The third panel of the Brussels briefing on “New drivers, new players in ACP rural development” looked at trends in aid effectiveness, alignment and harmonisations among donors. Together with the experiences of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Amadou Diallo presented the the role of NEPAd in aid effectiveness for agriculture development.
Mr. Diallo argued that agriculture needs to be at the centre of the development agenda. 85% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa depends, at least partially, on agriculture for their livelihoods. Agriculture is therefore key to poverty reduction and economic growth; making effective policies and aid in this area vital.
For these reasons, African leaders developed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) as the NEPAD framework to revitalize the agriculture sector. NEPAD steers the process, providing guidance for policy, and raising awareness and international support for this African initiative.
(interview in French)
According to Mr. Diallo, CAADP constitutes the first common African project in agricultural policy and it offers important opportunities to improve the effectiveness of investments. African Heads of State have made significant commitments, pledging to ensure that 10% of national budgets are dedicated to investment in the agricultural sector. CAADP provides guidance on how to ensure that this spending at the national level is effective. In particular, the CAADP round tables process provides a tool for better harmonization and alignment of agricultural development efforts including aid.
Mr. Diallo concluded that African agriculture offers huge potential. Many positive new initiatives are underway and for the first time there is broad consensus on objectives, targets and partnership principles. However, long lasting results will only be possible if all stakeholders join in the concerted effort needed and “African countries put themselves as main actors, not just witnesses, of a green revolution in Africa.”
Read more about the CAADP process in the intervention by Angel Elias Daka of COMESA during the Briefing on ‘Advancing African agriculture‘, 17 October 2007.
See more from the 2 July Briefing
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