Global Donor Platform Annual General Assembly (AGA) 2017

The Annual General Assembly is taking place every year and was hosted this time by the European Commission (DG DEVCO).

In the paper Implications of Agenda 2030 for Rural Development (29 pages) commissioned by the Global Donor Platform, John Barrett notes that, beyond SDG 2 (end hunger, achieve food security/improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture), world leaders are increasingly pre-occupied by challenges in the global economy and the need for job creation which relates to SDG 8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all), as emerged in the discussion within the Platform and in other international fora.

Leonard Mizzi Head of Unit, Rural Development,  Food Security and Nutrition (Directorate C) DG DEVCO

The Platform document The Future of Donor Programmes in Rural Development induced a debate about the current shift from an integrated approach towards rural development to a more overarching systems approach1. The systems approach should ultimately lead to targeted, evidence-based interventions by donors and international finance institutions that increase development effectiveness.

Enabling the Business of Agriculture Programme – Christopher Brett, World Bank:

• A well-designed legal and regulatory framework, supported by strong institutions and efficient administrative procedures, is a bedrock for a prosperous agricultural and agribusiness sector 
• Globally comparable data and indicators offer meaningful tools that can enable countries, policymakers and stakeholders to identify barriers that impede growth of agriculture and agribusinesses, share experiences and develop strategies to improve the policy environment anchored in local contexts 
• The Enabling the Business of Agriculture indicators and analysis not only help strengthen the information base that can be used for informed policy dialogue but can also encourage regulations that ensure safety and quality of agricultural inputs, goods and services while minimizing costs and time burdens.
• “Bilateral collaboration is often hijacked by national political agendas”
• “We have to demonstrate that migration is positive (when regular)”
• “There is a need for a returnable capital fund to finance the CGIAR”

Initiative Adaptation of African Agriculture – Mohamed Badraoui, National Agricultural Research Institute, Morocco and ASEAN Climate Resilience Network – Imelda Bacudo, ASEAN/GIZ.

• Global environmental and social changes like climate change, high pressure on natural resources and globalization of trade are impacting on 20% GDP and 50% of employment in developing countries and inducing massive migration; 
• The degree of resilience and adaptation to such big changes is becoming more difficult to achieve because both public domestic investments and international aid for development to African agriculture was decreasing during the last 30 years, making African economies more and more vulnerable.
• UNFCCC COP22 (Marrakech 2016) was the COP of actions to implement Paris agreement – Morocco launched a new initiative for the adaptation of African agriculture to climate change (AAA or Triple A).

Source: PAEPARD FEED