By Tsitsi Makombe

On May 30, 2019, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement entered into force. To trigger its implementation, the agreement needed a minimum of 22 country ratifications. The AfCFTA aims to gradually eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers, accelerate regional and continental integration, improve customs and trade facilitation, develop regional and continental value chains, foster investment and industrialization, and ultimately, boost intra-African trade.

Over 30 African Union member countries have begun the next-generation National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP) process, yet keeping tabs on where each country stands in the multi-year process is a challenge. Until now.

As part of ongoing outreach events, IFPRI connected with over 200 high school and college students during the month of May, inviting them to participate in the ReSAKSS Data Challenge. ReSAKSS’ outreach to youth and the next generation of African leaders in agricultural research, technical innovation and the arts promises to stir up exciting new participation in the second edition of the ReSAKSS Data Challenge.

The main objective of this BR brief is to summarize the performance, key issues, and recommendations for improving progress toward agricultural transformation in Zimbabwe. This brief provides recommendations and action items based on Zimbabwe’s performance in the inaugural BR mechanism to help the country improve its domestication and implementation of the Malabo Declaration commitments.

In January 2018, 47 AU member countries, including Nigeria, presented the inaugural biennial review at the AU Summit. The 47 countries reported on 40 indicators covering the period 2015–2016. The report indicated that of the 47 countries reporting countries, 20 were on track overall to achieve the Malabo commitments by 2025. Only 5 countries in West Africa were on track. Nigeria was among the countries not on track, although it was on track to meet two commitments (recommitting to CAADP process and boosting intra-Africa Trade in agricultural commodities).

In 2018, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA)—together with the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and member states, and in collaboration with technical and development partners—released the inaugural continental BR report. In total, 22 performance categories and 43 indicators were defined across seven thematic areas of performance that are aligned with the seven Malabo commitments. The inaugural BR results were presented at the 30th AU Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2018.

In line with the continental commitment on mutual accountability, Malawi implemented the BR process to track progress in the implementation of the CAADP agenda, particularly the 2014 Malabo commitments. The process provided a platform for stakeholders in the agriculture sector (the public sector, private sector, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, and research institutions) to hold each other mutually accountable on both the financial and nonfinancial commitments they made on common development goals for the agriculture sector.

This BR brief shows that Lesotho was not on track to meet the Malabo Declaration targets for 2025. Three commitments were on track: recommitment to CAADP, boosting intra-Africa trade in agriculture, and mutual accountability for action and results, while the others were not on track. Lesotho was on track on 6 of the 43 indicators, highlighting the substantial efforts required to implement the commitments of the Malabo Declaration and national priorities in the agriculture sector.