Africa-wide Agricultural Extension week

14-20 November 2021.

5th Africa-Wide Agricultural Extension Week

The African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) held its 5th AAEW in partnership with the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS).

The theme of the 5th AAEW 2021, therefore, was “Effective Agricultural Extension Systems for Sustainable Agripreneurship in Africa". The global context of the 5th AAEW 2021 is grounded on several initiatives at different levels to address the key challenges in the broad development agenda. 

These include adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs), the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the African Union Commission’s 2063 Agenda: The Africa We Want, and the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015, which all give new impetus to resolving the challenges and to seize opportunities. These initiatives recognise that the world is more interdependent than ever and that Africa and developing countries remain the weakest link in global economic development. 

The coherent implementation of all these agreements is now needed to foster structural changes, boost
growth, create jobs and achieve inclusiveness and poverty eradication in Africa and other developing countries around the globe. The 2030 Agenda recognises the role of industry as a pathway and enabler for sustainable development, in particular SDG 9, with its call to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation” through inclusive and sustainable industrialisation” has strong ramifications for most of the SDGs.

Sub-Theme 1. Innovative AEAS approaches for resilient and practical actions 

Population growth, rapid urbanisation, and dietary changes are placing tremendous pressure on food systems, particularly in developing countries.

Sub-Theme 2. Towards professionalisation of AEAS systems in Africa: Where are we? 

Professionalism at both systems and individual levels among providers and clients of AEAS along the agricultural value chain is critical for sustainable agripreneurship.

Sub-Theme 3. Agro-industrialisation in the context of trade regimes: Implications for AEAS 

The increased demand for agro-processed products due to rapid urbanisation offers opportunity for industrialisation in Africa, yet the continent continues to grow into a net food importer with an annual import bill estimated at $80 billion. Agro-processing in most African countries has remained low, at about 3-4% share of total GDP. The continent’s exports are dominated by raw agricultural materials.

Sub-Theme 4. Harnessing agripreneurship opportunities for youth and womenAfrica

With the youngest population globally and 50% of the agricultural labour force provided by women, continues to grapple with unemployment and/or underemployment. Efforts by governments to create new employment opportunities for the youth and women through “agripreneurship1 ”, are hampered by inadequate extension services amidst the complex socio-cultural categories of class, ethnicity and gender. These complexes result in inequitable delivery of AEAS. An effective agricultural extension system should have initiatives that are aimed at counteracting the disproportionate service delivery especially to the women and youth whose livelihoods are worst hit in times of severe shocks.

Sub-Theme 5. AEAS resilience to pandemics and emergencies: Lessons across Africa 

The COVID-19 pandemic and several emergencies have caused immeasurable disruptions in the agriculture sector especially, the provision of AEAS. These disruptions are more evident in the context of distorted food production, disrupted food supply system and change in household consumption (demand). Indeed, the economic and social impact of these pandemics and emergencies on food security in Africa cannot be overemphasised.