Development of Rural Livelihoods in Semi-Arid Africa

The African Union’s specialized technical office for the promotion of agricultural research for development in semi-arid areas (AU/SAFGRAD), in collaboration with partner institutions, organised a two days ‘Conference on Development of Rural Livelihoods in Semi-arid Africa’. The Conference was attended by FARA and took place on 29-30 April, and was hosted at the African Union Commission Head Quarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The conference brought together producers, policy makers, researchers, development practitioners and strategic partners, etc., with a view to (a) defining key issues that engender rural livelihood processes in semi-arid Africa, (b) ensuring that designed responses adequately address those issues, and (c) formulating a strategy for an effective and synchronized intervention that facilitates the transformation of rural livelihood processes in semi-arid Africa.

Specific Objectives of the Conference were are to:

• identify and document relevant actors and enhance networks and forums that are actively involved in development of rural livelihood in semi-arid areas;
• define major developmental issues, challenges and opportunities surrounding rural livelihood processes in semi-arid Africa;
• translate elements of strategic responses and investments (e.g., the CAADP framework, Sirte decisions) to effectively address the key development issues of rural livelihood in semi-arid Africa; and
• develop a strategy and action plan that could serve as a common platform for building and sustaining a broader coalition of actors in agricultural and rural development in semi-arid Africa.

Reference:

Afrique en ligne 29/04 Ethiopia hosts conference on Africa's semi-arid areas

AfrikCom 29/04 Conference on semi-arid area development opens in Ethiopa

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.