Today I woke up in the world’s 47th largest country. It is from this country that Africa’s highest mountain can be seen – the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. Today I woke up in a country in which coffee is the biggest income generator. I woke up in the home of the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. I woke up in the country of the Masai people, its wildlife unrivaled by any other in the world. It is here that one can witness the famous wildebeest migration. This country signed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Compact in 2010, committing to the development of agriculture. Today I woke up in Kenya…

It is in this country’s capital, Nairobi that the role ofcommunicators in promoting inclusive agricultural growth is currently underdiscussion.

Communication experts from the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Economic Communities, Regional Farmer Organisations, journalists and the NEPAD Agency are gathered here to document best practices and lessons in agriculture. Organised by NEPAD, the information shared at the CAADP ‘writeshop’ will be used in a publication that will highlight experiences, achievements and challenges faced in the first phase of CAADP implementation (2003-2015).

“Communication officers are key in communicating CAADP. What you communicate matters. In some countries, stakeholders did not really understand CAADP’s function inagriculture development. It is your responsibility to advocate on CAADP and‘demystify’ it,” said Rebecca Wahome, Deputy Director in Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Mwanja Ng’anjo, NEPAD Information and Advocacy Officer said it was the role of communicators to bridge the information gap between policymakers and farmers.

“The CAADP Results Framework is the means through which commitments made by African leaders inMalabo last year will be measured to track results in transforming agriculture role in improving livelihoods,” she said.

The delegates were given an opportunity to present their communications strategies to reach the different stakeholders in the agricultural sector, including new forms of communication.

“Social media is one of the tools that we can use to communicate CAADP to diverse audiences. Within COMESA, we document results from the ground by speaking to farmers, to communities and countries about their experiences,” said the COMESA communications representative, Cephas Moonga.

Representatives will also work on refining key messages to communicate the Malabo Declaration on CAADP. 

So tonight I will sleep in Kenya, looking forward to our trip tomorrow to meet an urban farmer who is based in Nairobi City County to hear his story and how farming has changed his life and those of the community around him.

Source: Millicent Seganoe - NEPAD