ECA, AUC And AfDB Launch The Agriculture And Food Security Joint Thematic Working Group In Abidjan

Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire), November 25, 2019 – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), under the auspices of the Joint Secretariat Support Office (JSSO), launched the agriculture and food security joint Thematic Working Group (TWG) on the margins of the Conference on Land Policy in Africa holding in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

The purpose of this initiative is to enhance the strategic partnership to accelerate Africa’s transformation and will serve as a platform for information and knowledge sharing.

The Thematic Working Group for agriculture and food security will focus its work mainly on supporting African countries and regional economic commissions (RECs) to roll out the common Africa Agro-Parks (CAAPS) and Staple Agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) initiatives.

Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission said: “By 2025, if we can have 70% of ending the hunger on the continent, it will be a great thing”, and added that joint thematic working group that is bringing together ECA, AfDB and AU” is the best way forward to really achieve our objectives.”

For his part, Stephen Karingi, Director, Regional Integration Division at ECA, lauded the initiative and linked to the focus area on the African Continental Free Trade Area noting, "We can’t have a successful AfCFTA without agriculture and food security”.

The thematic working group will focus on areas

·Coordination of seed systems development

·Special Agro-Industrial processing zones and Common African Agro-Parks

·Food Safety laboratories and Food Safety Agency

·Access to Agricultural mechanization services for Women

·African Land Policy Reform.