INTRODUCTION

The African Union Commission (AUC) through the  Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (DARBE), in partnership with the Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), with support of technical institutions and other stakeholders will organize the commemoration of the 14th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS), the 19th edition of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform (PP), the associated Malabo Policy Learning Event (MAPLE), as well as the CAADP High-Level Ministerial Forum (HLMF) in Mulungushi International Conference Center at Lusaka, Zambia, from 30th October to the 2nd  November 2023.

These events – ADFNS, CAADP PP, HLMF, and MAPLE will build on the African Union’s 2023 Year Theme – “Accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”. The series of events will be synchronized to ensure cross-fertilization and provide a platform for sharing experiences and lessons and discussing opportunities & strategies to promote intra-Africa agri-food trade and improved nutrition in Africa. As an icebreaker to kick off the week, the MAPLE event will allow stakeholders to learn and exchange cases of success, lessons and best practices (regarding strategies, tools and approaches) in agri-food and nutrition programming and policymaking.

The combined CAADP PP & ADFNS High-Level Ministerial Forum is also expected to provide a platform for policy dialogue and conversations essential for accelerating intra-regional food trade, food security and stimulating economic growth across the continent, and to align and integrate departmental efforts to achieve food and nutrition security outcomes. Aligning with the 2023 AU Theme of “Accelerating implementation of the AfCFTA”, these events will emphasize and illustrate how the increased movement of goods and services, as well as deliberate policy measures, are and could further fast-track the exchange of agri-food resources across African borders, bolstering food security while enriching the continent’s nutrition profile.

CAADP PARTNERSHIP PLATFORM

Traditionally, the CAADP PP is the African Union’s main platform for policy dialogue, lessons sharing and accountability among the CAADP Stakeholders to advance the CAADP Agenda. Every edition of the PP builds on the lessons learned and challenges from previous ones while reflecting on opportunities and strategies to enhance partnerships towards implementing CAADP. This includes joint and complimentary investments and activities to improve collaboration and implementation of CAADP.

The 19th CAADP PP, which will be, for the first time, organized together with the commemoration of the 14th ADFNS, will not only shed light on the progress in implementing the Malabo Commitments but will also reflect on what it takes to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA. It will gather insights across the spectrum of stakeholders and use existing evidence from the past 20 years of implementing CAADP, especially evidence generated from the 3 BR reports, to spur action towards the post-Malabo Agenda.

The PP will also focus on approaches for advancing agri-food systems, including nutrition-sensitive policies, strategies and bankable actions that include private-sector investments and competitive agribusiness and trade models. A particular focus on addressing food and nutrition security in the post-Malabo messaging will be topical, emphasizing the interface between trade and nutrition.

THE AFRICA DAY FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY

The ADFNS was declared on July 2010 by the African Union Heads of State and Government at the 15th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit in Kampala, Uganda, tagged as Decision “Assembly/AU/Dec.327(XV)”. This decision occurred in the wake of an unacceptably persistent level of food insecurity epitomized by chronic malnutrition on the continent. A side event convened in the margins of the said Summit under the banner “Africa must feed itself; no child should go to bed hungry” came up with a bold recommendation for setting aside a full commemoration day that sheds light on the centrality of food and nutrition security in Africa’s economic transformation agenda.

Since its maiden edition in October 2010 in Lilongwe, Malawi, the ADFNS has been annually celebrated with thirteen editions hosted in succession by Ethiopia, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, and Egypt. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 events were held virtually. The 2022 edition was hybrid, with a physical segment at the AUC, Ethiopia. Nevertheless, these virtual and/or hybrid commemorations were successful, involving renowned African Chefs showcasing their nutritious cuisines. Now, the 14th ADFNS event in 2023 in Lusaka, Zambia, seeks to sustain this momentum with renowned African Chefs showcasing their cuisines in person.

The overarching aim of the ADFNS is to serve as a platform for rallying political, technical and financial commitments at all levels to address contemporary challenges facing the implementation of food and nutrition security interventions in Africa. The commemoration of the ADFNS also provides a platform for national, regional and continental levels stakeholders to share experiences and knowledge and to take stock of progress achieved in assuring the availability of quality food for improved nutrition and health of all Africans.

OBJECTIVES

The combined events will collectively generate discussions, knowledge and tangible recommendations and actions to drive the CAADP agenda encapsulated under the Malabo Commitment on Boosting Intra-African Trade in Agriculture Commodities and Services on the African continent, with an emphasis on the nexus between trade, food and nutrition.

The overall objective of the events is to facilitate action-oriented dialogue, learning, engagement, collaboration and commitment to actions (strategic interventions) among stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of AfCFTA and to enhance Africa’s food system transformation in alignment with the goals and commitments under CAADP. The events will allow stakeholders to share experiences, lessons and best practices and inspire commitments and actions investing in and promoting safer and nutritious foods using trade levers. Specific objectives include:

1. To share experiences, lessons, and best practices for harnessing the nexus between CAADP and AfCFTA towards tripling intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and improving nutrition outcomes. This includes creating awareness and advocacy on the importance of food safety in trade and nutrition security.
2. To explore strategies for harnessing science, innovation, and research in agri-food systems to enhance food and nutrition security in Africa.
3. To share and learn successful models for public-private sector finance and investment in agri-food and nutrition, including nutrition-enhancing financing products and collaboration models.
4. To reflect on 20 years of implementing CAADP to inform lessons and priorities for the remaining phase of CAADP Malabo and the roadmap for Post Malabo Agenda.
5. To share lessons and best practices for strengthening institutional capacities, partnerships and knowledge management to enhance trade and nutrition programming and performance.

MEETING STRUCTURE AND APPROACH

The 14th ADFNS Commemoration and the 19th CAADP PP events will be convened from the 30th of October to the 2nd of November 2023 in Lusaka, Zambia, starting with the MAPLE on Day 1, covering the ADFNS and CAADP PP pre-events, including discussions on the two CAADP Commitments related to Trade and Ending Hunger on the continent. The outcome of the MAPLE event will inform the deliberations of the 2nd day and the CAADP PP discussions and outcomes. The official commemoration of the statutory ADFNS will be on Day 2, the 31st of October, and will include the High-Level Ministerial Forum (HLMF) segment, the launch of the Food Systems Parliamentarian Network and a food expo event entitled “Africa Youth Food Expo: Recipes for Better Nutrition”, which will explore youth’s involvement in promoting the preparation and consumption of local/ indigenous food and food-based approaches to combat hunger and malnutrition in Africa[1]. The 3rd and 4th days will focus on five sub-themes contributing to a chain of outputs to the CAADP PP.

[1] This expo is led by the Southern Africa Youth Forum, AUC/Youth Program, AUDA-NEPAD, SADC, and HarvestPlus.