Experts in climate adaptation techniques have proposed the deployment of digital climate-smart solutions, including communication and information systems, to boost agriculture production and marketing on the continent.
They say the continuous reliance on rain-fed agriculture in Africa was not sustainable, hence the need for governments to invest in digital infrastructure to support smallholder farmers to scale up their production amid pressing climate challenges.
They made the proposal in separate interviews at the opening of two-day training on Digital Climate Advisory Services in West Africa in Accra on Thursday, December 8, 2022.
The training was organised by the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), under the framework of the Forum for Agriculture Research Africa (FARA).
It is intended to build the capacities of stakeholders in the region to implement digital climate adaptation solutions for farmers.
Dr Oluyede Ajayi, Programme Lead, Food Security and Rural Wellbeing, Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), said there were existing solutions to address climate change impacts on the activities of farmers but connecting those interventions to farmers had always been a challenge.
He said digital tools such as climate information and advisory services could provide early warning systems to farmers to enable to plan their activities.
Dr Ajayi said there were digital platforms that could also support farmers to get access to markets readily after harvesting to help reduce post-harvest losses.
“These are tools that can give farmers information in real time for them to be able to make informed decision in their farm operation. For example, the tools can inform farmers that in the next three days, it is going to be raining heavily and in that case, the famer would not need to apply so much fertiliser,” he said.
Professor Wole Fantunbi, Senior Technical Cluster Leader and Innovations Systems Specialist, FARA said until the continent embraced digital climate solutions, smallholder farmers in the region would continue to be at the mercy of the weather.
He said farmers in the region were not realising the impact of available digital tools due to the lack of “strong investments” in infrastructure that enhances access and use of digital devices in the agriculture sector.
“One area of agriculture that digitalisation is very useful is remote sensing that helps you to determine exactly what you need to do at the right time. Drones are becoming very useful.
“Efforts need to be geared into developing technologies and the infrastructure that make drones available…If we have a remote-powered small weeder that can work on a farmer’s field, the cost of labour and production would be reduced,” Prof. Fantunbi said.
Ms Eyerusalem Fasika, Country Manager, African Development Bank, said while existing technologies such as improved seeds would be critical to meeting Africa’s food demand, farmers would need additional new tools to improve yields and get their goods to the market.
She said digital climate-smart technologies provide efficiency and support scaling of interventions and could increase productivity by between 40 to 70 per cent.
“…it is important to design multi-stakeholder partnerships between government, academia, and the private sector to support smallholder farmers across entire agriculture value chains,” she said.
Mr John Osei Frimpong, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs, said farmers were experiencing a gap in yields due to their inability to access advanced technologies.
“We must all put the right mechanisms in place to ensure that the investments (in technology) is quickly translated into measurable development outcomes even in their short run,” he said.
With weather patterns becoming less favourable, farmers in the region who largely depend on rain to cultivate their farms are battling with extreme weather conditions such as droughts, floods, and windstorms.
Somalia for instance is experiencing the worst drought in 40 years with 7.8 million people experiencing acute food insecurity. The United Nations has indicated that, between January and June 2022, at least 200 children have already died as a result of malnutrition.
Senior Technical Cluster Leader and Innovation Systems Specialist, FARA
Whenever the proper knowledge is not communicated or ignored, abuse is inevitable. This statement resonates accurately with the state of African soil, which is currently suffering from rapid degradation. Most soil users are under the illusion that Africa has the most significant proportion of arable soil in the world and that these soils are available for agricultural purposes. As true as this may sound, African soils are fragile and must be used carefully to sustain production. Available assessment reports showed that the most considerable portion of African soil is old and inherently low in fertility due to the predominance of low-activity clay minerals. It, therefore, poses a danger that requires good management practice and external investment to keep the soils productive. The African soils also have low organic matter content compared to other locations of the world; the O-horizon is always very shallow in most soils. The implications are the kind of tillage practices that is relevant to keep the soil productive and management practices that are required to optimise the organic matter content of the soil.
Figure 1: suggests that Africa needs to prioritise managing its soil to achieve a win of sustainable agricultural productivity and curtailing the effects of climate change
All users of soils in Africa must be informed of the facts about the structure and function of our soil. All need to know that the carbon chemistry of the soil is vital to the health of the soil and the delivery of agricultural productivity and ecological functions. Soil is the source and sink of the plant nutrient, and its health is contingent on the delivery of its function. The soil carbon chemistry is core to resolving climate change, which is humanity’s most urgent challenge.
The Africa Union Commission is currently Developing the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action plan (AFSH) and the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA), to be launched at the upcoming Africa Fertilizer summit slated for June 2023 in Dakar. The Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action plan will provide a 10-year guide on actions to ensure integrated soil fertility maintenance, including the correct use of fertiliser to ensure soil health in Africa. In turn, the soil initiative for Africa will serve as a practical initiative to develop an African system for soil management and implement actions at the continental, sub-regional, and country levels. With this proactive response from all stakeholders, it is becoming clear that Africa will manage its soil sufficiently well.
