and country legal and institutional frameworks
and harmonization of quality laws, standards, regulations, and policies
Regional National
RECs; Ministries of Agriculture National Standards Boards Export Promotion Boards Commodity and Trade Ass. Pvt. Certification Firms
Establishment of integrated quality information management and
reporting systems at the country and regional levels
Regional RECs; National Standards Boards Private Certification Firms Private Laboratories
Creation and strengthening of certification agencies, facilitation of the
accreditation of regional and country certification services providers, and
strengthening of quality monitoring and enforcement capacities at the
country level
Regional National
RECs; National Standards Boards Regional and International Standards Agencies Private Certification Firms Quality Management Labs
Trade facilitation is now recognized as a key driving factor in determining export
competitiveness of a country as it covers a multitude of issues that are relevant to the
smooth and efficient flow of cross border and international trade. A World Bank Study
on how long it takes to transact business in different countries around the world
showed that Africa has the most tedious and costly procedures for starting a business,
and does not compete well on the ease of registering and protecting properties
compared to other regions of the world (Source: Doing Business, World Bank)
In many African countries, because of delays and trade restrictions, informal trading is a widespread practice, particularly in agricultural goods. Several regional Studies show that formal trade is constrained by tariff and non-tariff barriers and the high informal cross-border trade is in response to these barriers. Informal traders seeking to maximize their profit have devised ways of reducing costs arising from high tariffs and lengthy bureaucratic delays. In most countries, bureaucracy greatly limits free regional trade. Bureaucratic procedures in attaining business licenses, permits, payment of taxes and duties, pre-shipment inspection and many unwritten procedures slows and limits trade among the regional countries. Despite improvement of business climate over the past decade or so, in some parts of the continent as a result of far reaching economic and regulatory reforms, there are still hindrances to smooth business transactions that discourage investments, increase transaction costs and reduce competitiveness.
Toolkits for two of the four strategic areas have been developed to support RECs and
regional countries in pre and post compact processes. Hopefully COMESA will have the
capacity to interpret tools and instruments developed by Pillar institutions and pass on the
knowledge base to the regional countries so as to enhance the CAADP processes leading to
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compact signing at country level and beyond during programs implementation, monitoring and
evaluation.
SPECIFIC ROLES OF REGIONAL COMPACT IN PILLAR II STRATEGY
1) Pillar II, RECs and countries to develop a management and information system and Design a framework for dissemination of information and policy from member countries to the RECs and vice versa
• RECs to develop a list of indicators to collect data and information at the border
crossing and elsewhere for analysis and dissemination at the region level.
• Promote and support the use of information communications technology
2) RECs will coordinate the M&E exercise and produce quarterly reports on trade facilitation indicators across the regional borders
• RECs will be the intended implementers of the data systems in consultation with qualified IT personnel, program developers and trade experts
• The regional body will be required to facilitate discussions between different nations and ensure that the entire system is working properly
• The RECs will analyze the data, produce reports and circulate among the regional countries
3) Create a platform for African Entrepreneurs to build cooperation, interaction, partnerships, alliances, trading networks and market linkages with importing countries
• RECs to compile a keep a dataset of regional entrepreneurs and the kind of business with contact information. This information should be circulated among the member countries business community
• RECs initiate consultations among regional entrepreneurs and importers, e.g. modeled along the Council of Corporate of America where businesses from Africa meet their American counterparts once a year to discuss business
• Create a platform for national and regional entrepreneurs to meet and exchange ideas
• RECs to facilitate at least 2 interactions a year for regional businesses and once for international importers
4) Other trade facilitation Programs and Policy actions/reforms necessary to
expand regional trade and investments
• Institutional and policy reforms are necessary to stabilize the domestic environment, stimulate business development, lower the cost of agricultural and industrial production and processing, and increase the level of complementary investments in agriculture and rural development.
• Transparency among the regional countries in providing trade information – to avoid withholding of information, if need arises, RECs will source for a
62
neutral private agency to collect trade facilitation information and publish the results
5) RECs in collaboration with regional countries, to facilitate establishment of the
linkage between sellers and buyers, exporters and importers of agricultural commodities in trade; and establishment of a regional commodity exchange
On the issue of food safety standards, the proliferation and enhanced stringency of food safety standards has fermented considerable concern among developing countries and development agencies aiming to promote trade as a means to agricultural and rural development. Indeed, there is a widespread presumption that food safety standards are used as a protectionist tool, providing 'scientific' justifications for prohibiting imports of agricultural and food products, or discriminating against imports by applying higher and/or more rigorous regulatory enforced standards than on domestic suppliers. Even where standards are not intentionally used to discriminate against imports, the concern is that their growing complexity and the lack of harmonization between countries impedes the efforts of developing countries to gain access to international and regional markets (Henson, 2006). Although standards facilitates cross border transactions by enabling foreign buyers to assess the specifications and quality of products offered, strict tests and high fees can act as a barrier to trade. Regional countries will have to be committed to harmonized standards as has been done in some RECs. Pillar II objective is to develop quality management and trade certification service systems to facilitate compliance with international trade agreements and overcome nontechnical barriers affecting the growth of African exports. The objective will be achieved through:
i. Strengthening of regional and country legal and institutional frameworks and harmonization of quality laws, standards, regulations, and policies
ii. Establishment of integrated quality information management and reporting systems at the country and regional levels
iii. Creation and strengthening of certification agencies, facilitation of the accreditation of regional and country certification services providers, and strengthening of quality monitoring and enforcement capacities at the country level
The regional countries will have to agree and commit to remove or reduce the existing trade barriers in agricultural products through harmonization of:
� Government policies consistent with the promotion of free cross border trade – in order to facilitate trade in the region, harmonization of various government trade policies is critical.
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� Technical barriers – In order for the region to promote cross border trade in agricultural commodities, all technical barriers including standards, quality requirements and packaging standards should be harmonized.
� Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary measures (SPS) – SPS are necessary requirements to cross border and international trade in order to protect human, animals and plants from disease and pests.
Gender, Equity and Rural Employment Division (ESW) of FAO
29/04/2010
Comments to the COMESA Regional CAADP Compact
As a general comment, we would suggest that the regional COMESA CAADP draft recognizes
more explicitly the diversity of farmers’ situations and the need for differentiated and more
inclusive solutions for poverty reduction and agricultural growth. Not all smallholders
participate or will participate in intra-regional trade.
Besides, even though we appreciate the importance of increasing productivity as a viable strategy to combat poverty and increase food security, there is still a need to put emphasis on
the sustainability issue. Increased productivity is only efficient and viable when it takes into account the three pillars of sustainability namely: social, economic and environmental. Failure to take into account the sustainability aspects will lead to a non-desirable intensification of the sector On the latter, and more specifically, we appreciate the mention given in the document to the need for incentives to support farmers and their organisations in the implementation of these practices which often come with associated costs. More specifically, Section 3 of the document, under the paragraph describing the employment situation in the COMESA region, the enormous percentages indicated (70% of the regional labour force in agriculture) would also need some differentiation, by age, gender, and type of business. We believe that only a differentiated approach will assure that the required investments in the agricultural sector, potentially leading to the 6% of annual agricultural sector growth, reach the poorest. The four problems precisely identified in the problem analysis section 3.2 (low investments, low
output and productivity, food insecurity and poverty) are actually all linked and need to be
addressed simultaneously to enable the poor undernourished and hungry to feed themselves in
a sustainable way through increased production. Only an integrated approach will build on
agricultural growth as a driving force to reducing poverty.
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� Rural employment related vulnerabilities, in particular discriminations and inequalities
affecting vulnerable groups, such as young people, women, smallholders, landless poor, wage labourers, children, indigenous people, and migrant workers, should be mentioned. They diminish the potential of agricultural employment to reduce poverty and make less than optimal use of labour of all active populations.
� Explicit recognition of the diversity of smallholders’ situations should be made explicit. In particular some major groups should be identified: the self-employed in rural areas, both in the farm and non-farm sectors (smallholders and agribusinesses), the youth that are now entering the labour market, and the migrant workers.
