By J. Muthie
African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) have announced a partnership agreement that seeks to upscale agricultural technologies to address farming challenges affecting key staple crops in Africa, including rice, cassava, and maize.
The two organisations will utilise their knowledge and resources to implement agricultural and food security initiatives in CCARDESA countries.
The CCARDESA Executive Director, Prof. Cliff Dlamini, stated that the two organisations would leverage each other’s competitive advantage for the improvement of Africa’s agricultural vision and agenda. “By bringing together the best minds in agriculture and food security, the collaboration will help create an enabling environment for adopting agricultural technologies in Africa, including developing policies and programs on food security,’ said Prof. Dlamini.
According to Dr Canisius Kanangire, the Executive Director of AATF, the partnership agreement with CCARDESA will help realise impactful engagements that will assist farmers in Africa in improving their food security and livelihoods through the creation, dissemination and adoption of value-adding technology that will contribute to improved crop yields, knowledge sharing and empowerment, especially of youth and women. He added that smallholder farmers in Africa face various constraints that hinder their ability to increase their yields, improve their incomes, and contribute to food security.
According to Dr Kanangire, the situation can change by investing in new farming technology for Africa-from better seeds to digital tools to machinery-which hold promise for transforming African agriculture into an engine of economic growth that will have benefits far beyond the farm sector.
He noted that AATF is committed to building partnerships with continental, including governments, national and international research institutions, farmer organisations, the private sector and all players along the agriculture value chain to deliver agricultural value to our farmers.
The partnership will focus on increasing food production, improving market access, and promoting economic growth in rural areas.
In addition, the agreement will enhance knowledge sharing to improve understanding and uptake of innovative technologies by fostering and advocating for the harmonisation of policies, especially seed policies in the region.
About AATF
Founded in 2003 to address Africa’s food security prospects through agricultural technology, AATF believes that the agricultural sector is a key foundational pillar as Africa consolidates its economic growth and carves out its new position as a major global economic powerhouse and the subsequent growth market in the world. It was formed in response to the need for an effective mechanism to facilitate and support negotiation for technology access and delivery and the formation of appropriate partnerships to manage the development & deployment of innovative technologies for smallholder farmers in SSA.
