July - September 2015

Regional Office for Africa

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR A HUNGER FREE AFRICA

New FAO Deputy Regional Representative and Representative to Ghana affirms support for renewed agenda in Africa

Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel

New FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and Representative to Ghana

The

and results achieved at the country and regional levels, with support from the Headquarters.

Development Program (CAADP) as well as sustainable management of the environment and natural resources.

“With focus on the strategic framework and taking advantage of the organizational architecture and the resources it musters, I believe that I can make a contribution towards ensuring that this change process is supported for programme delivery,” he said.

Challenges to food security, agriculture and sustainable development in Africa

Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) new Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel, says he will support the agenda of the organization aimed at enhanced programme delivery at country and regional levels in the context of the Organization’s Strategic Framework and Delivery Mechanisms.

Previous experiences

Dr. Abebe, who is also the FAO’s Country Representative for Ghana, said in an interview with RAF Communications in Accra that the organization’s decision to decentralize its work meant that a lot of work needed to be done

He was Director of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) which champions Africa's agricultural transformational agenda through the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural

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Recounting his relevant experience with the African Union Commission (AUC) for the last 10 years, Dr Abebe said: “I also consider my role as one of continuation of what I had been doing at the AUC but from a different profile”.

Dr. Abebe identified the modernization of agriculture as one major area of strategic focus since it has a direct bearing on productivity, as well as transformation of products through value-chain development. He said, “Young people are losing interest in agriculture because it is seen to be less remunerative and less attractive. It is by modernizing agriculture and developing agribusinesses and agro-industries that the youth can find it attractive and beneficial”. Dr. Abebe referred to the processing of agricultural produce as a big and growing business, and said other Continue on page 3

FAO Regional Office for Africa – Newsletter Table of Content Page 1

Handing over of four development projects to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kingdom of Swaziland hoto Credit :©FAO/Reinnier Kaze

New FAO Deputy Regional Representative and Representative to Ghana affirms support for renew agenda in Africa Page 2 Handing over of four development projects to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kingdom of Swaziland Page 2 FAO leads the way towards better market and business deals in Malawi Page 4 Stakeholders pledge commitment to implement VGGT in Sierra Leone Page 5 FAO promotes training in home gardening and nutrition in Lesotho Page 5 School farm camp excites secondary school students Page 6 FAO Director-General’s visit to Swaziland Page 7 FAO Director-General’s visit to Cameroon Page 9 FAO promotes better natural resources governance in Angola Page 11 FAO-RAF celebrations - What do you know? Page 12 XIV World Forestry Congress

FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, officially handing over 4 TCP projects to the Minister of Agriculture, Moses Vilakati, at the Ministry of Works Training Center in Moshane, Swaziland

From 8 to 9 September 2015, FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, paid a two-day official visit to the Kingdom of Swaziland, during which he launched with the Minister of Agriculture four new FAO technical cooperation programmes aimed at tackling the challenges of climate change.

Mr. Graziano to the Kingdom. “This time it’s four projects, next time it’s eight!” he said.

The four projects worth one million US dollars altogether, and will greatly contribute to the achievement of food security goals through supporting household climate-smart agricultural initiatives, market-led fruit and “A historic event and sincerely vegetable production as well as appreciated”, said Agriculture Minister Moses Vilakati, welcoming Continue on page 4

FAO leads the way towards better market and business deals in Malawi Photo Credit:©FAO

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A vegetable vendor arranging tomatoes at Mchinji town market, Malawi

The UN Agencies in Malawi are supporting smallholder farmers with a platform for fair markets and potential business deals. FAO and partners organized a UN pavilion at the 12th National Agriculture

Fair held from 27-29 August 2015 in Blantyre, with farmers drawn from Mangochi, Zomba, Chikwawa and Lilongwe. Themed “Accelerating Agriculture for Economic Transforma-

tion”, the annual fair was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development in collaboration with the private sector mouthpiece - Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI). The fair aimed at exposing farmers and farmer groups to new developments in technologies, markets, financial arrangements and other services that lead to improved agricultural productivity. Key United Nations (UN) agencies involved in the activities included the three Rome-based Agencies (RBAs) – the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – together with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and EmpowerContinue on page 3

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FAO Regional Office for Africa – Newsletter

Photo Credit:©FAO

Improving FAO stakeholders

relations

with

hoto Credit :©FAO/Creppy.Sam

The Country Representative said that FAO will continue to support the Government of Ghana to achieve its priorities and goals in food and agriculture.

Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel, new FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa

and Representative to Ghana, delivering keynote address at the 2015 World Food Day held in Accra, Ghana

Continuation from Page 1

“I believe that the Country Programming Framework that was developed in partnership with the Government of Ghana continues to serve as a key delivery mechanism for the achievement of the priorities and goals as defined by the government. We will continue to further enrich and deepen this partnership and collaboration”, he explained. Ghana’s priority areas

the necessary enabling environment and support services for the continent to derive maximum benefits from the agri-business opportunities.

The Government of Ghana has articulated its priority areas in the Country Programming Framework for Agriculture. They are Food and Nutrition Security, Rural Development and Resilient Livelihoods, Sustain“Governments must invest in infrastruc- able Management and Utilization of ture and energy to make agriculture a Environment and Natural Resources. competitive business. There should also be innovative mechanisms to facilitate These essential areas are both interrelated access to investment finance to support and interdependent, with the link these enterprises. between food and nutrition security, resilience building and natural resource “And then, there is the issue of expertise management being particularly obvious. He called on African leaders to team or skills. Our education system in Africa up with the private sector and create should be geared towards producing a conducive environment by providing young people who can start businesses”. people elsewhere were taking advantage of it. He said lack of value addition to primary products remained a fundamental issue, citing cocoa and livestock production as examples. “If you look at many parts of Africa, raw products are exported while processed products are re-imported. This is like exporting job opportunities. You see the gravity of the problem?”

FAO leads the way towards better market and business deals in Malawi

Continuation from Page 2

ment of Women (UN Women) jointly support the smallholder farmers. Florence Mkwanda, 37, from Nam’goma village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Nankumba in Mangochi district, showcased her well-graded cow peas, packaged CG7 groundnuts and talked highly about her first ever appearance at the fair. “I have learnt to speak to big people like the minister who came at our [UN] pavilion. It’s the first time I have done this by talking to a minister,” said Mkwanda. For two days at the fair, Mkwanda did not tire to visit different pavilions such as that of National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) to appreciate how pricing of its commodities is done to keep the organization afloat amid competing www.fao.org/africa

priorities. And for Isaac Chafera, 58, of Ndeuka village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chimwala in Mangochi, the fair was an eye-opener and springboard towards greater farming heights. “The mentality we have at home is quite different from what I have seen here from other farmers. We will need to pull up our socks,” explained Chafera, an executive member of a 3, 500 strong-member Mthiramanja Cooperative. The joint UN stand attracted many visitors who showed great interest in the commodities brought by the farmers. The farmers were also able to share their farming experiences with fellow farmers who had visited the UN pavilion. The Chairperson of Rab Processors (a local grain and milling company), Mr Abdul Gaffar Jakhura, expressed interest in the produce from the farmers, promising to

contact them in the near future. The Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Allan Chiyembekeza, who was guest of honour at the fair and inspected the joint UN pavilion, hailed the farmers and various exhibitors for high quality products. The minister also touched on climate change, urging players in the agriculture sector to be innovative and adapt to the changing environment by using modern technologies. This year’s fair attracted 110 exhibitors, the highest number of participants since its inception in 2003. For 12 years now, the fair has been organized to expose farmers to emerging production technologies, marketing mechanisms and agri-business financing instruments and facilitate market access for farmers, among other objectives.

