Malawi, others to launch CSA Alliance Forum

Farmers and experts in agriculture from Malawi and other African countries are next week expected to launch the inaugural session of Pan-African Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture (Paacsa) forum in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

This comes hot on the heels of news that climate change remains a major threat, with the potential to not just stabilise agricultural performance, but also to reverse the agricultural performance gains achieved by many communities in recent decades.

This forum, therefore, is an integral part of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (Caadp) and relates to attaining the productivity, food security, prosperity and resilience goals as said in the 2015/25 Results Framework.

Such a framework was endorsed at the Malabo African Union (AU) Summit held in June last year in Equatorial Guneau and attracted farmers and agricultural experts from farming institutions from Malawi and other countries.

In a statement, director of programme implementation and coordination, Estherine Fotabong, said the Pan-African Alliance is geared at spearheading implementation of the (AU) vision to reach 25 million farm households practising climate smart agriculture (CSA) by 2025.

Nepad Agency in conjunction with the African Union  (AU)Commission have organised the session, according to Fotabong.

“African Union member States, the African Union Commission, Nepad Agency and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and partners are elaborating and implementing strategies and programmes to support CSA activities in Africa,” she said.

Fotabong said the Pan-African Alliance, as a continental platform, will play coordination functions and through open dialogue provide increased alignment and harmonisation in the efforts to support the scaling up of CSA in Africa.

“The dialogue and consultations within the framework of the Platform will also be instrumental in agenda setting and benchmarking of best practices,” she said.

Fotabong added that the forum is to be held under the theme Fostering Alignment and Harmonisation in the CSA Efforts in Africa.

With Malawi’s economy described as agro-based, experts and farmers are likely to use the session as a tool to boost agricultural production considering that the model is in line with sustainable land and water management (SLWM) also championed by Nepad.