Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development

FARA participated at the meeting of the Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development (AU-SAFGRAD) 12-13 December 2007 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the organisation of a 2-day Conference on ‘Development of Rural Livelihoods in Semi-Arid Africa: issues, challenges and opportunities’. This conference will be organized by AU-SAFGRAD in Addis Ababa during April 2008 and 100-150 participants are expected.

The Semi-arid Africa Agriculture Research and Development (SAFGRAD) of the African Union (AU) is the institutional focal point for coordinating the Network on the Promotion of Sustainable Agricultural Farming Systems in Africa in the context of the UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) in Africa.

AU/SAFGRAD is a specialized office, under the Rural Economy and Agriculture (REA) Department of the African Union Commission. AU/SAFGRAD’s mandate is to enhance coordination and cooperation in agricultural research, technology transfer and commercialisation as well as the management of natural resources in order to improve food security through promotion of sustainable agriculture and efficient water management in rural and peri-urban areas of semi-arid zones in Africa. SAFGRAD has accumulated a strong continent wide background in:

• developing and disseminating improved crop varieties and their adoption by farmers;
• supporting the establishment of sub-regional networks on food crop production, processing and marketing involving hundred of researchers from various countries to tackle common constraints;
• building capacities through short and long term training, and workshops; and
• improving knowledge on semi-arid agriculture through technical information sharing and networking.