Mr Mostafa Terrab, OCP Groups’s Chairman and CEO (left), Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture (middle) and Dr Hamady Diop (right) of the AUDA-NEPAD

AU, 2 others sign MoU to develop agriculture

Daily Graphic Sep - 12 - 2019 , 11:33 2 minutes read

The African Union (AU) Commission, together with the African Union’s Development Agency, AUDA-NEPAD, and OCP Group, a leading global producer of fertilisers, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen their partnership to support the development of the agricultural sector in Africa.

The AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Mr Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, OCP Group’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Mostafa Terrab and the CEO of the AUDA-NEPAD, represented by Dr Hamady Diop, signed the agreement.

The African Union, AUDA-NEPAD partnership with OCP Group, a major African private sector player with extensive global reach, demonstrates a shared commitment to deepen collaboration with all actors, including the African private sector to reduce jointly hunger and poverty through the sustainable transformation of the agricultural sector on the continent.

OCP Group is a major player in Africa’s sustainable development and does so by contributing to the African agricultural ecosystem through support to African farmers and targeted private and public African actors and stakeholders.

The group supports innovative mechanisms aimed at creating resilient and sustainable agricultural productivity to enable Africa to reach its full agricultural potential while protecting its natural environment.

Intention

The signatories said the partnership was intended to facilitate effective coordination of the implementation and delivery of a set of goals as outlined in the African Union Malabo Business Plan on Agriculture Transformation.

The plan aims to increase productivity and catalyse private sector investment. As such, the parties aim to promote the use of agricultural inputs, including access to customised fertiliser to the soil and crops of each region, and to develop the efficiency of the fertiliser whole value chain by working on corridors approach.

The agreement will, therefore, be operationalised by strengthening a conducive environment for private sector investment in agriculture; equipping AU member states with the right policies and tools to support the achievement of the Abuja commitments on fertiliser use; strengthening efficient and sustainable use for smallholders to increase the sector’s productivity and promote inclusive growth; as well as strengthening national and regional agricultural policies aimed at boosting the adoption of good agricultural practices and innovations.

CAADP

The Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) of the African Union, monitored by the AUDA-NEPAD, is one of the continental frameworks under Agenda 2063 and it aims at helping African countries eliminate hunger and reduce poverty by raising economic growth through agriculture-led development as well as promote increased national budget provision to the agriculture sector.