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FAO Regional Office for Africa – Newsletter Handing over of four development projects to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kingdom of Swaziland

Continuation from Page 2

improving nutrition using the farmer field school approach. These projects which are through FAO Technical Cooperation Programmes (TCPs) will also promote crop diversification. Under the auspices of CAADP, the country has developed a National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP) that seeks to transform agriculture in the country, in line with the AU agenda 2063 and the Malabo Imple-

mentation Strategy. With adequate investment, Swaziland aspires to develop the fisheries value chain, enhance food production and agro-processing, increase the area under irrigation and improve water harvesting as well as knowledge management system.

Motshane Rural Development Center, northern Swaziland. In particular, the ‘patata’ or sweet potato in siSwati language, is a promising crop that can be promoted further with more varieties enriched with vitamins A and E to feed children more adequately.

“Technology transfer can transform a country and its economy. We can “We can eradicate malnutrition and develop programmes of transformation hunger in one generation”, concludtogether”, Graziano addressed the ed FAO Director-General. assembly of farmers and officials, at

STAKEHOLDERS PLEDGE COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENT VGGT IN SIERRA LEONE Stakeholders in agriculture in Sierra Leone have recommended to the Government to broaden its engagement and increase the participation of all in the sustainable implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), at the end of a two-day forum held on the 28-29 September 2015 in Freetown.

holders involved in large-scale land acquisition by streamlining processes, clarifying rights and responsibilities, and increasing enforcement capacity. Receiving the communiqué, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Franklyn Bai Kargbo, reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone in the VGGT implementation and the formulation of improved laws, policies and regulations in line with the guidelines.

Photo Credit:©FAO

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Objective of Forum It was aimed at increasing the understanding of stakeholders on the Voluntary Guidelines, updating them on the implementation progress of the guidelines and agreeing on a continued way of influencing policies, especially the finalization of the Draft National Land Policy. They acknowledged the progress made in the last twelve months and the significant amount of work to be done in the VGGT implementation, but recommended among others to broaden engagement and increase the participation of all, especially women, private sector, vulnerable groups and youth. Recommendations Key issues of concern were put into fourteen-points’ recommendations including, the provision of accessible, clear, equitable, affordable and effective disputes and grievance redress mechanisms in land acquisition, with an outlined process and administrative cost and ensuring that these are fully communicated across the country. They also recommended an improved accountability of the different stake-

Bai Kargbo stated that the recommendations from the multi-stakeholder dialogue trigger the commitment of all involved in the VGGT implementation process and noted that the concerns raised in the session are very topical in global development discourse. The Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Dr. Gabriel Rugalema, expressed gratitude over the commitments of individuals and institutions in the progress made in the VGGT implementation in Sierra Leone. “Sierra Leone has taken a bold step in the VGGT implementation, which means that the country is on a good path and in a good form” he said. Dr. Rugalema assured all that FAO will continue to provide relevant and technical support to ensure the successful implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines. The VGGT were officially endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in May 2012. On 1 February 2014, Sierra Leone, with technical support by FAO and financial support by Germany, launched the process of implementing

the VGGT focusing on land, fisheries and forestry and cross-cutting issues such as gender, recourse mechanisms and the legal framework. The Multi-Stakeholder Platform on the VGGT was established as a result of a workshop in April 2014 in order to ensure ownership, broad participation and political buy-in. To support the broader platform and country ownership, an Inter-Ministerial Task Force, a Steering Committee, a Technical Working Group and a VGGT Secretariat have been established and hosted by the Ministry of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment (MLCPE).

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FAO promotes training in home gardening and nutrition in Lesotho

The Organization in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), the Ministry of Social Development (MoS) and UNICEF has facilitated training on nutrition, home gardening and social protection for 72 Nutrition Officers from the 10 districts of Lesotho and 5 Community Councils Representatives. In the 2-day event, participants were familiarized with agricultural techniques aimed at increasing food production at the homestead to achieve healthy eating habits and improved food preservation techniques. “The impact of social protection interventions on nutrition often also depends on nutrition education,” said Mr. Yves Klompenhouwer, FAO Representative in Lesotho, addressing the participants at the opening session. “It is necessary to strengthen the link between agricultural development programmes and social protection programmes to improve vulnerable household’s nutrition and food security. Only thus can we help ensure that children are adequately fed for healthy

Photo Credit:©FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is promoting a new visual training on home gardening and nutrition to ensure food security in Lesotho.