Another broad comment is that we believe that regional cross-border trade and regional
research collaboration alone will not reach sustainable economic growth and improve regional
food security. Acknowledging the importance of domestic local and regional markets, which for
staple commodities are larger than the quantities traded, will be necessary. The dynamisation
of the local rural economies, where production is taking place, would need to be addressed
directly, and it should be based on the enhancement of productivity in smallholder farming. The
intra-COMESA trade certainly represent a powerful driver (US$ 6.3 billion in 2008) for economic
growth, but a more clear framework should be given in the document of what percentage it
represents of total trade and of the relative size of the domestic market (pag. 13)
Agricultural and rural non-agricultural employment1 are now widely recognized as primary opportunities to reduce poverty and food insecurity and as an engine for economic growth. FAO welcomes the COMESA regional CAADP position that an agricultural entry point for rural development is required, given the fact that most citizens (80%) derive their livelihood from agriculture. Nevertheless, considering that agriculture employs 70 percent of the region’s labour force (pag. 13) and that the low productivity in agriculture is reflected in low labour productivity (pag.14), we suggest that the COMESA Regional CAADP Compact could have a stronger focus on full and productive rural employment promotion. We believe that addressing the problem of underemployment and unemployment in the region is instrumental to the enhancement of both food system productivity and the stabilisation of agricultural earnings as well as to attaining COMESA ultimate mission to achieve sustainable economic and social progress in member States.
As the COMESA CAADP draft mention, COMESA is working to ensure that all its nineteen
member States move towards the attainment of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1. Not
surprisingly, decent work is now one of the indicators to measure progress towards the
1 FAO, in collaboration with the ILO, is committed to promoting decent employment in rural areas, as a
key step in reducing poverty and achieving food security.
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Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular MDG 1: Target 1B “Achieve full and
productive employment and decent2 work for all, including women and young people”.
Gender and age are aggravating factors of poverty, food insecurity and decent work deficits.
They should be therefore better integrated as cross-cutting concerns in the document.
Women tend to be clustered in fewer sectors than men and, when new employment
opportunities for women arise, as it happened with the emergence of export-oriented
cultivations and agro-processing, women are found to be concentrated in certain phases or
activities of the supply chain (e.g. packaging, post-processing), due to gender stereotypes or
different skills and abilities than men. Segregation in low-technology occupations limits the
opportunities to generate new skills and capabilities, hindering future professional
development, and reinforces the discrimination towards these sectors as low-pay and low-
status occupations. The promotion of gender equality, which is already a central feature of
COMESA mission (p. 22), should therefore also be better reflected as a cross-cutting theme in
the regional CAADP.
Integrating young people into the labour market is also critical for future prosperity of rural
areas, as well as a way to promote peace and social cohesion. Rural areas are losing the young
productive workforce, due to consistent rural-urban migration of young people. Youth,
especially unskilled ones, are also more likely than adults to be in the informal sector. There is
an urgent need to provide appropriate education, training, and job opportunities that give rural
youth the choice of staying, working and prospering in rural areas.
Similar concerns should probably also more generally be better reflected in the overall CAADP agenda and pillars, in order to provide new entry points for change, including more people-centred concerns and an inclusive rural development approach. More specifically, under Section 4, pag. 20, among the objectives of CAADP regional compact, we suggest to broaden point 3 to better reflect the need for increased productivity of agriculture, especial traditional and rain-fed crops. In the same direction, we would (pag.22) suggest re-prioritizing the three main COMESA
2 The decent work framework has been adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1999
and subsequently taken up by the UN System based on the recognition of the central role of work in
people’s lives. The decent work framework is based on four pillars: employment generation and
enterprise development, social protection, standards and rights at work, and governance and social
dialogue. It underscores that both the quantity and the quality of employment are important for
wellbeing, and recognizes the contribution of the world of work as a drive for social and economic
development.
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strategic areas of intervention to put the increase of agricultural productivity at the very top. In our view, it should precede the facilitation of efficient agricultural markets. With regards to the Constraints to agricultural production and productivity in the region (p.15)
section, we therefore suggest to:
� Give more relevance to the need of increasing the productivity of food staples based,
rain-fed and particularly smallholder agriculture (through better technologies for instance for storing water and using it more efficiently);
� Make more explicit mention of the lack of decent employment opportunities, especially in rural areas and in the informal sector.
Similarly, among the opportunities section 3.4, we suggest to:
� Indicate decent rural employment promotion as one of the Opportunities for
agricultural development in the COMESA region (p. 16), possibly integrating the Social
Capital paragraph with more specific Human Capital concerns.
� We also suggest on the same page to point out the need for participatory frameworks
to make sure that rural institutions and other civil cosiety strucutures are adequately
involved in policy makins processes.
� Also, we see a risk in focusing investments on non-traditional export commodities. This sector is undoubtedly a good export earner and contributor to economic growth, but also very concentrated in terms of location and large scale. The risk is thus to generate only limited employment opportunities. Therefore, we still believe that staple commodities and improved/better technologies for rainfed agriculture should appear in this section as a strong opportunity for pro-poor growth.
Among the strategies mentioned in section 3.5, we suggest the following:
� People-centred concerns should be better mainstreamed in the text, such as the promotion on enabling environment for viable decent self-employment. Ex. developing and implementation sectoral regional policies for agriculture and rural development that fully incorporate the concept of decent work and that address the issues of rural employment for poverty reduction and food security; developing policies that enhance the development impact of agro-industries, promote rural employment and help small producers diversify into new enterprises.
� Point 3. should be at the end of the list, as it seems to be an internal and administrative issue.
Section 5 Comesa Agricultural Strategy rightly mentions the need for adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies. However, it fails to mention the need for farmers and research communities to interact and exchange on the needed technology changes, so as to make the right changes and come up with fit-to-use technologies. With regards to the programmatic gaps identified in Section 7, par. 7.2, we would suggest the following:
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Under strategic priority 1 (Food system productivity)
� The first gap to be highlighted should be low production and agricultural productivity in traditional crops and the necessity of better supporting farmers, especially smallholders. The best and most efficient ways to support them and enhance their productivity would be to consider them as agents of change and to make sure that they become and real small scale entrepreneurs. Therefore, before envisaging regional centres of excellence, local training centres for the promotion of processed products for the domestic market should be prioritised.
� Also the need to address unemployment and underemployment, and the low
endowments of human capital in rural areas, should be reflected in this section. Greater attention should be given to the unique characteristics of off-farm agro-industries, particularly the post-production segments of the agricultural sector. These have particular implications for decent work, because of their role in job creation in upstream and downstream segments of value chains, and laterally in value added processing of wastes and by-products.
� Finally, we found in some way surprising the sectoral focus on livestock and fisheries
sectors, as their contribution to the whole agricultural sector seems relatively small.
Under strategic priority 2, (Trade and development corridors),
� We would mainly add the need to foster domestic local and regional markets potential. � Approaching the issue of regional trade and market through a decent work lens can be
very effective as it helps bring together economic and social sustainability. Every strategy adopted should consider the need to eliminate constraints for vulnerable groups to access trade and marketing opportunities. Promoting higher value activities and access to resources and services for those segments of populations who are particularly vulnerable to such constraints as smallholders, youth, and women, should be another area of major concern.
With regards to the development of human and institutional capacity in support of an
enhanced policy environment (identified as one of COMESA Strategic Regional Priorities for the
CAADP Compact, p.24) :
We very much appreciate the recognition given to the importance of improving the
capacities of institutions. They are indeed critical in the sustainability of the agricultural
sector and are a critical link between the public sector and the farmers at the grassroots
level. However,
� We strongly believe that employment policies and, in particular policies that enhance the development impact of agro-industries, promote rural employment and help small producers diversify into new enterprises should be mentioned. Well-functioning rural
labour and land markets, as well as effective rural institutions are necessary to make
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investments in the agricultural sector work for improving smallholder production and generate employment opportunities for the rural poor.
