4 - 6 July 2016. Noordwijk, the Netherlands. The Government of the Netherlands, the African Union Commission and the European Commission organised the conference: AU-EU Investing in a Food Secure Future. Further information about the conference can be found in the back ground note. Click here.
The programme can be found here - Click here
The conference had a two-day Experts' segment followed by a High Level Ministerial segment
on the third day, to give political orientations to improve AU-EU agricultural cooperation and build on previous international efforts and existing structures.It focused on the following five themes (and sessions):
- SESSION I: Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA); click here for paper.
dr. Misael Kokwe: Download presentation (PDF, 1.1mb)
mr. Palmier: Download presentation (PDF, 1.8mb)
ms. Lillian Beauttah: Download presentation (PDF, 0.9mb) - SESSION II : Reducing Food Losses and Waste; click here for paper.
Rabobank FLW Suzanne van Tilburg: Download presentation (PDF, 0.7mb) - Session III: Improving Market Access, regionally and internationally; click here for paper.
mr Spreij: Download presentation (PDF, 0.5mb) - SESSION IV: Increasing Responsible Private Investment in Sustainable Agriculture; click here for paper.
ms. Abuah: Download presentation (PDF, 0.6mb) - SESSION V: Science and Innovation for Development; click here for paper.
Science and Innovation for Development: Institution building, capacity building and access to research and innovation determine the success of increasing agricultural productivity in a sustainable way. Enhanced instructional cooperation between universities and research centers in both regions can lay a firm foundation for sustainable growth, and attract the interest of youth to work in the agricultural sector, as young entrepreneurs, the future farmers. The EU-Africa Research and Innovation Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture, adopted on 4 April 2016 will inform the discussions.
Opening remarks by Minister Martijn van Dam at AU-EU conference investing in a Food secure Future:Related:
Minister Martijn van Dam, Min. Agri. the Netherlands I am convinced that setting up innovation incubators and field labs in agriculture will bring about more new relevant techniques and innovations for the development of agriculture in Africa. And that is why I want to kick start this idea by committing on behalf of the Netherlands government as a start to set up two to four incubators. And I hope you will follow by example. We will work with relevant parties and existing examples to further expand the network of incubators all over Africa.I was told that one of the panelists has calculated that two incubators per country could create 72.000 jobs in the country! Moreover, it also will be very beneficial to another cross cutting theme of this conference. And that is to attract more youth into agriculture. Without creating an appealing environment for the youth to become active in agriculture, the future will look a lot less bright. Furthermore, The Netherlands will support the idea of joint action around setting up an AU-EU multi stakeholder round table on food security and nutrition, focused on implementing concrete actions on the five areas of cooperation.
Phil Hogan, EC Commissioner Agric.
Download speech (PDF, 60kb)
European Parliament resolution of 7 June 2016 on the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition
Extract: Funding agricultural investment in Africa
80. Stresses the need to ensure the transparency of all funding granted to private -sector companies, and that such funding must be made public;
81. Calls on donors to align Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the development effectiveness principles, to focus on results with a view to poverty eradication, and to promote inclusive partnerships, transparency and accountability;
82. Calls on donors to channel their support for developing agriculture primarily through national development funds which grant subsidies and loans to smallholders and family farming;
83. Urges donors to support education, training and technical counselling for farmers;
84. Calls on donors to promote the forming of farmers’ organisations of a professional and economic nature, and to support the establishment of farmers’ cooperatives which enable the delivery of affordable means of production and help farmers process and market their products in a way that safeguards the profitability of their production;
85. Believes that the funding provided by G8 member states to NAFSN contravenes the objective of supporting domestic local companies which cannot compete with multinationals that already benefit from a dominant market position and are often granted business, tariff and tax privileges;
86. Recalls that the purpose of development aid is to reduce, and ultimately to eradicate, poverty; believes that ODA should focus on direct support to small-scale farming;
87. Stresses the need to revitalise public investment in African agriculture, while providing support for private investment, and to prioritise investment in agro-ecology, so as to sustainably increase food security and reduce poverty and hunger while conserving biodiversity and respecting indigenous knowledge and innovation;
88. Stresses that G7 member states should guarantee African countries the right to protect their agricultural sectors through tariff and tax regimes that favour family and smallholder farming
80. Stresses the need to ensure the transparency of all funding granted to private -sector companies, and that such funding must be made public;
81. Calls on donors to align Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the development effectiveness principles, to focus on results with a view to poverty eradication, and to promote inclusive partnerships, transparency and accountability;
82. Calls on donors to channel their support for developing agriculture primarily through national development funds which grant subsidies and loans to smallholders and family farming;
83. Urges donors to support education, training and technical counselling for farmers;
84. Calls on donors to promote the forming of farmers’ organisations of a professional and economic nature, and to support the establishment of farmers’ cooperatives which enable the delivery of affordable means of production and help farmers process and market their products in a way that safeguards the profitability of their production;
85. Believes that the funding provided by G8 member states to NAFSN contravenes the objective of supporting domestic local companies which cannot compete with multinationals that already benefit from a dominant market position and are often granted business, tariff and tax privileges;
86. Recalls that the purpose of development aid is to reduce, and ultimately to eradicate, poverty; believes that ODA should focus on direct support to small-scale farming;
87. Stresses the need to revitalise public investment in African agriculture, while providing support for private investment, and to prioritise investment in agro-ecology, so as to sustainably increase food security and reduce poverty and hunger while conserving biodiversity and respecting indigenous knowledge and innovation;
88. Stresses that G7 member states should guarantee African countries the right to protect their agricultural sectors through tariff and tax regimes that favour family and smallholder farming
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