Dr. Sarah A. H Olembo, Technical expert and advisor-SPS and Food safety ,

RURAL ECONOMY and AGRICULTURE,AFRICAN UNION COMMISSIONADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

AGRICULTURE AT CROSSROADS –Global challenges to food security under increasing environmental stresses:

Agro-ecology as a response .

Stockholm, Sweden, 8 Sept, 2011

1. Introduction-AU-DREA ‘s Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP)

2. Some reflections on different strategies on food security for small scale farming systems in Africa ie agro-ecology and its rationale for food security in the wake of Global climate change.

3. Conclusions

Overview of my Presentation

1) AUC-DREA’s Mission is: “To work with Member States, RECs, African Institutions, Civil Society and development partners to strengthen the agricultural sector, rural economies and the environment in order to improve the livelihoods of the African people and ensure food security”

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1.AU-DREA ‘s CAADP- The place of agro-ecology.

2). AUC-DREA’s Vision is: “A transformed African agriculture that provides the basis for continental sustainable growth and prosperity, food security and poverty reduction, reinforced by prudent management of the environment and natural resources including proactive responses to climate change

 

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4). CAADP has 4 pillars and responsibilities in:

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1. Extending the area under sustainable land management and reliable water control systems;

2. Improving rural infrastructure and trade-related capacities for market access;

3. Increasing food supply, reducing hunger,

4. Agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption

CAADP’s Pillar 3, for example, recognizes the need to direct agricultural development towards the most vulnerable populations for them to benefit from economic growth.

2.Some reflections on different strategies for agriculture and food security in Africa in the context of climate change, The challenges:

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THE CHALLENGES 1). In most developing countries,

agriculture accounts for between 20-60 %GDP, and employs up to 65% of the labour force, providing a livelihood for approximately 2.6 billion people globally. Despite increased world food production in the last decades, the global effort to meet the MDG of reducing hunger by half by 2015 now appears beyond reach. In fact the number of people suffering from chronic hunger has increased from 800 million in 1996 to over a million recently.7

CHALLENGES contd2.Global warming poses significant threats

to agricultural production and trade, and consequently increases the risks of malnutrition and extreme hunger , Preliminary projections to 2080 suggest a decline of some 15-20% of agricultural productivity in most climate change-exposed developing country regions : sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. For some countries in these regions. a total agricultural production could decline by 50% 8

2). Challenges contd

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Africa’s agriculture and especially the rural economies majority of who are the small scale farmers, face the multiple challenges of achieving food security, mitigating and adapting to climate change, as well as developing the institutional and policy challenges associated with these.

 

The Thika concept and initiative (May 2011) on agro ecology therefore proposes to contribute to addressing the above challenges and

To scale up ecologically sound strategies and practices among diversified stakeholders through institutional capacity development, scientific innovations, market participation, public policies and programs, outreach and communication, efficient, coordination, networking and partnerships in response to the African Heads of States’ decision, as a value addition to CAADP.

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Conclusions1) There is an URGENT need to increase financial support to

programs that improve the livelihoods especially of millions of small-holder farmers in Africa, the majority of whom depend only on agro-ecological systems as the only means for household food security, and as the only means out of poverty.

2) International development cooperation needs to re-focus on agriculture whose share as a portion of ODA flows declined sharply from a high of 18% in 1979 to 3-4 % recent years. Much of this fund should go to improvements in agro-ecology, agricultural extension and advisory services to support national, regional and global policy and development agenda, and particularly to support small-holder producers, including resource poor farmers and women, to assist their capacities for building self-reliance for agro ecology in Africa.

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Conclusions contd3) Agriculture through agro-ecology has the

potential of becoming part of the solution to reinstate stable parts of the environment that have long been associated with security, warmth, food; and for providing life in its fullest colours during the evolution of the species.

4) To reinstate degraded lands and landscapes, and contribute to mitigating and adapting to climate change, to ensure the survival of the marginalised small scale farmers in Africa;-who form the majority of farmers and of whom 80% are women; and to achieve the MDG1 of ensuring food security for all, is to enlist agro- ecology and to include it in all discussions on food security in Africa. 12