IGNITING CAADP-XP4 PROJECT

The AFAAS Secretariat organised a Planning Meeting to ignite the implementation of the: “Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Ex-Pillar IV Africa Regional and Sub-regional Organisations for Agricultural Research and Innovation Project” – code named the CAADP-XP4 Project . The four-day meeting was held from 4th to 7th February 2020 in Kampala, Uganda. The general objective of the meeting was for key AFAAS stakeholders to devise mechanisms and strategies for effective and efficient implementation of the Project within the framework of the 2018 – 2027 AFAAS Strategy, the 2018 – 2022 AFAAS Medium Term Operational Plan (MTOP) and the Programmes derived therefrom. The specific objectives were to: (i) refresh the participants’ common understanding of these core AFAAS documents, (ii) review the current Projects; (iii) reinforce the alignment of the CAADP-XP4 project with the AFAAS programmes and current projects; (iv) review the proposed overall work plans and implementation frameworks with a particular focus on those for 2020; and (iv) enhance the participants’ internalisation of the fiduciary processes that will underpin the management of the Project.   The overall aim of the CAADP-XP4 Project is to support the continuation and consolidation of initiatives that were started by the Institutions that implemented Pillar 4 of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The Pillar focused on agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption. The institutions under which the activities of the Pillar were implemented were AFAAS, the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA), Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). The CAADP-XP4 will support these institutions to continue to link research and innovation with development initiatives directed at boosting the transformation of innovation in agriculture and food systems to make them more resilient to climate change, better respond to development demands, and contribute effectively to food and nutrition security, economic development and climate change mitigation in Africa. 

The five expected project outputs are:

(1) Strengthened capacities of the individual, continental and regional organizations in competencies needed for the successful implementation of the program;

(2) Multi-stakeholder partnerships for innovation established and operational;

(3) Policies in support of climate relevant agriculture and food systems transformation formulated, investments increased, advocacy and market linkages strengthened;

(4) Knowledge management & communication systems for decision support, sharing innovation and advocacy related to climate relevant agriculture transformation; and

(5) Effective Planning, Coordination, Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting.

At the higher development goal level, the above outputs of the Project are expected to contribute  variously to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development that was adopted in 2015 by Heads of State and Government at a special UN summit. The Agenda is a commitment to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030 world-wide, ensuring that no one is left behind. Additionally, the Project will contribute to Agenda 2063 and the Malabo Declaration of the African Union (AU) – the objectives of which are to enable agricultural research and innovation, including extension services, to contribute effectively to food and nutrition security, economic development and climate change mitigation in Africa.  The CAADP-XP4 is funded by the European Union through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)