In the 2-day event, participants were familiarized with agricultural techniques aimed at increasing food production at the homestead to achieve healthy eating habits and improved food preservation techniques

and active lives and their families can hope to escape poverty” explained Mr. Klompenhouwer. Moreover, nutrition officers were familiarized with social protection concepts and with the mainstreaming of social protection in their daily activities enhancing complementarities between these two sectors of activity. “Social protection contributes to improving nutrition outcomes by improving the quantity and quality of food consumption, leading to increased dietary diversity. Social

protection is an important component of integrated approaches to address the multiple determinants of malnutrition,” said Mr Benjamin Davis, FAO Senior Economist, Team Leader of the project “From Production to Protection (PtoP)”. Lesotho is one of the six pilot countries in which the project PtoP has been implemented since 2012, aiming at evaluating the impact of Cash Transfers and Agricultural complementarities.

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SCHOOL FARM CAMP EXCITES SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UGANDA Promoting practical agriculture in school is a right step in the right direction The 2015 School Farm Camp has left many students and their teachers excited about the different farming practices that they learnt during the period, with many of them ready to put the knowledge acquired to practice in their schools and homes. The camp, an initiative of Gayaza High School in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) seeks to equip the youth with practical agricultural skills. Though the camp started in 2014 as a Gayaza initiative, this year’s camp, the second, has seen the participation of over 30 schools across the country with about 300 students and 50 www.fao.org/africa

teachers taking part. The nature of activities undertaken during the camp allowed the participants to live the life of an entrepreneurial farmer for the 3 days that it lasted. In the camp, both teachers and students were exposed to practical sessions that many of them were unable to do on their own. The focus for the teachers is to integrate Agriculture within the various curricula such that Agriculture is not taught only as a stand-alone subject but also through all the different subjects to build an integrated developmental mindset among the students.

According to Mr. Ronald Ddungu, the Deputy Headteacher in charge of Academics and Agricultural Initiatives, Gayaza High School, the School Farm Camp concept was designed to provide students and teachers with practical agricultural skills aimed at developing an entrepreneurial mind among participants so as to motivate them to practice it and also pass on the knowledge to their communities. The Gayaza High School Mathematical banana garden is one such example of integrating different subjects in farming as well as a whole school approach to Entrepreneurial AgriculContinue on page 8

Photo Credit :©FAO/Believe Nyakudjara

FAO DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S VISIT TO SWAZILAND

FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, being welcomed by local farmer Mr. Phillip Shabangu to Motshane Rural Development Center in Ngwenya for a liming demonstration

Photo Credit :©FAO/Believe Nyakudjara

From left: Swaziland's Permanent Representative to Rome based-UN Agences, Ms. Njabuliso Busisiwe Gwebu; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Lutfo Ephraim Dlamini; FAO Director-General, Mr. José Graziano da Silva and FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Mr. David Phiri

Photo Credit :©FAO/Believe Nyakudjara

Photo Credit :©FAO/Believe Nyakudjara

Prime Minister of Swaziland, Dr. Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini, welcomes FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, on the official visit to Swaziland

Ngwennya Swaziland – FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, observes lime before liming demonstration at Motshane Rural Development Center in Western Swaziland

Photo Credit :©FAO/Reinnier Kaze

FAO DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S VISIT TO CAMEROON

FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, exchanging ideas with students learning at the agriculture training centre of Binguela, a township 32 km south west of Yaounde, the capital

Photo Credit :©FAO/Reinnier Kaze

FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, shaking hands with Minister of External Relations, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo, at the signing ceremony of two agreements with Cameroon, one establishing a cooperation programme

