NEPAD's comprehensive African agricultural development program

This paper outlines the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) of NEPAD.

This paper offers a broad frame of priorities from which more precise strategies and programmes can be derived for operationalisation, including:

• extending the area under sustainable land management and reliable water control systems
• improving rural infrastructure and trade-related capacities for market access
• increasing food supply and reducing hunger
• agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption.

Preliminary estimates suggest that the investment required in these four areas between 2002 and 2015 would have to be in order of magnitude of US$251 billion.

The paper claims that much of the investment needed would be for the hardware of development. Yet, it is claimed, Africa also needs to address many other software issues if it is to permanently reverse the declining trends witnesses in the agricultural sector.

In addition, the paper argues that there exists an underlying assumption that the creation of enabling conditions will go hand in hand with investment, otherwise it becomes an empty exercise, with little hope of success or of acceptance by Africa.

This paper was prepared by the New Partnership’s for African Development (NEPAD) Secretariat and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). African Ministers of Agriculture met at FAO Headquarters in Rome in June 2002 to discuss the CAADP. [adapted from author]