Following the decision of Marco Ferroni to retire and step down from his position as CGIAR System Board Chair after five years of service on December 31, 2022, CGIAR is pleased to announce that current Board member Lindiwe Majele Sibanda will succeed him in January 2023.
Dr. Marco Ferroni, said, “I take great pleasure in announcing that Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda will be CGIAR’s next System Board Chair. Throughout her distinguished career, Lindiwe has made substantial contributions to challenges facing global science for agriculture, food systems and the environment. She has a proven track record of harnessing partnerships in research and innovation to drive food systems transformation and foster sustainable food and nutrition security. In addition to formal training in governance and management of change processes, Lindiwe is trained as a multi-cultural dialogue moderator and has a strong track record working with diverse teams in international environments. Her appointment is made following a robust selection process and will ensure a seamless transition in the System Board’s leadership.”
Dr. Juergen Voegele, CGIAR’s System Council Chair since July 2016, and World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development, said, “I want to express my sincere appreciation to Marco Ferroni for his outstanding contribution to CGIAR, its science, people and mission, during his tenure as System Board Chair. Typically, Board Chairs serve for a maximum term of four years. Marco graciously accepted the System Board’s request that he stay through to end-2022, to steer CGIAR through an essential transformation of its systems, towards a unified and integrated international institution better equipped to develop innovative solutions to the multiple, interconnected threats to food, nutrition, and water security we are facing today. Thank you for your commitment, energy and dedication, Marco. I wish you all the best going forward.”
Dr. Voegele continued, “On behalf of the System Council, I welcome Dr. Sibanda and wish her every success in her new role. She is an accomplished, strategic leader, and I am confident that CGIAR will go from strength to strength with her at the helm of the System Board, whilst continuing to serve as a member of all One CGIAR Center Boards.”
Dr. Marco Ferroni said, “It has been an immense privilege to serve as CGIAR’s System Board Chair for the past five and a half eventful years. This is the right time for me to step down from my CGIAR Board appointments. I have very much enjoyed working closely with Lindiwe since she joined the System Board in early 2021. She has a formidable vision and leadership skills, and I know she will do an outstanding job steering CGIAR through the next phase of its integration, development and growth.”
“I am looking forward to taking up the role of Chair of CGIAR’s System Board, and keen to put my experience in science, agriculture, climate change and nutrition to work in advancing CGIAR’s mission – together with colleagues across the organization, and partners around the world – to deliver the science and innovations needed to tackle the many threats related to food, land and water and deliver a food-secure future,” said Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda. She added,“As well as applying a policy and institutional perspective, I have a direct, personal connection to agriculture – I’m a farmer as well as a scientist.”
Niamey, 24th November 2022: The African Union Members States, the Regional Economic Communities, the United Nations (FAO, UNIDO, ECA), and Development Partners converged to discuss the implementation and financing modalities for the establishment of the Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs). The event took place on the margins of the ongoing AU Summit on Industrialization and Economic Diversification, in Niamey, Niger, under the theme: “The Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs) as a vehicle for attracting private investments in establishing transboundary mega agro-industrial hubs on the continent”, within the framework of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Programme (CAADP) and the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063.
In her opening remarks, H.E. Amb. Josefa Sacko, the AUC Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), stated that the creation of 5 large agro-industrial zones, one in each region of Africa, will serve as major agricultural development hubs for the continent. The CAAPs was adopted by the Ministers of Agriculture in October 2019 to boost the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Amb. Sacko further reiterated that, “there is no more time to waste for more speeches. It is rather time to stimulate private and public investment in the agro-industries; and unleash the existing strong potential of the African capital market, such as pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and private equity funds of African business personalities.”
Likewise, H.E. Amb. Albert M. Muchanga, the AUC Commissioner, Economic Development, Trade, Industry, and Mining (ETIM) emphasized that a five-year business plan for the Agricultural sector in Africa is imperative as he alluded to the sentiments of H.E. Amb. Josefa Sacko that food items should no longer be on the list of importations in Africa.
The strongest slant during the side event was, “no more talk! It is time for action! Africa can no longer rely on its neighbors to build its own granary!” positioned Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, the Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa. Therefore, the Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs) Programme is a mega-initiative aimed at creating regional agro-industrial hubs implemented by the African Union.
The CAAPs was conceptualized to respond to the continent’s demand for increasing the supply of locally produced agricultural goods, reversing projections on African food imports, value-added processing of agricultural products to boost intra-African trade and investment, tapping on the African food import market approximated at $50 billion per year. The CAAPs also intend to provide over 8 million job opportunities within the crop and livestock value chains. Mr. Mohamed Ali, the Director of Trade in Goods and Competition representing the Secretary General of the AfCFTA confirmed that the CAAPs must become the horse on which the AfCFTA must run.