Photo Credit :©FAO/Reinnier Kaze

Photo Credit :©FAO/Reinnier Kaze

FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, meeting with Prime Minister of Cameroon, Philémon Yang, while on an official three-day visit to Cameroon

FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, visiting a citrus project at an agricultural training center designed to teach agro-pastoral techniques as well as business management and entrepreneurship to youth

FAO Regional Office for Africa – Newsletter

to allow students to acquire farming and entrepreneurial skills. “Our wish is to see regional camps organised: North, East, West and Central while Gayaza can host the national camp at the end of a year. Within the regions we would now be able to see more participation of the schools and the leading schools will be invited to attend the national event,” Mr Ddungu says. The FAO also pledged commitment to the cause. The FAO and Gayaza High School have been working together for a while in creating opportunities for students to learn and gain skills in agriculture while also contributing to enhancing their nutrition. The school The school benefited from an FAO Telefood Initiative which was a small grant from the organization to help the school to acquire production input and facilities benefited from an FAO Telefood Initiative which was a small grant from Continuation from Page 5 the FAO to help the school to acquire ture. FAO Country Representative, “When we attended the first camp in production input and facilities. Mr. Alhaji Jallow, speaking to students at 2014, we were inspired and when we the opening ceremony, said the School went back to school, we allocated plots The school received a greenhouse for Farm Camp is a great initiative that FAO to students to grow crops. We also vegetable production and training on would continue to support to empower acquired piglets and started a piggery as greenhouse production. The school has young people with agricultural entrepre- well as started rearing cows. We allowed so far had five greenhouse production neurial skills. students to do what they wanted and we cycles for tomatoes. Most importantly, were amazed at the zeal these young students within Gayaza and several “It is exciting to see young people students have for farming,” he further other schools (primary, secondary and universities) visited and gained knowlinvolved in such an activity because for explained. edge and experience from the facility. many years young people have looked at agriculture as a job for the uneducated. Mr Baingana announced that in two The piggery unit, which raised over 50 Supporting the youth like you who years’ time, the school would host the pigs started with 8 improved breeds of appreciate agriculture as a business and Farm Camp at Nyakasula. Gayaza High piglets provided by the FAO. The means of livelihoods is a worthy cause School together with the FAO are work- greenhouse and piggery units respecthat FAO will continue to be associated ing together to ensure that other schools tively continue to provide learning with,” Mr. Jallow said. can implement the idea of school opportunities and contribute to food gardening, not only to provide students and nutrition of the students, as well During the event, various school teams with a variety of nutritious foods but also as revenue for the school. presented the new Agricultural programs that were started immediately after the 2014 School Farm Camp. Photo Credit :©FAO

Photo Credit :©FAO

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“The individual stories of what the students have been able to do both as simple extension workers within their communities and as individuals back home are gratifying. To us, this shows that the programme is delivering on its objectives and needs to be sustained,” Mr Ddungu noted. Mr. Moses Baingana, a teacher at Nyakasula School in Fort Portal, who together with six students attended the camp, said the school farm camp is an excellent idea.

The school received a greenhouse for vegetable production and training on greenhouse production. The school has so far had five greenhouse production cycles for tomatoes

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FAO Regional Office for Africa – Newsletter

FAO promotes better natural resources governance in Angola

The FAO Angola approach to land issues is based on the principles of Dialogue, Negotiation and Concerted Action, to be seen as the building blocks of an Improved Governance concept that can be understood as the way in which society manages the general interest and the common good as well as the particular interests of each one of its members, pursuing equity both in the process and in the results. Thus, it has to ensure all functions of natural resources: feeding, economic, ecological, social and cultural. In Angola Land Program, it has always been considered that tenure alone risks portraying a static picture of an often dynamic situation, and leaves out the evolving inter-relations between people and natural resources. Top-down approaches for the management of natural resources can fail (as for the tenure) to recognize and protect these forms of use of natural resources that are totally informal, but essential for poor people’s food security. In addition to that, FAO Angola land program has been implemented hrough “bottom-up” approach, putting the accent in participative processes and placing the communities at the centre of the issue. Discussing better governance implies, first of all, recognizing the diversity of actors and the power asymmetries that exist among them. Evident consequences of these asymmetries result in social injustices, no development and conflicts. In other words, power imbalances amongst the land-concerned stakeholders are driving the world towards more conflicts and, as such, towards worse “governance”.

