Chikakula Miti

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Agriculture, food security and climate change
what is the role of regional organizations?
By Chikakula Miti COMESA Secretariat
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Introduction

• Attainment of Food security is still a
  challenge e.g according to fews net DRC with
  6.4 million persons needing food in 2013/2014,
  Sudan (3.3), Ethiopia (2.7) and Zimbabwe (2.2).
  Zambia and Swaziland have figures well below a
  million.
• CC magnifies, intensifies and speeds up already
  serious threats to ecosystems and the people
• Droughts and floods are becoming prevalent
• Warming up of the sea - warming temperatures
  damage coral reefs and drive fish away from the
  tropics

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What is the role of the RECs

• RECs have been created to foster economic
  integration
• COMESAs Vision is to be a fully integrated,
  internationally competitive regional economic
  community with high standards of living for its
  entire people ready to merge into an African
  Economic Community.
•  EACs vision is to be a prosperous, competitive,
  secure, stable and politically united East
  Africa.
•  SADCs vision is to be a common future, a future
  within a regional community that will ensure
  economic well-being, improvement of the standards
  of living and quality of life, freedom, social
  justice, peace and security for the people of
  Southern Africa.
• For COMESA Agric Accounts for more than 32 of
  GDP), 80 of labour force, provide 50 of raw
  material for domestic industry

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Climate Proofing of the NAIP/CAADP

• To date 16 out of 19 COMESA countries are
  actively engaged in CAADP.
• Fourteen (14) of these member states have signed
  their National CAADP Compacts, highlighting key
  priority areas for investment. CAADP defines
  agriculture as forestry , fisheries, livestock
  and crop.
• We have made progress in Climate proofing of in
  Lesotho, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia,
  Malawi and Kenya - FAO/TCI

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Climate Proofing of the NAIP cont

• We have made progress in Climate proofing of in
  Lesotho, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia,
  Malawi and Kenya - FAO/TCI
• screening of the CAADP Investment - An initial
  scoping phase to review CAADP investment plans to
  identify programmes adaptation and mitigation
  benefits and
• an in-depth analysis phase, including estimation
  of adaptation and mitigation potentials and
  identification of possible eligibility criteria
  for climate-smart programmes

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Platforms for supporting CA/CSA Upscaling

• Supporting the Conservation Agriculture Regional
  Working Group ( CARWG) 15 countries
• Established in September 2014 - Eastern Africa
  Working Group on CSA with main focus on CA
• COMESA, EAC, organised the CSA meeting -
  agreed to move the agenda forward
• Supporting detailed CA census in the southern
  Africa region Tools have been developed

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Supporting 14 countries on CATSF
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Supporting In country study tours /
demonstrations .
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CSA Practical interventions

• Supporting CA/CSA up scaling in Uganda ,
  Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Seychelles ,
  Zambia, and Madagascar,
• Supporting the use of ICT in CSA in Uganda and
  Zambia

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CSA Practical interventions

• Extension workers trained to be CA practiciing
  farmers in Uganda and Zimbabwe.
• Lead farmer models . The Extension officer
  should be a lead farmer

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CSA Practical interventions

• Piloting of CA has been the main focus
• Organised some study tours for policy makers and
  farmers
• Provide some green house technologies

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CSA ICT Innovation

• Piloting of SMS platforms in Uganda and Zambia

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• THANK YOU
• climatechange_at_comesa.int
• www.comesa.int

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