Addis Ababa: The outgoing African Union (AU) Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Blue Economy, Angolan Josefa Sacko, stated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that she leaves a “very rich” legacy after her eight-year tenure leading the institution.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Sacko made her comments to the press following the 46th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council. This session involved the election and appointment of six commissioners and senior officials within the African Union. Sacko recalled that upon assuming office in 2017, she encountered the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), which she found emblematic and which inspired her to define a 2026-2035 strategy aimed at transforming agriculture across the continent over the next decade.
Josefa Sacko emphasized the importance of Africans taking control of their future, highlighting the necessity for self-investment in agriculture. She noted that her legacy includes the creation of the continent’s climate change strategy, which was previously nonexistent. Additionally, she left behind a biodiversity strategy and various documents and legal instruments, describing it as a “strong” legacy.
During her tenure, Sacko was instrumental in establishing the Animal Vaccines Laboratory, successfully mobilizing 53 million US dollars for its construction, with the foundation stone already laid by the President of the Commission. She expressed hope that US support for the project would persist, noting its approval by the US Senate. Sacko underscored the importance of vaccine production in safeguarding the continent against biological threats.
Moreover, Sacko initiated a program to enhance the involvement of women in agriculture, recognizing that 80% of food production is carried out by women. She identified the empowerment of rural women as a challenge to be addressed, leaving a study and initiating collaboration with the United Nations to develop a strategy on women’s roles in agriculture.
The 46th Session of the AU Executive Council reviewed several reports, including the 49th Ordinary Session of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREP) and the report of the 15th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Trade of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA). Delegates also discussed the Draft Constitutional Charter of the African Union, draft legal instruments, reports from Executive Council Committees, and items proposed by Member States. The summit of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for February 15 and 16, will confirm President Joo Louren§o as head of the continental organization until February.