� Finally, within the regional-approach of the COMESA CAADP and given the importance of mobility among countries, attention should be also given to some regional issues related to migration, leading to support for productive migration through skills development, policies to support remittances and labour migration, especially rural-rural migration and improving the conditions under which international migration takes place.
With regards to the Potential Regional Investment Programme identified:
� As a general observation, we think that the proposed selection could be more inclusive of different sectors and actors of the rural economy.
� As already mentioned a key area of intervention should be regional programmes addressing the productivity of agriculture, centred on food staples oriented agriculture as an important anti-poverty entry point, but also including traditional and non-traditional crops. There should be a focus on smallholder agriculture, and on the development of domestic markets.
� The Food Security pillar could mention sectoral policies and programmes ensuring productive and decent work for both rural young women and men, in farm as well as non-farm activities, in the formal and in the informal sector. Priority should be given to employability, equal opportunities and entrepreneurship of youth.
� Among the proposed regional programmes, 2.1 is not agriculture-specific, with regards to the infrastructure component. 2.3 seems to be more of an internal arrangement.
� Finally, pillar 4 should probably more spelled out towards to the strengthening of existing regional research networks. However, we really appreciate the attention given to regional fertilizer production.
� Finally, we would notice that investment in trade corridor infrastructure (roads, electrification) does not seem agricultural specific and would not necessarily have to be addressed under the regional CAADP.
� A decent employment lens should allow all strategic regional investments. Investments in agriculture have considerable potential for job and wealth creation. However, only well balanced choices for employment-intensive investments in agriculture and rural non-farm activities can create sustainable local dynamics, increasing the attractiveness of rural areas to young workers, and thus eventually providing alternatives to rural-urban migration.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further exchange. We very much look forward to
getting your feedback on the above comments and to further support you along this
challenging process.
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Seed Control and Certification Institute (Zambia)
COMMENTS FROM : Dr.Francisco MITI
Chief Seeds Officer, Seed Control and Certification Institute
COMESA Regional CAADP Compact: Guidelines for the Reviewing and Stakeholder Input
FANRPAN is happy to share with you a draft of the COMESA Regional CAADP Compact and is
requesting your feedback.
As you read the draft COMESA Regional CAADP Compact, we would be grateful if you would
consider the following questions:
1. Bearing in mind the regional nature of investments under the regional compact, what are the programmatic gaps related to increasing agricultural production
and productivity, with a focus on staple commodities.
Harmonize regulates that relate to provision of agricultural inputs, products and
services
2. Between existing programmes that you are aware of, and the programme gaps that you identified, what would be the priority investment programmes aimed at increasing agricultural production and productivity, with a focus on staple commodities, at the regional level?
1) Harmonization of rules in the region for seed provision in order avoid delays in the commodity reaching farmers
2) Harmonize rules to encourage marketing of agricultural products in the region
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3. What are the programmatic gaps related to developing regional trade, through corridor development and market facilitation and development, with a focus on staple commodities.
4. Between existing programmes that you are aware of, and the programme gaps that you identified, what would be the priority investment programmes aimed at developing regional trade, with a focus on staple commodities, at the regional level?
Harmonize seed regulations and develop an accreditation system for provision of
quality products and services
5. What are the programme gaps related to developing regional policies that encourage agricultural production and investment, and that promote regional and international trade, with a focus on staple commodities.
Level in the provision of quality seed differ and there will be need to harmonize
this by way of an accreditation system
6. Between existing programmes that you are aware of, and the programme gaps that you identified, what would be the priority programmes aimed at developing
7. Given that production, trade, markets, and food consumption are interrelated, what are the synergies that are required in order to develop a meaningful Regional Investment Programme for Agriculture?
Harmonized approaches to issues e.g. for seed provision
1) Map the Region into agro zones 2) Variety release should be for specific regional zone. The region should
encourage testing of varieties where competence exist in the region 3) Procedures for seed production should be developed for the region. These
should be followed by the whole region
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4) Seed certification standards should be application to the whole region 5) Seed movement across borders should be made easy Regional
Similar harmonizations for fertilizer, general trade should be encouraged
8. It is proposed that the design and implementation of the Regional Investment Programme for Agriculture (RIPA) will use the following management structure: Overall coordination: COMESA Secretariat, also in charge of liaising with COMESA
ministers of agriculture, trade, infrastructure, and other relevant government
in charge of RIPA design process, including call for proposals, M&E, peer review
mechanism, approval of subsequent programme components. Programme
components will be evaluated and approved by this TAC and presented to
relevant COMESA technical committees for endorsement.
Development partner coordination mechanism: for donors and other investors
that will provide a platform for engagement, resource mobilization, and general
coordination.
Implementation of RIPA: The responsibility of program implementation will be
with those regional institutions or other contracted parties who will implement
specific RIPA program components. These responsibilities and institutions will be
decided upon during the design phase. The point here is that neither COMESA nor
a TAC will be responsible for the actual implementation of RIPA, but will play a key
role in its overall coordination and technical oversight.
Are the above management structures appropriate? Would you have any
suggestions?
YES
our review of the draft Compact would be appreciated, with due consideration being given
to the aforementioned questions. Please send your comments, inputs and suggestions to
the FANRPAN CAADP Coordinator:
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USAID East Africa
Peter Ewell, Candace Buzzard,
Walter Knausenberger, Kaarli Sundsmo, and Mary Skarie
Subject: Comments on the draft of the Regional CAADP Compact
Thank-you for the opportunity to review this draft. It is very good to see the progress that has
been made. Several people from the Regional Economic Growth and Health Offices in
USAID/East Africa read the draft carefully and contributed to these comments. We look forward
to continued dialogue in the months ahead as the final Regional Compact and the RIPA take
shape.
The USAID/East Africa regional mission has worked closely with COMESA for over ten years, on
various activities linked to regional integration: trade, investment, infrastructure, the
environment, gender, and other issues as well as agriculture. We also collaborate with the East
African Community (EAC), ASARECA, TTCA, EAGC, IGAD, AU-IBAR, and other African regional
organizations. We have worked with the COMESA Secretariat to coordinate the CAADP process
since the first regional meeting in Dar es Salaam in January, 2005, and have also supported
activities in support of some of the national round-table processes. We are looking forward to
continuing to working closely with COMESA, other African partners, the private sector, and
other development partners to strengthen regional activities within the framework of CAADP.
We all know that CAADP is a process. It would be useful if the document were explicit about
where we are at the regional level. The country level process starts from a stocktaking of
existing programs, and then does an analysis of which investment scenarios are likely to achieve
national goals, the CAADP targets, and MDG #1. This round table process leads to the
development of a sector-wide agricultural development strategy. A compact is then signed by
the various national ministries and development partners. Then the AU and NEPAD organize a
peer review of that strategy and a sector-wide investment plan. Then detailed investment plans
are developed, to be supported by increased government spending in agriculture and by the
development partners.
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It is not quite clear how these steps are being applied at the regional level. Are companion
documents available on the stocktaking of the scope and effectiveness of existing regional
programs? Has there been any analysis of the national compacts and sector-wide strategies, to
identify the need/potential for added value from regionally organized programs? This has been
done in West Africa. COMESA has developed an Agricultural Strategic Framework. Is the
Regional Compact designed primarily to support and expand that strategy?
Our understanding is that a revised version of this document will be discussed at the meeting of
the Ministers of Agriculture in Swaziland in a few weeks. We assume that they will be asked to
approve the concept and the direction. What steps will then be taken to get the Regional
Compact ready for signing by the wider group of stakeholders? How will the post-Compact
process be organized at the regional level? Who will be involved in the design of the Regional
Investment Program? What is the expected time frame? A roadmap would be very useful.
