Staff Reporter
NAMIBIA has joined the ranks of nations that have signed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), a formal agreement committing members to prioritising the acceleration of agricultural growth.
“To reinforce our collective commitment to the agri-food sector, we will today witness the signing of Namibia’s CAADP Compact by representatives of key stakeholders. This event will position Namibia among the few countries on the continent that have ratified the Malabo Declaration and signed the Compact, joining other nations such as Zambia, Botswana, and Rwanda,” said Obeth Kandjoze, Director General of the National Planning Commission, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein.
He made these remarks at the signing of the CAADP Compact and the launch of the Strategy for the Transformation of the Agri-Food Sector (STAS). Kandjoze explained that all AU member states are required to develop strategies aligned with CAADP’s key targets, which include allocating at least 10% of public expenditure to agriculture and rural development to achieve a 6% annual agricultural growth rate, creating job opportunities for at least 30% of the youth in agricultural value chains, and tripling intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and services.
“The Compact, as indicated earlier, will serve as a formal agreement through which all stakeholders in the agri-food sector will collectively commit to executing the plans outlined in the Strategy. This agreement will be vital to accelerating agricultural growth and transformation for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods for our people,” he said.
Kandjoze explained that the CAADP is a result of the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security, signed by African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government in 2003.
“CAADP was further amplified and strengthened in 2014, when the AU adopted a second declaration on ‘Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods,’ known as the ‘Malabo Declaration’, running for a period of 10 years from 2014 to 2025. Through the Malabo Declaration, the AU Heads of State and governments reaffirmed that agriculture remains a priority on the continental development agenda,” he added.
