ECA-FAO partnership: Africa optimistic for sustainable agriculture

By Abdulfatah Babatunde

Addis Ababa, March 21, ‘25 (TNZ) The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), outlining a framework for strategic collaboration between the two UN entities.

TheNewsZenith reports that the agreement was formally signed on March 18 in Addis Ababa.

It aims to drive sustainable agriculture, regional integration and climate resilience.

The MOU will foster innovation for economic diversification, environmental sustainability and inclusive growth across the continent.

ECA’s Deputy Executive Secretary (Programme Support), Antonio Pedro and FAO’s Assistant Director-General, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, signed the MoU.

This agreement builds on past collaboration under a previous MoU that entered into force on Jan. 31, 2017, for five years.

“ECA and FAO recognise the benefits of increased partnership, cooperation and interaction for promoting sustainable development in Africa.

“This is, particularly so, in the areas of agriculture, climate change, trade and economic diversification and food security,’’ ECA said in a statement emailed to TheNewsZenith on Friday.

“This MoU is timely as it is on the margins of the 2025 Conference of Ministers of Finance.

“The conference is on making the African Continental Free Trade Area work for Africans,” Pedro said.

The agreement comes against the backdrop of emerging shifts and increased vulnerabilities to climate change, requiring renewed focus on the transformation of agri-food systems.

Furthermore, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) was recently re-designed through the Kampala Declaration.

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It has an associated 10-year Strategy and Action Plan.

The Declaration is set for implementation from 2026 to 2035. It aims to build resilient and sustainable agricultural systems across the continent.

AFCFTA

Meanwhile, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement provides opportunities to invest in quality agri-food systems.

With the need for quality investment in agri-food systems and increasing vulnerabilities to climate change, the two organisations aim to update their collaborative framework to address these evolving challenges more effectively.

With agri-ecological zones that were once food baskets becoming more arid due to climate change, Pedro said the collaboration with FAO will play an important role in coming up with the kind of foresight analysis on the interface between climate and food security.

“We must build resilient and sustainable agricultural systems and tackle the impact of climate change on food systems.

“We can strengthen resource-driven industrialisation and diversification and achieve net zero goals,’’ TheNewsZenith quotes Pedro as stating further.

On his part, Mr Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General for Africa, emphasized the importance of the MoU.

“This MoU comes at a historic juncture where the socio-economic landscape is changing dramatically.

“It allows us to rethink how we can best support member states by optimally utilising our assets, collaborating efficiently and ensuring agri-food system transformation and sustainable development,’’ Haile-Gabriel said.

He also noted that FAO and ECA have numerous opportunities to work together toward the shared goal of improving food security and agroeconomic development. (TNZ)