Sections 3, 4 and 5 lay out a logical argument and cite analytical evidence on which to base a
prioritized set of investments. We have the following points and suggestions:
• Have any discussions been held with the EAC and SADC about making the Regional Compact part of the Tripartite agenda? The EAC is a subset of COMESA, except Tanzania, and COMESA is helping with the country compact in Tanzania. The EAC has not been very involved in the CAADP process, in part because the AU/NEPAD designated COMESA as the responsible REC. On a programmatic level, many regional projects and programs work with the EAC as a kind of regional pilot, and then scale up to the larger number of countries in COMESA. Many of the development partners, including USAID, work with both RECs. The situation with SADC is a more complex, but there would be many advantages in having a single coordinated regional strategy for eastern and southern Africa. Not every program would need to work in all countries. IGAD, although not part of the Tripartite process, is playing important roles as well, particularly in semi-arid regions of the Horn of Africa.
• The scope of the Compact is not clearly defined. It seems that you are focused only on those programs and institutions that are linked directly with the COMESA Secretariat. There are of course many more regional programs linked with IFAD, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, IGAD, AU/IBAR, the CGIAR, FARA, IFDC, AGRA, the Gates Foundation, the CGIAR centers, etc. You obviously can’t include everything, but we think a discussion of the kinds of programs that are out there, and the need for better coordination and lesson learning, should be included.
• You do not discuss the wider context of international support for CAADP, agriculture, and food security. There have been a series of high-profile events over the past year: the G8 meeting in l’Aquila, Italy, the meeting at the UN general Assembly in New York, the Food Summit in Rome, the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh. At all of these, at which the AU and other African institutions were represented, donor countries made very specific statements and commitments. We would include this context to show that momentum is building up to
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push forward with this agenda, reversing two decades of declining support to agriculture both by African governments and development partners.
• Related to that, all of the major donors, including USAID, are committed to working within the CAADP framework. The CAADP Partnership Platform and the Global Donor Platform have developed detailed guidelines, and we in USAID are expected to keep CAADP front and center as we develop plans under our evolving Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative. The guidelines are strongly tied to national, country-level processes. As a regional mission, we are always under pressure to convince people at all levels that regional programs and regional approaches really do add value to what can be done at the national level. Your Section 2 on pp 11-12 makes good points, but you could be more specific about how effective coordination between the national and regional levels can accelerate the development process. Otherwise it sounds as if you are advocating for more investment in agriculture at all levels, rather than building a case for regional investments specifically.
• The Compact should also highlight COMESA’s regional role in moving the CAADP agenda forward in the member states. Will COMESA provide an ongoing platform for peer review, mutual accountability and support for countries that are developing compacts and implementing associated investment plans?
• How will COMESA link with the national compacts and investment plans of its member states on an ongoing basis? Regional investments must be continually aligned with country plans and priorities. How will COMESA be involved (or not) in promoting national level implementation of agreed regional harmonized policies? It is important to clearly recognize the importance of the regional and national levels working together on policy.
• The document is not consistent on whether the compact is working toward two or three strategic priorities. The third priority is “Developing human and institutional capacities toward enhancing a conducive policy environment.” Is this a strategic priority, or a means of reaching the other two? Either way, capacity building is a broader agenda than just policy, and should be addressed in the Compact.
• In the analytical sections, it is not always clear when you are talking about Africa, SSA or the COMESA region.
• The role of the private sector is not clearly highlighted, although value chains are of course led and implemented by private traders, processors, transporters, and other businesses. We think you should make a stronger case for improving the enabling environment for mobilizing private investments, and for promoting public-private partnerships.
• Gender and the roles of women deserve further discussion. Gender is mentioned only in passing as part of the ultimate COMESA mission.
• There is only passing mention of the importance of peace in the region. It would be useful to have a more deliberate recognition of the impact of conflict and governance on food security, trade, productivity, policy, etc.
• In discussions of infrastructure, there is minimal mention of information and ICT infrastructure. Access to reliable, timely and accurate information is critical for improving market functions.
• Value chains in food processing would include fortification of staple foods with micronutrients. This might be a specific opportunity for public private partnerships both at
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country and regional levels. Some countries in the region are considering mandatory fortification. There are regional millers associations that could be encouraged to support fortification.
• Section 7.1.1 on ASARECA is out of date. Starting in 2007 the organization has re-structured from a collection of networks to seven programs, each of which organizes projects in prioritized areas that involve researchers from several countries, and which are designed to maximize regional spillovers and sharing of resources and knowledge. . The new system is laid out in an Operational Plan that is supported by a group eight donors that have signed an MOU to harmonize their mechanisms. ASARECA is one of the SROs that make up FARA, responsible for supporting the implementation of CAADP Pillar IV
• We think you should also mention the CGIAR and other research support organizations that work closely with the SROs and their member NARS. The agricultural universities and organizations like RUFORUM are playing important roles.
• Pillar I is not well represented in Section 7.1. Soil fertility management and the Abuja Declaration deserve mention. It is good to highlight the conservation agriculture program, but increased fertilizer use and other approaches to improving soil fertility and water use efficiency are also necessary. ACTESA’s COMPRAP is just starting programs in this areas. The policy questions of “smart subsidies” and how they affect incentives for the private sector are not discussed, although they have been major issues in the discussions around the national round tables in Malawi, Zambia, and other countries.
• Livestock producers, especially pastoralists, are not clearly identified in the productive land use category. RELPA (which is just ending) and ACTESA are working in this area, and COMESA has produced a policy paper. COMESA has signed an MOU with the Millennium Villages/MDG project to work on a Sustainable Drylands Initiative. IGAD’s Livestock Policy Initiative (LPI) is developing a regional policy framework on animal health in the context of trade and vulnerability, which has been agreed to by the Ministers of Livestock in the member states. The CAADP Compacts in several countries, notably Ethiopia and Kenya, identify livestock and pastoralism as high priorities for the national investment plans. AU-IBAR is the continent’s main agency devoted to livestock, fisheries and wildlife.
• There are many farmers’ organizations, NGOs, private BDS providers, seed companies, agro-dealers, and other organizations working in research, extension, and rural development that are supported by donors, Gates and other foundations, AGRA, etc. What is the Regional Compact’s strategy for coordinating and sharing lessons regionally, to move away from isolated, project-based approaches to more sustainable collective action linked to CAADP?
• Section 7.1.2 is an incomplete summary of the wide range of activities in trade facilitation and transit along corridors and across borders. The implementation of Free Trade areas and common markets, reform of customs, reduction of non-tariff barriers, harmonization and streamlining of SPS regulations, etc, are key central activity of both COMESA and the EAC. Many organizations including intergovernmental bodies like TTCA and private regional trade associations like the Eastern Africa Grains Council, transport associations, etc. are working in this area DFID, USAID, the World Bank, the EC, China, the Hewlett Foundation, and others are financing activities. Investments in roads and other infrastructure need to be linked with harmonized polices and regulations. Important steps have been taken to coordinate these activities, but the CAADP compact could do more to focus partners working on trade and transit on issues of agricultural market access and trade.
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• ACTESA has been set up by COMESA as an early action of CAADP to facilitate and promote regional trade in staples to increase market access and reduce regional food insecurity. It is working closely with the Market Linkages Initiative, COMPETE, the regional farmers federations, and other partners, The WFP’s Purchase for Progress program is testing innovative ways to open up market access for smallholders.
• Pillar III is not well covered; there should be more discussion of the kinds of programs needed to implement the objectives of the Pillar Document, the Framework for African Food
Security (FAFS). Examples might include programs to reduce dependence on food aid, to move away from chronic food insecurity, and to apply lessons learned locally provisioned school feeding programs, cash transfers, and other social protection programs.
• The integration of programs to improve nutrition in rural areas into agricultural sector programming deserves much more attention. We know that discussions are ongoing among nutrition experts at NEPAD, the AU, UNICEF, and other organizations on how to strengthen nutrition in the CAADP investment plans, bringing together what are too often separate activities in the agriculture and health sectors. Increased production and distribution of fortified staples should be addressed under Pillar III. The diets of the most vulnerable, especially women and children, need to be diversified. Lessons learned from research programs that introduce a wider variety of nutritious crops and small animals into production systems need to be tested with women and diffused widely.
