The four ReSAKSS nodes convened in Dakar, Senegal from January 11 to 13, 2010 to review progress over the previous year and outline details of their workplan for 2010. 

The meeting produced an outline of activities for the project for January to December 2010 that will largely focus on continuing ReSAKSS’ work in knowledge management and communications with emphasis on operationalizing the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework of CAADP implementation.  The meeting also served as a planning clinic for the upcoming M&E validation workshop in March, 2010.

The Forum for Agricultural Research on Africa (FARA) hosted a workshop on monitoring and evaluating CAADP implementation on February 1 through 3 2010 in Accra, Ghana.

The meeting brought together participants the AU, NEPAD, ReSAKSS and development partner organizations in order to discuss work being done by various partners on the M&E of CAADP and the mutual accountability framework. The 3-day workshop consisted of break-out discussion sessions and larger group instructional meetings.

Photo credit: Molay

CAADP is a program of NEPAD

The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the NEPAD Secretariat and ECOWAS Secretariat, organized the 5th Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP-PP) meeting from November 9-10, 2009 at the Transcorp Nicon (Hilton) Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria.

Nearly 300 agricultural experts, policymakers, donors and representatives from the African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and other international organizations convened in Kigali, Rwanda from December 7-8, 2009 for a high-level stakeholders meeting on investments into Rwanda’s agricultural sector through NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).

On December 9th, ReSAKSS-ECA in collaboration with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) hosted a Research for Development forum on animal feed use in East Africa. The subject of the forum falls under CAADP Pillar 4 on agricutlural research, technology dissemination and adoption. The speaker was Ben Lukuyu, a feed specialist from ILRI, and the two panelists were Derek Baker, an agricultural economist from ILRI and Mr. William Amwayi from the Kenya Bureau of Standards. The facilitator of the forum was Julliet Wanjiku from ReSAKSS-ECA.

By Lucas Barasa

This article first appeared on The Nation Website www.nation.co.ke on December 2, 2009. Mr. Lucas Barasa is an active member of the CAADP Network of Journalists.

A major conference to help enhance food security in Africa and share lessons on best practices was held from November 30 to December 4, 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The International Conference on Financing Agricultural Policy in West Africa ended on November 12, 2009 with the official signature of the Regional Partnership Compact - the first such regional CAADP compact to be signed.

The Conference brought together high-level CAADP stakeholders from within West Africa, pertinent African institutions with continental mandates on CAADP and representatives of technical and financial partners. 

The ReSAKSS conference on “Exploring New Opportunities and Strategic Alternatives to Inform African Agricultural Development, Planning and Policy” in Africa will take place on November 23-24, 2009 at the United Nations Conference Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.