'NEPAD, FARA to assist African farmers'

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) was brought into being with much fanfare as a blueprint to accelerate development on the continent by the African Union several years ago. So far it has not lived up to its billing for lack of funding, lack of seriousness of purpose and lack of inspiration, in agriculture as well as in every other sphere. Once in a while a statement on one issue or another will be issued, and of course meetings are constantly held but there has been not much sign of any actual "development" that could be attributed to NEPAD having taken place anywhere, unless you count the well-paid bureaucracy .

Now comes news that NEPAD and something called the Forum on African Research in Agriculture (FARA) will work together " to bring new agricultural technologies to farmers." FARA is described as an organization "which has over 100 members including national agriculture research institutions, nongovernmental organisations, farmer organisations and private enterprises." NEPAD and FARA "will combine their strengths" to perform this new service for African farmers. FARA "will identify priority activities for collaboration in African agricultural research" while NEPAD "will use its links with the international community and development partners to support these efforts financially."

NEPAD's chief executive officer, Firmino Mucavele, said at the signing ceremony in South Africa, "It is our hope that the important efforts being put in motion by FARA will yield tangible results that will benefit the livelihoods of the vast majority of the rural farming population." He said NEPAD is committed to supporting FARA in its "excellent efforts" in increasing African agricultural productivity.

So we have a little-known network supposedly comprised of a cross section of African agricultural stakeholders, yet it still needs to identify priority areas for research. Would it be rude to ask why a network with what sounds like a prestigious roll of members already involved in grassroots agriculture, research and advocacy across the continent does not already know "the priority areas for research?"

Then we have the do-nothing NEPAD not committing any resources from amongst its members, but instead committing to make going around the world begging for handouts its main task in this initiative! I don't know much about FARA, but NEPAD does not yet have any achievements to its name to speak of and the lack of commitment by its member states to put even token money into this latest initiative is not a good sign. And as far as the two organizations "combining strengths," that's a little hard to do when at least one of the parties, if not both, don't have any such strengths!

While the agricultural sectors in other parts of the world are treated with far more respect in recognition of their key economic roles, in much needier Africa governments and their institutions spew more hot air than anything concrete in regards to agriculture. Africa's farmers are largely on their own, often having to worry more about negative interference from their governments than to look forward to any positive assistance.

So while nothing is likely to come from this latest publicity stunt, I trust that a good time was had by all the fat cats at the signing ceremony! And if the sad history of previous so-called initiatives by NEPAD is anything to go by there may not be any benefit from it for the hard-working African farmer, but a few bureaucrats will get to travel the world pleading for donations, attend conferences and issue voluminous reports saying what everybody already knows, and which reports will be read by nobody.

I would love to be proven wrong, but I suspect it's business as usual.

Chido Makunike