• In Section 7.2, it seems premature to move to the identification of gaps until a more systematic assessment of lessons learned from existing programs is completed. The section makes important points, but the criteria for making sound, evidence-based investment decisions are still not clear. What steps will be taken to develop the Regional Implementation Program?
• Section 8 raises the important issue of priority-setting and implementation. Section 8.3, Design of the Regional Investment Programme for Agriculture, describes the process for receipt and review of investment proposals rather than the RIPA itself. What is the process for developing the RIPA in the first place? Investment proposals would need to fall within priorities identified and costed out in the RIPA.
• What is the ongoing analytical agenda for evidence-based priority-setting, monitoring, and evaluation? What roles are envisioned for partner organizations including FANRPAN, ASARECA/PAAP, Re-SAKSS, IFPRI, MSU, and various national policy institutes?
• The Compact proposes setting up a competitive grant scheme for funding activities that will fill gaps identified in the RIPA. COMESA itself is not an implementing organization. Many of the existing projects in the inventory – ACTESA, COMRAP, RATES, MLI, TRADEMARK, AGRA, etc, -- are already making grants to a variety of field partners. There will certainly be a need for scaling up support for new activities and new partners, but we are not convinced that setting up an additional granting system inside COMESA should be the central outcome of this Regional Compact.
• COMESA should certainly organize and oversee the coordinating mechanisms. The COMESA Secretariat and ACTESA should clearly define their respective roles and responsibilities. The Regional Compact and the Regional Investment Programme will be linked very closely with
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the peer review and monitoring and evaluation processes. It makes sense to establish a regional Technical Advisory Committee to draw on analytical evidence to ensure that regional projects are responding to sensible regional priorities, and that new projects are designed, monitored and evaluated according to the CAADP principles and the priorities in the RIPA. Who will be on it? The AU and NEPAD? Representatives of the pillar organizations? How will countries express their priorities for regional activities that will add value to activities in their Investment Plans?
• There are already a number of donor groups working with regional institutions. There is a group for COMESA, currently chaired by the EU that looks at the whole range of COMESA’s activities – trade, infrastructure, etc. – as well as agriculture. The multi-donor trust fund includes formal coordination mechanisms. There has been consultation among the donors as ACTESA has been set up, and a formal donor group will be formed this year. The eight donors supporting ASARECA within a coordinated framework have formalized their agreements with an MOU. The donors supporting activities coordinated by COMESA and the EAC along the northern and central corridors are working jointly on a diagnostic study. A development partners’ group for the COMESA Compact and the RIPA would serve as an overall framework for these and other regional processes, and could play a very important role linking with activities supported in response to the national investment plans.
Annex 3. p 42.
Item 1.4: USAID/East Africa is building a regional program on climate change in collaboration
with COMESA and other partners, but there is not currently an active program,
Item 2.2. The Northern and Central Corridor Diagnostic is being supported jointly by DFID,
USAID, and JICA
Item 2.7 The timeline for COMPETE project is 2009 – 2013. The Funding source is USAID/East
Africa. The Lead institutions are COMESA and the EAC
Item 2.8 The timeline for the Market Linkages Initiative (MLI) is 2009 -2011. The funding source
is USAID/East Africa. The lead institutions is ACTESA.
Item 3.9 should be Item 4.1. ASARECA, as one of the SROs that compose FARA, is a pillar
organization for Pillar IV. There is an MOU with COMESA, which is represented on the
Board of Directors. ASARECA is supported by a group of donors who have agreed to
harmonize their support to organizations Operational Plan, and have signed AN MOU on
the agreed principles/ Three of them – The EU, DFID, and CIDA – channel their support
through a multi-donor trust fund managed by the World Bank. USAID/East Africa, the
African Development Bank, IFAD, and SIDA have separate agreements with ASARECA,
within the agreed framework. IFDC also provides support.
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ASARECA is organized into seven programs. One of them, The Policy Analysis and
Advocacy Program (PAAP), the successor to ECAPAPA, manages the RABESA II project
jointly with ACTESA/COMESA.
Please get in touch if you need clarification or additional information.
Best wishes.
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PROGIS Software GmbH
PROGIS Software GmbH, Postgasse 6, 9500 Villach, AUSTRIA
Comments to the COMESA Regional CAADP Compact, Draft version from April 19th,
I will group my information as follows: 1. Comments to the mentioned paper: 2. Summary of different inputs I got from elsewhere, also valuable for COMESA countries 3. Our own model and how does it fit into the a.m. concept
COMMENTS TO THE MENTIONED PAPER:
At first I have to say that I will focus in bullet-points on these elements of the text that has a relation with our focus “ICT support for sustainable agriculture – forestry – environment – risk-management, for farmers, advisors, regions or whole countries”. PREAMBLE:
Each investment must be based on exact data and is a calculation of a return of invest (in the case of environment sometimes the cash return is zero, nevertheless there is a return of e.g. a clean environment. Regional peer learning I agree fully, but people need precise guidance Greater alignment and harmonization I agree also in relation of common use of ICT methods as it will lower dramatically the costs of e.g. education and training Productivity increase of the whole chain is THE focus of IT solutions or in other way without them it is nearly impossible to measure productivity; a problem that also in Europe farmers face. Priority regional trade and development corridors will also allow to setup better communication (GPRS/UMTS) as the start within rural areas – this means also Telecoms can become partners in growing rural areas Without human and institutional capacities it will NOT be possible to start moving A regional approach will be positive for the standard agricultural targets and extreme positive when it comes to environmental caretaking as “environment” has no borders. 1.1. BACKGROUND:
On the CAADP – as well as on our technology we had already communication with Hon. Rosebud Kurwijila from the African Union PILAR 1 The expansion of the irrigation sector (first question: is enough water here for irrigation?) needs microclimate oriented weather-stations as well as soil moisture measurements with a feedback to a GIS system to e.g. trigger farmers with an SMS automatically “what and where to do” and to optimize the use of water. Sustainable land management has to be build up on precise data about sustainability, otherwise it becomes a guessing. [Text eingeben] PILLAR 2
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Trade, markets, cross-border, businesses etc.: the all need information – that has a link to ICT PILLAR 3 Food and nutrition security has to do also with traceability that can be organized with ICT PILLAR 4 Research and supporting dissemination is correct but needs a so called middleware – the advisor; and an advisor needs support by technology that he can focus on his main job – advise farmers, not need to do stupid calculations – that computer can do better. Further with our integrated expert model (see enclosed material) we guarantee that local research data receive fast farmers level and bring here a documentable return of invest also from the research investment. MDG goal 1 “cut hunger” and MDG goal 6 “environmental sustainability” is on one side linked with farmers/foresters and on the other hand with the use of ICT that’s delivers supportive information. 2. GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND RATIONALE:
Public private partnerships – all speak about, few do it: one example I could deliver: If a government sets up a franchise-like model for farm advisors, supports the education, also certification and the infrastructure for the advisors and they work according rules as private advisors, a farmer will pay them when the value of advise is significant higher than his payment, so the advisor has to work hard, we will start to get more private motivation into farming, something that also starts in Europe. The government can support the farmers with some budget for getting advise if this will be an incentive. I mention in that discussion often an example from Europe: According a study that the EC did last year, Denmark has 56 advisors per 1000 farmers and the rest of the EC between 1and 6! The Danish understood that an excellent advice pays off, for the farmers AND for the government, and economically AND ecologically!!! The Danish advisory service is a private cooperative and gets support from the government (see also the comments at the attachment the I did for the Uganda advisory services) To build up advisory services in cooperation of COMESA countries would be drastically decrease the cost of education. 3.2. PROBLEM ANALYSIS
Investments: Without information no insurance will start their business and without insurance no farmer will be able to get money and without money no farming will start. We had intensive discussions with back-insurance companies (e.g. SwissRE) and they agreed to start immediately when local insurances give a signal to start. Further we have to understand that with ICT when an advisor plans a farm with a few clicks and he does it for 3 or 5 years, a business-plan is ready that a farmer needs to get money and automatically the data for an insurance police are also ready done. That means an advisor can support banks and insurance companies and they can vice-versa support the advisors – a win-win situation that makes it possible with strong partner (banks, insurance, telecoms) to guide farmers to a better future. [Text eingeben]
