The BMEL and the African Union have agreed to intensively cooperate to achieve climate-friendly agriculture and food security.
Photo: © BMEL / Holger Groß

Agricultural policies
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An agricultural policy dialogue between Germany and the African Union

Intensive cooperation is to result in an improved framework for sustainable, resilient and climate-friendly agriculture sector in the countries of Africa.

On the occasion of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin/Germany in January 2023, the German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, and Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment of the African Union (AU), Josefa Sacko, have signed a declaration of intent in order to cooperate closely on key issues of food systems transformation in future.

For this purpose, the German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is initiating an “Agricultural Policy Dialogue” with the AU, the first of its kind on the African continent. The aim of this Agricultural Policy Dialogue is to make agriculture and food systems in Africa crisis-resilient and more climate-friendly. It is to contribute to supporting the political framework for a common African climate policy for the agriculture and food sector. 

A platform is planned for communication among experts in which research, the private sector, civil society and politicians are to take part. At the core of this will be an exchange of experience between Germany and the AU Member States which is to be combined with technical knowhow from science and research.

At the centre of cooperation between experts are, among other issues, climate-resilient breeding and seed systems, promoting the role of women in the agriculture and food systems, strengthening the dissemination and adoption of agroecological and climate-resistant cultivating methods as well as the introduction of measures to reduce post-harvest losses. 

In addition, in the long term, the AU and the BMEL seek to commonly develop and strengthen model initiatives for climate-resilient production methods and environment-friendly production methods, post-harvest practices and sustainable seed systems, all of which represent crucial elements for forward-looking and ecologically, economically and socially sustainable food systems.

(BMEL/ile)

Read more on the BMEL website (in German)

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  • user
    Dr Emile N. HOUNGBO January 31, 2023 At 5:49 pm
    An Agricultural Policy Dialogue is certainly an opportunity for Africa. But, we must not forget the necessity the monitoring of any agricultural programme or policy which will be concluded. The different on policies taken from years 2000 till today, as far as NEPAD is concerned, are not being implementing well. That's the conclusions in the different reports of the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS). We need to insist on the planned actions application.
    Best regards.