A team of experts developed a curriculum that will lend a series of training programmes, which will improve the capacities of member states of the African Union in livestock policy analysis, livestock investment , advocacy and communications. The training will be given to trainers, drawn from all member states of the African Union, who have the will and capacities to influence policies towards livestock development.
In a writeshop, held in Dakar, Senegal, from October 26th to 30th, October, 2015, experts from academia, partner institutions, national ministries in-charge of livestock and AU-IBAR, discussed, analysed and set forth the main content outline, which comprised relevant topics on livestock policies, livestock investment and, advocacy and communication, that would feed into the training manual, trainers’ manual, case studies and exercises. Furthermore, the team of experts developed the necessary documents which allow commissioning the curriculum development and training programmes.
In his closing remarks, Dr Simplice Nouala, on behalf of Director of AU-IBAR, Professor Ahmed Elsawalhy, indicated that in the past few years, a paradigm shift in livestock sector has been observed in a way that officials and experts have started to discuss livestock governance issues, which have never been raised in the preceding years. While appreciating this change, Dr Nouala noted, a lot remain to be done in terms of putting appropriate policies and legislations on the ground and such a challenge has required capacities in policy analysis and formulation; and advocacy and communication.
The VET-GOV Programme has continued its support in West Africa to have the Region and its member states spur policy reviews and value chain analyses with a view to advance a vibrant high level sectoral policy dialogue.
The workshop, held from 19th to 23rd of October 2015 in Bijilo, the Gambia, has specifically been focusing on the decision support tool, dubbed EXTRAPOLATE (EX-ante Tool for RAnking POLicy AlTErnatives) and Livestock Value Chain Analysis. The training on EXTRAPOLATE believed to enabled participants assess the impact of different policy measures, by disaggregating the effects of policy interventions and visualize the predicted impacts of policy interventions, based on numerical analysis. The latter offered participants with a deep understanding on methods and tools of analysis of livestock value chains, and their relationships in the actual situation.
Spearheaded by AU-IBAR/VET-GOV Programme, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of The Republic of the Gambia and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have taken part in the organisation of this regional workshop, which drew over 40 participants, including 26 National Livestock Policy Hub members, from the Region.
AU-IBAR, through one of its flagship projects, SMP-AH, created a network of professionals, where experts of the Member States of IGAD would bring about harmonised procedures and activities to manage and operationalize national quarantines with the ultimate goal of improving disease management and trade in the Region and beyond.
The newly created network is intended to improve quarantine standards and practices, as well as foster information sharing on standards, measures and procedures (SMPs) and provide market intelligence.
A total of 17 participants convened in Khartoum, Sudan, from 30th September to 1st October 2015 to launch the network, dubbed “Regional Quarantine Network”. Experts from Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as from AU-IBAR, IGAD, OIE, USAID and AU-IBAR took part in the forum.
Highlighting the significance of the network, pertinent bodies, representing their institutions, made remarks during the opening. Recalling the evolution of quarantine stations in the IGAD Region, Dr Ameha Sebsibe on behalf of IGAD, noted that quarantines have taken a center stage since the blanket ban posed on exporting countries of IGAD and EAC by Middle Eastern and North African countries following the outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF). The trade negotiations conducted after the ban, he said, necessitated IGAD Member States to establish quarantines to allow inspection and certification of livestock and livestock products by importing countries. Dr Hiver Boussini on behalf of AU-IBAR stressed the role of AU-IBAR in providing guidance on quarantines in the Region. He noted that the Standard Methods and Procedures (SMPs) developed by AU-IBAR, for Export Quarantine is one such instrument to ensure harmonization of quarantine standards in the Region. Recalling the history of livestock auctions in North-Eastern Kenya, Dr Carl Harris on behalf of USAID Office in the Sudan, acknowledged the current efforts to develop quarantines standards at regional level as crucially important to enhance regional livestock trade.
The Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) has noted that there are several projects and initiatives implemented on the continent contributing to the same ultimate goal. These different projects often cover the same geographical area and populations and frequently with the same actors. This situation makes difficult the visibility of the projects impacts and their real contribution has the sought-after common objective, the one of the sustainable management of the fisheries resources to reinforce their contribution to the food security and the economic growth in Africa.
To improve the consistency and the complementarity of the actions, AU-IBAR has embarked in the development of a metadatabase of fisheries and aquaculture projects on the continent. This database will provide information on what is been done where and by who and could be used for lessons learnt and information sharing that could lead into identification of areas that are not addressed and also reduce duplication for efficient use of resources. It’s in this frame that a request was sent to Director of fisheries and aquaculture of the African Union Member States, Development Partners, Regional Economic Communities, Regional Fisheries Bodies, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, Non State Actors Organisation, etc.
The questionnaire is available and can be sent to you if requested by:
Projets sur les Pêches et Aquaculture sur le Continent Africain
Le Bureau Africain pour les Ressources Animales (UA-BIRA) a noté qu'il y a plusieurs projets et initiatives mise en œuvre sur le continent contribuant au même but ultime. Ces différents projets couvrent souvent la même région géographique et populations et fréquemment avec les mêmes acteurs. Cette situation rend difficile la visibilité des impacts de ces projets et leur contribution réelle a l’objectif commun recherché, celui de la gestion durable des ressources halieutiques pour renforcer leur contribution à la sécurité alimentaire et la croissance économique en Afrique.
Pour améliorer la cohérence et la complémentarité des actions des projets, l’UA-BIRA a lancé le développement d'une base de métadonnées des projets de pêches et de l'aquaculture sur le continent. Cette base de données fournira des informations sur ce qui a été fait où et par qui et pourrait être utilisée pour des leçons apprises et partage d’information qui pourrait guider l'identification des domaines qui ne sont pas abordées et également de réduire la duplication pour une utilisation efficace des ressources. C’est dans ce cadre qu’une requête a été envoyée au Directeur des Pêches et de l’Aquaculture des États Membres de l’Union Africaine, Partenaires au développement, Communautés Économiques Régionales, Organisations Régionales des Pêches, Organisations Régionales de Gestion des Pêches, Organisations des Acteurs Non-Étatiques, etc.
Nous présentons ici les premiers résultats issus de cet exercice et l’UA-BIRA aimerait sincèrement vous remercier pour vos efforts et soutien continu dans l’accomplissement de son mandat.
Le questionnaire est disponible et peut vous être envoyé par :
Towards Formulating Common African Position
Globalization, mainly driven by international trade, has made food to be traded internationally in a reasonably short time through complex production and distribution networks. Although international trade in food has to an extent made some food cheaper, consumers have increasingly become more vulnerable to food safety hazards. Countries demand that food produced, marketed and consumed conforms to set standards in order to protect their citizens (consumer protection). However, such standards can become barriers to production and trade for several commodities where production systems and markets differ between countries. Despite this, food safety is important. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, established by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963 developed harmonized international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice to protect the health of the consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.
Fish trade benefits African countries through generating revenues, creating job opportunities and enhancing food security. The scale and value of these benefits depends on post-harvest handling and value-addition to products. Food safety and quality standards are important aspects that affect the volume and value of fish products accessible to regional and international markets. Coherent continental positions validated by scientific evidences will enable Africa ensure appropriate standards are set to facilitate the continent’s fish and fishery products have access to markets.