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Photo Credit :©FAO

The approach

Since 1999, the Land Tenure Service of FAO has been supporting the Government of Angola aiming to resolve a land conflict in the surroundings of Luanda and to initiate a reflection about the land question in the country

The practical experience Since 1999, the Land Tenure Service of FAO has been supporting the Government of Angola aiming to resolve a land conflict in the surroundings of Luanda and to initiate a reflection about land question in the country. By 2002, when the war ended, the Government of Angola started a new process with FAO as facilitator and technical and methodological supporter for the creation of a legal framework for land management and rural land-use planning. In November 2004, the new Land Law (nº 9/04) was voted and introduced the recognition of customary rights for rural communities in their traditional lands.

ing for the devolved institutions in relation to the management, use and security of land rights and legal framework update. The project also conducted the first pilot experiences in natural resources inventories, directly addressed land related gender issues, and created a Land Studies Centre in the Faculty of Agronomy in Huambo. In the case of Huila Province, several conditions made the program very visible in terms of tangible results: proactive resource persons both in governmental and non-governmental institutions and a solid CSOs and NGO network together with a need of support to address land governance issues.

By 2006, it was possible to demonstrate the importance of the need for a coherent approach to rural and agricultural development to be carried out through further direct service and policy development.

A similar process also took place in Huambo Province, where many community delimitation documents were prepared and a first title issued in the name of Juila community by the end of 2008.

A full-fledged three year land project (GCP/ANG/035/EC) financed by the European Union was launched by the end of 2006, aiming at capacity build-

After this, the Spanish Cooperation financed the project GCP/ANG/045/GCP and continued the program in Huambo and Bié provinces. The flow of achieve-

FAO Regional Office for Africa – Newsletter

are being delimited, continue creating information and documentation, family farming characterization, and continue working together with NGOs, CSOs and governmental institutions at all levels. The recent national meetings convened by the President of the Republic about access to land, or the various community land delimitation processes in course (including Koi-San communities) are putting the land issue in the centre of the national debate.

ment was maintained: various communities were legalized in Bié and lands well managed in Huambo. As indicative of concrete achieved results it can be mentioned that, trainings, workshops and conferences in legal framework, delimitation methodology, natural resource management, gender, GIS, family farming analysis, etc… have strengthened capacities of more than 2,500 staff from GoA, CSOs and NGOs. Thirty rural communities have been completely recognised with the community land title gazetted (more than 20,000 hectares of community land protected and more than 2,000 families directly benefited). Thirty additional communities have their processes concluded (or almost concluded) and waiting for final title to be issued. Plans for natural resources planning at community level have been developed and more than 35 studies and technical documents, papers and other types of publication have been developed and published, building up the strongest library of land administration and management and family farming in Angola.

Lessons learned forward

and

the

way

The aim is to go a step forward, considering not only land governance as a tool to protect Land and Natural Resources, but at the same time, the scope has to be oriented to support communities to put more value into their land. The way forward is, then, oriented as follows:

In this sense, the European Union has confirmed his confidence in FAO to continue supporting the Government within the upcoming 11th FED for Angola. With this ambitious but possible approach, the bases for a sustainable rural development will be created and will serve as a practical starting point to develop a sustainable agriculture, in particular, sustainable family agriculture in Angola.