CAAPS, a 37-million-dollar investment, has already received USD 0.5million USD in seed capital from Afreximbank. On the implementation of the cross-border agro parks in Zambia and Zimbabwe, Hon. Chipoka Mulenga, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Zambia, was very optimistic that the common Agro-industrial parks would provide food sustainability for Zambia and the continent. In her affirmation, Hon. Dr. Sekai. I. Nzenza, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Zimbabwe, highlighted that collaboration between Zimbabwe and Zambia is an unforced natural phenomenon, flagging cultural and historical heritages shared by both nations. The new era for Zambia – Zimbabwe collaborations has been restated as the CAAPs. As the former breadbasket of Southern Africa, Zimbabwe is looking to include CAAPs in its strategy for agricultural recovery.
It was also discussed that small-holder farmers should be at the center of the CAAPs initiative as commodities’ quality, quantity, and consistency will inform final production. Hon. Mudrik Ramadhan Soroga, minister of Trade, Investment, and Industrialization in Zanzibar, affirmed that the young generation that is high-tech savvy would take the mantle and move the talk to the action! On the other hand, the private sector, represented by Madam Emma Kawawa, CEO of Tanzania Women CEOs roundtable, confirmed that SME banking would go a long way to support growers and other logistical enterprises. Following the reading of Declaration of theAfrican Union Stakeholders on Mobilizing Partnerships for Implementing the CAAPs, H.E. Francois Kanimba, the Commissioner for the Common Market, Economic, Monetary and Financial Affairs of Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), reinforced that partnerships and joint ventures will ensure the success of the CAAPs
NIAMEY, 24 November – “The creation of five large agro-industrial zones, one in each region of Africa, will serve as major agricultural hubs on the continent, and it is time to stimulate private and public investments in the agro-industries,” said African Union’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, Josefa Sacko.
Speaking at a side event held on the margins of the AU Summit on Industrialization and Economic Diversification in Niamey, Niger, Sacko added that it was also the time to unleash the existing strong potential of the African capital market, such as pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and private equity funds of African business personalities. “Agro-industrial parks have proven to be an effective policy tool to facilitate investment and help governments achieve their development agendas,” said UNIDO’s Division of Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development Director, Dejene Tezera.
The event, themed “The Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs) as a vehicle for attracting private investments in establishing transboundary mega agro-industrial hubs on the continent” was co-organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the AUC, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the Food and Agriculture Organization, Member States and regional economic communities.
The CAAPs was set-up with the aim of establishing a number of cross-border agro-industrial parks within the regional economic communities. Conceptualized in 2019, the programme is one of the concrete initiatives of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) in support of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the CAADP Malabo commitments, in particular “tripling Intra-African trade for agricultural commodities and services.” The CAAPs also intend to provide over 8 million job opportunities within the crop and livestock value chains. The transboundary dimension of the CAAPs presents vast potential for developing cross-border market linkages to connect all agro-parks initiatives to respond to Africa’s food gap, presently filled by imports.
FARA’s Executive Director, Yemi Akinbamijo remarked that it was time for action and that “Africa can no longer rely on its neighbours to build its own granary”. Zambia’s Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Chipoka Mulenga and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Sekai. I. Nzenza expressed their optimism for the Common Agro-Industrial Park initiative, the first joint-programme to be piloted under the CAAP. Both Ministers remarked that the initiative will strengthen intra-African trade, food security and food exports.
The event brought together 100 participants and stakeholders from various fields. Francois Kanimba, the Commissioner of the Economic Community of Central African States responsible for Common Market, Economic, Monetary and Financial Affairs stressed the critical role that CAAP will play in promoting agricultural value chains at the regional and continent levels. A publication, “Guidelines for Planning, Development and Management of Integrated Agro-Food Parks (IAFPs)” was also released. The guidelines provide recommendations on how IAFPs can be adapted to local conditions and dynamics. They were developed based on best practices compiled from UNIDO’s pilot projects benchmarked against prevailing international standards.
In accordance with the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution passed in 2016, UNIDO is tasked with leading the implementation of the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa in cooperation with the African Union and other partners.
For more information please visit: https://www.unido.org/AIW2022
The African Union is pleased to invite you to the side event during the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Industrialization and Economic Diversification and AfCFTA that will be taking place in Niamey, Niger during Africa Industrialization Week. The theme of the side event is “The Common African Agro-parks (CAAPs) as a vehicle for Africa’s Economic Transformation, within the framework of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Programme (CAADP) and the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063″.
The event will be held in a hybrid format on 24th November 2022 from 05:00 – 7:30 PM Nairobi Time.
Online link details;
The event is expected to bring together more than 100 high-level stakeholders; and will be addressed by high-level dignitaries from Africa and the international community. The participants will include Africa Union’s members’ states, public and private stakeholders, including Trade, Industry, and Agriculture Ministers, the African Union (AU) Commission, UN agencies, African regional organizations and the private sector, financial institutions, donors, civil society, non-governmental organizations, academia, and media.
The side event is organized by the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA) on behalf of the Africa Union, and in cooperation with, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Africa Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK), the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the AU Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the Pan African Agribusiness Apex Chamber (PAAAC), Pan-African Farmer’s Organization (PAFO), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
