Improving African agricultural productivity requires conditions in which the majority of producers (most of whom are smallholders and pastoralists) are encouraged to take risks and innovate while being sure that they will benefit from their efforts. For this, they require both enabling policies and access to efficient input and output markets. When framing policies to facilitate growth and wealth creation, care must be taken to avoid unintended negative consequences, such as aggravating gender and age disparities or favouring large producers in ways that disadvantage smallholders. Exploiting intra-African markets provides the best prospects for trade in important commodities [1]. It is important, therefore, that Africa has the capacity to identify and propose solutions to the present constraints and opportunities related to intra-regional agricultural trade. Examples of such would include determining appropriate health and safety standards [2] that will be accepted and that can be applied by both importing and exporting countries. The Secretariat is well positioned to commission impartial studies of intra-continental policy and trade issues, to provide evidence-based policy alternatives for policy makers and trade negotiators with a view to opening up new market opportunities for smallholders and pastoralists. The Secretariat’s comparative advantage lies in its ability to target studies of policy and market issues that span the different sub-regions. This facilitates research on issues on which the sub-regions interact. It also allows lessons to be drawn from comparisons of the outcomes of alternative policies adopted in different sub-regions, for example due to their historical and economic differences. Under NSF 3 the secretariat will support the capacity strengthening of African regional trade policy negotiators.
The essential and continuing functions of NSF 3 include (i) maintaining a knowledge hub for supporting strategic agricultural policy formulation, and improving the performance of agricultural markets; and (iii) strengthening the advocacy and negotiating competencies of Africa policy negotiators and other key stakeholders. The Secretariat will cooperate with policy institutions such as the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), the African Technology Policy Studies Centre (ATPS), the Millennium Institute and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in relation to stakeholder-identified priorities for the policy and market analyses needed to inform policy decisions. Specific Objective of NSF 3Sustainable improvements in broad-based agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets in Africa supported by appropriate regional policies.
Sustainable improvements in broad-based agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets in Africa supported by appropriate regional policies.
The African Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy Platform (ABBPP)
FARA recognises the potential of modern technologies (such as biotechnology) to drive growth in agricultural productivity. However, harnessing this potential requires these technologies to be adequately understood and accepted and appropriately applied by African countries.
In order to increase the safe use of biotechnologies, in accordance with recommendations made by its General Assemblies in 2003 and 2005 and at various FARA Board meetings, FARA established the African Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy Platform (ABBPP). Its purpose is to facilitate biotechnology and biosafety policy dialogue and stakeholder consensus building. Many research and regulatory bodies exist that are concerned with biotechnology and biosafety at the continental, sub-regional and national levels. FARA is facilitating interaction and discussions between the different actors with a view to promoting harmonised, efficient and safe use of biotechnology for smallholder development. ABBPP contributes to the establishment of an enabling policy environment that will allow Africa to take full, but safe, advantage of biotechnology and related sciences. Through such interventions, private sector companies are encouraged to invest in technologies that directly benefit smallholder farmers and pastoralists. Presently, FARA’s main collaborating partner on biosafety policy issues is the Public Research and Regulatory Initiative (PRRI)
[1]The AU-NEPAD Summit on Food Security 2006 called on member states to increase intra-African trade by promoting and protecting rice, maize, legumes, cotton, oil palm, beef, dairy, poultry and fisheries products as strategic commodities at the continental level, and cassava, sorghum and millet at the sub-regional level without prejudicing the focused attention also being given to products of particular national importance.
[2]The AU-NEPAD Summit on Food Security 2006 encouraged member states to ratify and implement harmonised standards and grades, including sanitary and phytosanitary standards, within and across RECs by 2010.
