Earlier today Seychelles became the 28th country to sign the The New Partnership for Africa’s Development’s (NEPAD) Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Compact, committing the country to 10 percent public investment in agriculture and to raise agricultural productivity by at least 6 percent.
Within the 19 member Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) regional economic community, Seychelles becomes one of the 10 countries to have signed a CAADP Compact. Other countries are Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Uganda, Malawi, Kenya, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The signing of the compact hopes to ensure that the next steps taken within the nation will be to select key priority growth areas that will inform a robust National Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plan.
View a CAADP guide on Country Implementation Practices through the CAADP process.
It has also been reported that COMESA is currently finalizing a "Regional Agriculture Development and Investment Framework" document, expected to be implemented within a "Tripartite Framework," involving COMESA, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It has been said that the consultations among the three regional economic communities, in this regard, have reached an advanced stage.
Seychelles has been among some of the most environmentally conscious countries in the world, being that it has the highest proportion of protected land in the world (over 50% of the total land area). Despite the concern for the environment, data found on agricultural growth in Seychelles has been characterized by fluctuation from year to year, with low decade averages. Since 2004, the country has spent under 0.9 percent in agricultural expenditures as a share of total expenditures, based on the limited data available. Although there has been no data found to confirm whether any Seychellois citizen is suffering from hunger, the commitment for stronger growth through agriculture is clear.
Seychelles & CAADP
The CAADP Process was launched in Seychelles in October 2007. A steering committee was formed in March 2008 to jointly oversee the CAADP process as well as the implementation of the food security strategy, officially launched in April 2008. Members on the committee represent Research, Extension, other sections of the Agriculture Ministry, and the private sector through representation of the Seychelles Farmers Association. In May 2009, all the National Consultants were officially engaged for the stocking review. Seychelles signed its Compact on September 16, 2011.
View Seychelles' full Stocktaking Report on the agriculture sector, financing mechanisms for CAADP, a review of major public and private sector institutions and conclusions and recommendations for CAADP.
View Seychelles' verified, finalized CAADP Compact.
More information can be found by navigating to Seychelles at ReSAKSS.org.