Productivity: Planning – with the help of ICT it is fast done - is the first step to higher productivity; naturally also agro-technics, agro-chemistry AND cooperatives (new structures) are necessary (e.g. in Germany our single and large customer are the German Machine Cooperatives with 196.000 members, 260 offices and supporting 7,2 Mio ha; the match owners and users of machines throughout Germany (and much more) and are an organization that would be needed in Africa urgently. As they are our close partner – I am myself member in one Austrian machine-
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ring, I have a farm but no machine – they will be ready also in a cooperation with us to support Africa with the complete know how. Food security: is close related to traceability as every process on the world has to be controlled – and traceability is a control mechanism. ICT helps to make it easy and will support export (we cooperate now with the food giants like Metro or REWE regarding trust centers for traceability – this model is also possible to be setup in African countries. Poverty: Increase farming will be THE model to get out of poverty; when I go back in Europe, our growth cycle started with the private ownership of ground for farmers and the release from the landlord – between 15th and 18th or even 19th century, depending on country. 3.3. CONSTRAINTS:
Low agricultural financing and investment: see above; although foreign investment is not bad if exact models and ethical guidelines are defined. A cooperation between smallholders and a large farm again would bring a win-win situation. We have this situation in Austria that large foreign forest owners cooperate intensive with small farmers – everybody wins due to a good cooperation. Rain-fed and irrigation: see above; together with our partner Adcon we can deliver also high tech and reasonable priced weather-stations; the data can be linked to our systems; expert models give guidance for users. Soil moisture sensors support irrigation, make it precise and save parallel water. Inadequate Institutional capacity: I have just to repeat the above model where banks, insurance companies, telecoms, machine cooperatives and other farmer organizations as well as Ministries, research and advisory services cooperate together. And the connector is ICT – because all need information. That means also ALL could support the installation of ICT because they all will benefit! The European problem is that the organizations did it for maybe one century or even more already different. Now to change is not easy and is a burden for organizations. It is easier to set up a new structure then to change an existing one! A huge chance for Africa. Low investment in agricultural research. In that moment where a model exists that shows clear that – e.g. with the help of a powerful advisor network – new research results can bring very fast increased revenues at the farm level – and also increased revenues because of more taxes for the government – it will be supported. Declining soil fertility: this is linked beside others to too less fertilizer; and this is linked to financing – see above. For years it was fine but on the long run the soil has to be used sustainable. Exact e.g. nutrient balance is a pre-condition; it can be done with ICT automatically and stops over- or under-fertilization (it was done many years in the North with fatal consequences for the water and naturally also for the costs). The future needs really “advisors” and not a system where every sales guy of a fertilizer company is a “fertilizer [Text eingeben]
advisor”. He will say quickly: “Please use more because he has more turnover!” Advise MUST be objective! Poor infrastructure: Transport is necessary and a street network has to be the fundament and has to be done by the government or with support of donors, international agencies etc.; regarding energy I see in the future the independent small village, where farmers deliver energy; we have in Austria the first 10.000 inhabitants community that produce ALL energy themselves (electricity, petrol, heating), with the help of farmers and their biomass. This I just can
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recommend for African villages and small cities and our partners with lots of Austrian expertise would be ready to support. Policy and legal framework: I can´t change it but I could give inputs based on my know-how! Poor extension services: see above model and check the comment regarding Uganda 3.4. OPPORTUNITIES
Social capital: The workforce should be used but must be guided and supported. Further people in cities have to start to understand that the environment around the cities is managed by farmers and they are producing also fresh air, clean water, reduce risks of floods etc.; this are values farmers produce! Globalization: Technology transfer – here we are; but be aware: for me are beside our really large showcase in Germany all countries regarding technology nobodies. That means Africa is not a latecomer regarding technology but can start faster because of no or less discussion between rival organizations. Emerging institutions and regional initiatives: are excellent but need again ICT to cooperate, to be informed, to make in general better decisions. Resurgent security: Peace is something that is a must but it has to be hard worked to get it; I think ICT enabled communication between different people or even tribes and supports indirectly peace. I am living at the only position in Europe where the three big tribes – Germanic, Slavic and Romanic people meet; we had 2000 years war. My father did not cross the border because there was the enemy. Today it´s gone, even more, since a few years no border exists! 3.5. STRATEGIES:
Financing, science and technology, extension: see above Value chains or clusters: I agree fully, but they will need ICT support (see my enclosed powerpoint presentation and the text regarding chain management and horizontal and vertical integration of farmers). Institutional capacity: see above about extension services; I just also would strengthen to need of cooperation between advisors and research. The expert models for the advisors have to come mainly from research organizations. And they need the feedback from the advisors and farmers to work on the optimization of their models. Science, technology, innovations: see above and enclosed info Optimum use of fertilizers: see above and enclosed info regarding nutrient balance Infrastructure: here I see the governments and the large international organizations and donors; regarding water and energy see above; regarding storage it could be a question of banks together with cooperatives. Or even a cooperative bank – we have success models in Europe with very successful agro cooperative banks. [Text eingeben] Policy and legal framework: I could consult Extension services: see above 4. CAADP AS AFRICA OWNED AGENDA
For all of your mentioned four pillars – sustainable land and water management, trade and marketing infrastructure, food and nutrition security, research extension and training for dissemination and adoption – ICT will support them; a simple principle – collect data there,
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where they occur and collect them only once – brought us in the direction of our holistic and integrated system that supports all four pillars. Details see the enclose power-point show. POLICY ENVIRONMENT AND REGIONAL PRIORITIES AND REGIONAL INVESTMENTS Much is covered by above said or covered by the enclosed papers. One element I would like to strengthen at the end: We are close to finalize a carbon model as part of our system for agriculture and forestry. Both activities are related to carbon and an optimized agriculture or forestry can either produce less carbon or sequestrate more carbon. Both can be measured and can be base for a carbon financing of the whole agro-forest chain! With this mentioned model it will be possible to get carbon financing for complete regions or countries. I was invited from the EC parliament about our technology to show what is possible already today as also in Europe wrong decisions in legal environment are done if politician do not understand technology´s possibilities. The feedback was very positive and I have a feeling when the demand is defined together the DG Development of Europe will be a potential partner for supportive projects.
Some general ideas and comments: Agriculture faces a problem that the know-how of research institutes has to reach the farmers as fast as possible in the future. We have worldwide an enormous gap in know-how between researcher and farmer. It is only possible to close this gap with advisors who are not specialists in a small agricultural segment but generalists who are really able to support farmers. To optimize the valuable time of advisors, ICT systems have to be used that guarantee a fast know how transfer and an excellent and cost efficient advise to farmers. The main reason for setting up an ICT infrastructure is not only for the research purposes, but also to downlink their results to farmers as fast as possible. With this method also the investment for the setup of such systems becomes suddenly easy to be calculated due to the increase of profitability on the farm level. GIS (Geographical Information Systems)
On the other hand we have to organize that – although maybe not all base data (like soil map, geological map, hydrological map, newest satellite images etc.), that have to be developed with the later mentioned GIS system are available from the beginning – the GIS must be developed fast in a first release, although if not complete, to support farmers in an early stage. I myself think about that case very pragmatically: “Better tomorrow an 80% optimization than in 10 or 15 years maybe 100%”. [Text eingeben]
We have to set up systems where the benefit for ALL beneficiaries comes fast into place. I like if one speaks about “capital stock” as a word for the value of our ground – our soils; I do not know today any system worldwide that manages the value of our agricultural or forestry ground – but we have to do this in the future. Not only that we have a value but that we, with not too much work, are able to calculate a tendency, on a field, a farm, a region or a country. I think it is necessary that we valuate in the future our ground, then we will be able to calculate GNP´s that come closer to the truth. Models are available and ready for installation. GIS and its technologies will not only support land users or decision makers at higher levels but also the farmer and many other stakeholders of the agro-value-chain (see above and look also at my presentation that I enclose. It will make my argument better understandable).
