EU commits 9 million Euro towards Southern Africa’s agricultural development

With 61 percent of the Southern African region’s population living in rural areas, the European Union has committed 9 million Euro to assist with the development of the agricultural sector in the face of climate change.

This commitment was revealed by Jan Sadek, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Botswana and SADC during the official launch of the ‘Support Towards the Operationalisation of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP)’ which was held on Friday in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana.

Addressing representatives from the 16 Southern African countries, Sadek said their support emanates from the fact that the agricultural sector’s performance has a strong influence on food security, poverty reduction, economic growth, industrialisation, and social and political stability.

In this light he said the agricultural sector is of strategic importance to the socio-economic and political development of the region.

Across the globe, sustainable food production has many challenges ranging from climate change, declining soil and water quality, as well as land availability and the demands of the global market place. Hence RAP, as supported by the EU was designed to make contributions to sustainable agricultural growth and socio-economic development.

To ensure the success of the RAP policy which was formulated in 2014, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has since partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). In 2016, the SADC Secretariat and the EU identified FAO as the lead implementing agency for two of three components of the project, while one will be implemented by SADC.

The project which will run for 33 months also seeks to enhance information management systems and control transboundary plant pests and animal diseases in order to promote trade and enhance food and nutrition security within the region.

Of current the agricultural sector contributes 4 to 30 percent of SADC Member States’ GDP, and 13 percent of export earnings.

RAP, as launched by the EU, SADC and FAO, Sadek said is part of a larger regional envelope of 153 million Euro in support of SADC’s Regional Integration Programme.

-END-