Addis Ababa: High-level officials from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture and experts are rigorously reviewing data for the nation’s 5th Biennial Review, a vital process to track Ethiopia’s progress towards the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Malabo Declaration targets.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, a two-day meeting brought together national stakeholders and experts to rigorously review the agricultural data that Ethiopia will submit to the African Union Commission (AUC). This submission forms the basis for the continent’s 5th Biennial Review report on CAADP implementation.
Speaking at the workshop, Zena Habtewold, Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, emphasized Ethiopia’s commitment to achieving all CAADP goals. The advisor highlighted Ethiopia’s accomplishments in food productivity, agricultural productivity, modernization, cluster farming, wheat productivity, and other areas in its pursuit of these goals.
On his part, IGAD Head of Mission to Ethiopia, Abebaw Bihonegn, noted that as a vital Regional Economic Community of the African Union, IGAD continues to demonstrate its commitment to executing the CAADP Agenda. He mentioned that the organization has consistently mobilized resources and invested in regional projects and programs aligning with CAADP’s strategic framework and action plan.
A representative from the IGAD Executive Secretary’s office underscored the importance of the data validation exercise, stating, “Data is the foundation of development and resilience building.” The representative emphasized the IGAD secretariat’s pride in partnering with the Ethiopian government for this significant endeavor.
The comprehensive review aims to ensure the accuracy and completeness of Ethiopia’s data, contributing to a broader understanding of progress in achieving the Malabo Declaration’s ambitious goals. These goals include ending hunger, halving poverty through inclusive agricultural growth, boosting intra-African trade in agricultural commodities, and enhancing resilience to climate variability.
The CAADP Biennial Review process serves as the main mutual accountability mechanism to track the progress of African Union Member States in implementing the Malabo Declaration.