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Our integrated system does not only see a few users but many beneficiaries beside the farmers. Existing GIS systems had focused on collecting information at GIS centers and made them, if available, just top-down available. When I will have once the chance to show our technologies you will understand, what recently a high ranking GIS expert of Saudi Arabia mentioned after my presentation: “It changed the paradigm I was thinking about GIS, I hope we can have many common assignments in future”. The key question for a GIS system is, that the value of it can be measured due to the transfer of better information to the user, in our case a farmer or a partner in the value chain, and that the user has a measurable benefit! A map on the wall is too less to measure the benefit. We are able to deliver support but we need on the other hand different other experts with local know how to cooperate with. The experts must be agricultural (organizational matters, on public and private structures, on agro-machinery, on agro-chemistry, on crops and on methods, …) as well as ICT specialists. We know that the base for a good planning tool will be basic aero or satellite maps. They are not always available. We can take and work on it tomorrow whatever there is available as base data; if nothing is available we also can work with Microsoft BING or even with Google data in some countries for the beginning. Please check in your country(ies) what is available and – not always easy to manage – do you have access to the data and at which price. I know situations where sales from Ministry to Ministry happened – or also not happened! When we have something to start with, then we can evaluate together what is needed and in which timeframe; this goes today so far – look at my presentation “Rapid Eye”-images – that you can look at soil moisture or even chlorophyll from a satellite. We can have everything, the question is the price and what do we really need to be able to achieve what we want! Due to our good cooperation with Microsoft we would be able to get support in pricing of new images – one project that we could talk; nevertheless it should not happen that we make images within three years and nothing is done for farmers. We have to work parallel to get fast support out to farmers. We have to evaluate what is needed in detail regarding hardware. From the point of software I can offer also our own GIS – WinGIS – that we developed and you can also download at any time if you want to test it. The main focus will not be the GIS alone but the applications for agriculture, forestry, land consolidation, environment- and risk-management etc. that we developed and that we can modify according needs, or you add on your own [Text eingeben]
developments. WinGIS offers also a development environment for programmers. WinGIS will allow you that also your local offices as well as the advisors will be able to use the GIS with a few days of training. It is a new and state of the art technology. If your data set becomes giant (I run on my 4 year old laptop a project with 450 (=10 GB) raster-images and close to one million vector objects – WinGIS is still very fast!!!) we can also use mixed software as we do it at the Austrian land consolidation unit (a complete country uses ArcInfo since years and bottom up users at the land consolidation unit use many WinGIS systems with a land consolidation application (see at my PPT: “Z-GIS”). Regarding training again we have to diverse and structure which type of training - agriculture experts or IT experts – is needed and in which amount. See also our training recommendations that I embed for you.
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From a workshop-papers of FAO, author Ajit Maru, FAO (bold, not bold
my comments):
Agricultural development: It depends to a great extent on how successfully knowledge is
generated, shared an applied; that fits exactly to our innovative advisory concept – see above! Innovation is different than research: The danger is that the research is building up an ivory tower of information and the information does not get where it belongs – at the end at the farmers desk. We have to understand that the old paradigm was “Information is power”, the new is “to share information for the benefit of all”. Agricultural innovation systems – will be driven by NARS, cooperating with the private sector; To keep the system still up-to date there should come back the feedback from the partners and users which will lead to an ongoing bettering of the system due to this loop of recommendation – feedback – new recommendation. Information Needs: When the private farmer will use the better information supported by the public, he will produce more at higher quality and lower costs what is good for him and for the whole country. On the long run we have to understand that, when information is valuable, one can also get paid for information. Why must an advisory service be free of charge like the standard extension services in most of the countries are. In Europe there is a change from extension services towards private or public/private advisory services on the way and I believe that this model also will spread worldwide and will fit also to MENA region. Nevertheless we need interdisciplinary thinking experts (e.g. Danish Advisory services splits experts know how only in crop and animal), and we need education and certification for advisors and we need government and donors to support for the setup and also for further maintaining. [Text eingeben]
PROGIS Infos: Please read the articles and download the power-point presentation; for better understanding I enclose also the text for the power-point presentation. Please also read my comments to the book of Margaret Najjingo Mangheni that I found excellent and I had afterwards a chance to discuss the facts with her in Entebbe. Further I just can tell you that the book “Land reform in Uganda” from Nasani Batungi also gave me a deep insight and the mentioned problems can also be solved with WinGIS and its applications. You can also read some articles at our homepage and you can download WinGIS as a trial version for 4 weeks if you like. Further I add on a paper about a workshop at the EC parliament, DG Development deforestation group where I was invited recently to present all our technologies; on the other hand you will see that JRC from the EU – the agro control unit – is close cooperating with us and we could support them with studies regarding “ICT systems for farmers/advisors and sustainable management”.
SUMMARY: At the end I just can summarize: I am myself farmer and forester by education and practice, have been running my own farm and my own forest enterprise since 1990, do consulting within agroforest-environment-risk-management for 30 years and advice enterprises of around 7.000 ha in my region. My first IT installation I did in 1979 already to install a PC (at that time Apple – I had the luck to be for 5 years Apple computer distributor in Austria and later for 3 years Acer-
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PCdistributor, then I had to go back home on the farm ;-)! – that means I have 30 years experience in IT systems and started PROGIS from the backbone of a consulting office focusing on agro-forestryenvironment- and risk-management and have an excellent team of agro/forest/IT people. The software, technology and org-model was developed for practical needs of agro- or forestry, understanding that farmers/foresters need support as it became too complex to be a farmer and on the other hand the farmer has to be – also ICT has to reflect this – embedded into horizontal (e.g. cooperatives) and vertical (e.g. food-chain) cooperation. And I am sure that the farmers in the future have to be integrated into environmental caretaking and risk-management. This will become services that can be managed by farmers – when they have the know-how! And will give any amount of new workplaces. We know also from studies that ICT had problems with the uptake during the last decade but that is linked to the complexity of the whole agro business and the still more complex management of the chain. When you look at my slides you will see and understand the horizontal and vertical integration of farmers; and only if ICT systems reflect also these needs, farmers and related organization will be ready to support ICT because the value is seen immediately. The profitability of such systems is higher and a high benefit can come very soon. That means we have to design systems where after a few months we get benefits – smaller ones – and we built up further the complete model to reach in several years still more benefits. It is a process that has to be setup and will work only in a close cooperation of the different stakeholders involved into the chain. For a possible cooperation I have to mention that before we can start in detail, in any case an intensive seminar and workshop has to be set up. Within a time-period of let´s say 2 weeks (1 week workshop, then 8 weeks projects to be done independently, than again one week verify and upgrade), both sides increase their know how level to understand the possibilities and needs. We have to learn local structures and needs and you have to understand a technology like ours and the benefits out of it. Then, together a local model can be defined that fits to the local needs and embeds short, medium and long term targets, defines costs and calculates and valuates benefits. I would agree that such training is not done country by country but as you already have the structure for it, in a group ofcountries. You can also learn from each other – in many things but also in the question of existing and needed public and/or private structures. Sorry, you know it because that´s the reason why COMESA exists! As the process gives a deep understanding of how an integrated system works in general, also the output for the countries taking part will be high. We will plan in any case a 2-3 days seminar in autumn in Africa where we want to invite stakeholders of many African countries; we had just had a visit of Uganda here in Austria last week and are already at a stage that first trained people become available there . If you are interested in the seminar or also in further cooperation please let us stay in touch and feel free to mail or call my at any time. Villach, April 2010
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African Union - Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (IBAR)
Comments based on COMESA Regional CAADP Compact Version 19 (19 April 2010)
(Sarah Ossiya)
The document appears to be focused on the crop sector with limited explicit reference to the animal resources (fisheries, livestock and wildlife), environment and natural resources sectors and yet these are articulated as priorities in both the COMESA and CAADP missions and strategies. This draft states on page 31 under Gap 3 that: In the future, COMESA member
countries aim to restore priority for regional livestock and fisheries promotion in order to
exploit their considerable potential for underpining growth and improved nutrition. This could explain why livestock has not been fully incorporated in this draft. However under the COMESA strategy, under Trade Development, Fisheries and Livestock are listed as no 3 and no.4 priority programmes only after industry and agriculture. The COMESA strategy states that: Fish and fishery products are important commodities in the region as sources of high quality protein, employment and income particularly in the rural areas. Some COMESA member countries rely to a very significant extent on their fishery resources
for food security at home and income generation through exports. COMESA will pursue the
establishment of a Common Marine Fisheries Investment and Management Policy.
