For aid to be effective there should be harmonization and alignment amongst donors. Currently, each donor has its own directives and this put on the receiving countries undue responsibilities for preparing project differently for different donors and there are then numerous costly missions to the developing countries. The donors should try to harmonize their needs for performance assessment and evaluation report when there are a number of donors, they must choose amongst themselves a leader who will take care of the project thus eliminating the needs for numerous evaluation missions and reports. The appointed leader should be the one that has been most successful in similar projects that they have done before.

Policies should be such that food security is possible and that there can be poverty alleviation. The non regulated international market will not ensure food security. There should be national, regional and global strategy to ensure food security. The right to food should become a human right.

Lesson learnt

It will be arduous to have a single coherent policy in eastern and southern Africa because of the high variability of space, low productivity and fragile resource base. A common regional market will have to be created as this represents around 400 million people. Intra regional trade should not be hampered. Example of policy changes include seed companies producing and selling in different countries, regional training curricula, pilot countries for developing quality standards and policy guidelines for products produced in African biosafety regulation in the region.

Comments and observation

Mauritius, particularly the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute can take the lead in producing cane varieties suitable to the African region. It can also be involved in optimizing energy production and usage in the African region. It can provide advice for cane cultivation.