Interim assessment after 6 months and outlook for further project work in the APD AU

The Inception Workshop of the Agricultural Policy Dialogue between the African Union and Germany to Strengthen the Resilience of Food Systems in Africa (APD AU) took place at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Berlin at the beginning of June 2024. The APD AU is funded by the BMEL and implemented by IAK Agrar Consulting GmbH (IAK) as lead partner in a consortium with the Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA) and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN).

Representatives of all key stakeholders of the APD AU discussed the important findings from the first six months of the project and defined the essential steps for further cooperation. The post-Malabo process, i.e. the drafting of the new Kampala Declaration and thus the agricultural and food policy framework, plays a special role for the future of Africa's agricultural and food systems.

Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at the African Union Commission, presented the process for drafting the declaration and the agenda of the technical working groups until January 2025. He emphasized that the expertise and support of the BMEL are very valuable here.

Bernd Schwang, Head of the Division for International Projects and Twinning at the BMEL, emphasized the common goals, especially with regard to ensuring adequate and healthy nutrition in line with the second Sustainable Development Goal of the 2030 Agenda. It is important to take a holistic view of the food systems of the future, especially from the consumer's perspective, and to make them more sustainable, resilient and independent. Challenges in this regard are the advancing climate change and the loss of biodiversity, the impact of conflicts and global dependencies as well as the waste of food.

This was followed by presentations by experts and the project team on the positioning and design of the APD AU with regard to the transformation of agricultural and food systems in Africa.

The workshop also discussed how the project will support the drafting of the Kampala Declaration in the future. For example, the African Union will be supported in the implementation of strategies to promote resilient agricultural and food systems in the national agricultural policies of the member states in two selected pilot countries.

Further information on the project can be found here.