On livestock the COMESA Strategy states that: The livestock sector in the COMESA sub-region plays a very important role in terms of providing livestock commodity outputs like meat, milk, eggs, wool, hides, skins, manure and traction. The livestock share of agricultural output is quite
high in some COMESA member States ranging from 3% to 45%. The value of livestock
production in 1988 as calculated by the USDA in 1990 for some 15 COMESA countries was US
$6.7 billion out of US$11.8 billion for 41 sub-Saharan African countries. ...The potential for increasing the productivity of the livestock sector within the COMESA sub-region is tremendous. This draft CAADP document would benefit from integration of information from the AU-IBAR
'Framework for Mainstreaming Livestock in the CAADP Pillars.
Preamble on Page 7
Would need to add partners related to livestock, fisheries, and environment/ climate change e.g., the related line ministries.
Preamble on page 8
Under Regional Investment Institutions include: Kilimo Trust, AGRA, ILRI?
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Section 2 page 12 (1)
Cross border livestock trade, valued over $60m annually, constitutes one of the most significant growth areas for regional trade in Eastern Africa (COMESA policy brief No. 2, Feb 2009: Hidden Value on the Hoof: Cross-Border Livestock Trade in Eastern Africa).
Section 2 page 12 (2)
There are significant issues (challenges and opportunities) related to the transboundary nature of animal resources and resource base they depend on: animal health, climate change, trade, environmental degradation, resource sharing and resource based conflict etc that can benefit from regional approaches in harmonization, implementation and research.
Section 3, page 13
A significant proportion of agriculture's contribution to national and regional economies remains unrecognized and uncaptured by the GDP. Significantly the contribution of livestock which is largely held by pastoralists. Livestock also provide additional benefits which include environmental health, draught power, cultural and social roles, and as the vehicle of choice for investment by the majority of rural households. It may also be note worthy to state that Africa contributes significantly to eco-system wealth - a figure not captured in the GDP, but of global and generational significance. There are processes in place that can now put a monetary value to such a contribution and African governments need to capitalise on this. , and one for which a process of attributing a monetary value is Would be good to add data/ figures on livestock that contribute significantly, but whose contribution has been poorly recognized i.e., marginalized. Includes additional advantages such as soil health and mechanization - draught power. Need to also specifically underline the contribution of Africa to the health of the environment: least contributor to climate change and the continental carbon sink and contribution to ecosystem services and health.
On page 14:
Investment in the livestock/ fisheries sector is not commensurate to the contribution of the sector.
On page 15
Livestock play a key role in food security in arid and semi arid areas which form 40% of Africa, with variations among countries and going as high as 3-45% among COMESA countries.
On page 16
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Should add a livestock example e.g., low use of improved breeds or low use of veterinary services I think this should be a broader issue of land degradation that will include soil fertility, soil erosion, loss of fauna and flora diversity, invading undesirable plants, among others. That would capture the issues under animal resources as well.
Another constraint could be the Increase in natural resource based conflict: between crop and livestock keepers as agricultural land expands into marginal areas. Between livestock and wildlife, as livestock keepers encroach on wildlife reserves. For water resources. Between livestock keeping communities resulting in the non-use of large tracts of areas that are contested and relegating livestock keepers to less productive areas and ultimately resulting in increased degradation of those areas. There are also impacts of mass in or out migration due to natural resource conflicts adding huge pressures to resources. Policies that are not accompanied by implementing instruments such as legislature/ regulatory documents and guidelines for implementation and enforcement and most critically budgets. This means that often policies exist, but there are no means for implementing them.
On page 17
The 'Livestock Revolution' due to expanding urbanization, increasing affluence as a middle class emerges accross the COMESA region increasing the demand for livestock products and foods. Also represents strategic niches such as organic meats/ meat with low fat levels which is demanded by certain niche markets.
On page 18
Conservation of animal resource genetic materials Conflict management and resolution - to undergird resource sharing Encouraging increased inter-country trade in livestock rather than focusing on attempting to meet standards for international export. Regional approaches to livestock investments such as disease control and marketing infrastructure
On page 23
natural resource based conflict, animal diseases, capacity to comply and meet international phyto-sanitary standards etc Veterinary drugs and feeds
Page 31
COMESA region includes countries with significant livestock populations and fisheries industries that contribute significantly to their agricultural and national GDP's and export earnings. They
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should not be considered as a future priority because of the significant contribution of the two
sub-sectors!
The COMESA Strategy states: Fish and fishery products are important commodities in the region as sources of high quality protein, employment and income particularly in the rural areas. Some COMESA member
countries rely to a very significant extent on their fishery resources for food security at home
and income generation through exports. The livestock sector in the COMESA sub-region plays a very important role in terms of providing livestock commodity outputs like meat, milk, eggs, wool, hides, skins, manure and traction. The
livestock share of agricultural output is quite high in some COMESA member States ranging
from 3% to 45%. The value of livestock production in 1988 as calculated by the USDA in 1990 for some 15 COMESA countries was US $6.7 billion out of US$11.8 billion for 41 sub-Saharan African countries. Livestock and fisheries have been under-exploited, and there is need to focus more on these
sectors and to increase investments. More significant interventions are required than is the
case at the moment.
On page 32
AU-IBAR is the Lead Institution on livestock under the CAADP and has developed a Framework for Mainstreaming Livestock in the CAADP Pillars which lays out priority areas for programmes and investment. This would be a useful document for this section.
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SECTION 3 : LISTING OF PARTICIPANTS AT COMESA
REGIONAL CAADP COMPACT CONSULTATIONS
ACTESA Breakfast Meeting – CAADP Regional Compact Process
Livingstone, Zambia, 22 May 2009
List of Participants:
Name: Organization: Email:
1. Grace Mijiga Mhango Grain Trader and Processors
1. Mr. Jan Nijhoff (MSU technical support team) and 2. Dr. Dawit Abebe (AU-IBAR) 3. Mr. Stephen Karangizi (Assistant Secretary General) 4. Dr. Maclay Kanyangara and 5. Mr. Chikakula Miti (Climate Change office) 6. Mr. Odd Arnesen (Counsellor, Norwegian Embassy) 7. Dr. Francis Mangeni (Dir. Division of Trade, Customs and Monetary Affairs) and 8. Mr. Tasara Muzorori (Chief Economist) 9. Mr. Amos Marawa (Dir. Division of Infrastructure Development) 10. Dr. Chungu Mwila (Dir. Investment Promotion and Private Sector Development) 11. Dr. Cris Muyunda (CEO ACTESA) 12. Mr. John Phiri (CAADP Focal Point – Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives) 13. Mrs. Emiliana Tembo (Dir. Gender, Women in Business and Social Affairs)
FARNPAN representative: Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda
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CAADP Africa Forum Meeting, 3 December 2009, Nairobi, Kenya
List of Attendance to the FANRPAN- COMESA SIDE MEETING,