Land legalisation is the initial benchmark of an ongoing process that aims to get communitychosen representatives to participate in a more systematic way into the provincial land use planning exercises, where FAO plays the role of facilitator. At the moment, a tested methodology for community land delimitation, proposed by FAO, permits new technologies (GIS, GPS) combined with social sciences, to reduce conflicts and develop social capital and development in the communities. FAO expertise should continue, facilitating field experiences in land governance and family farming development as community land

Photo Credit :©FAO

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FAO-RAF What do you know? This year marks 70 years since the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Founded in the aftermath of the Second World War, it is one of the specialized agencies of the UN that has relentlessly worked for the survival of mankind through ensuring availability of food and sustainable agricultural practice. FAO has, therefore, not only strived to live by its motto, ‘FIAT PANIS’, Latin word for ‘Let there be food/bread’, but also over the years has worked towards a sustainable environment. The 70th anniversary celebration – that can be celebrated until December 2015 – speaks to what has been at the heart of FAO’s operations and mandate since its founding in 1945. It also coincides with the Organization’s quest to end hunger globally in the next 15 years, by 2030. Founded on the heels of both the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Second World War with their devastating food shortage and hunger, FAO has not given up on its mandate since. US President F. D. Roosevelt gave tonic to founding the organization when, in 1943, he called a conference on food and agriculture attended by 44 governments in Hot Springs, Virginia. The result was that two years later, on 16th October 1945, FAO was founded and its first conference held in Chateau Frontenac, Quebec, Canada. From its initial Washington DC headquarters, the FAO has since 1951 found a permanent home in Rome, Italy. Over the years, FAO has carried out several interventions in the food and agricultural sector that have helped, to a large extent, alleviate hunger and improve agricultural practice. The African Union strategy and Roadmap to achieve the 2025 Vision on CAADP. This strategy aims at translating the Accelerated Agriculture Growth and Transformation Goals for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods, which have been agreed upon at AU Summit through the Malabo Declaration on June 2014, as well as a set of CAADP priority interventions to drive up the implementation. The 2015 International Year of Soils and the United Nations Conference on Climate Change could not have come at a better time than this year as soils and climate have a lot to do with ‘social protection and agriculture, breaking the cycle of rural poverty’. As FAO marks 70 years of existence, mention should be made of some of its greatest achievements/interventions that have brought great change to the food and agricultural situation of the world. In Africa, the need for sustainable agricultural practice that takes into account good soil management and avoids practices that aggravate the rather negative effects of climate change is also critical. As this is a one-time award to celebrate 70 years of our Organization, the Regional Office for Africa will honor, at country level, those national individuals or partner institutions who have demonstrated exceptional and outstanding contribution and collaboration in support of FAO's mandate.

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XIV World Forestry Congress

Photo Credit :©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto

EVENTS Improving methods for estimating livestock production and productivity, 7-8 July 2015 Leading farmers to better markets and business deals: FAO and sister UN Agencies in Malawi show the way, Blantyre, 27-29 August 2015 World Forestry Congress, Durban, 7-11 September 2015

FAO Director- General, José Graziano da Silva, delivering his speech during the high level dialogue: Forest are vital for implementing the post 2015 development agenda, at the XIV World Forestry Congress

WELCOME Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel New FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and Representative to Ghana Photo Credit :©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto

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Photo Credit :©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto

From Left: Minister of Agriculture, Forestries and Fisheries, South Africa, Mr Senzeni Zokwana; Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma; Deputy President of South Africa, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa and FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva at the XIV World Forestry Congress

FAREWELL James Tefft; Yves Klompenhouwer

CONTACT Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Regional Office for Africa #2 Gamel Abdul Nasser Road P.O. Box GP 1628 Accra, Ghana Tel: (+233) 302 610930 Fax: (+233) 302 668427 Email: [email protected] Web: www.fao.org/Africa

Photo Credit :©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto

Durban, South Africa – Tree planting session with FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva , at the XIV World Forestry Congress

Durban South Africa – Closing dinner, CPF Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award 2015: Mr Bukar Tijani, Assistant Director-General/Regional Representative for Africa and Gertrude Kabusimbi Kenyangi, at the XIV WorldForestry Congress

© FAO, 2015

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