Agriculture

Agriculture, the backbone of the continent’s economy, produces the lowest yields in the world. It is beset, among others, with abiotic stressors (drought, high temperature, poor soil fertility, vast marginal land areas); biotic factors (insect pests, weeds, diseases); high costs of pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers and irrigation; and drug resistance. Some 200 million people are chronically hungry in Africa and more than half of the countries on the continent need food aid. 

UNECA assists member States in enhancing regional food security through support for the creation of regional agricultural market information systems and databases. To further foster broad-based agricultural growth and poverty reduction, UNECA will undertake in-depth studies on strategic food and agricultural commodity chains with emphasis on regional integration aspects. 

Services provided by UNECA through this service are intended to bring food security, a major concern for many African countries, back to the forefront of UNECA’s programme priorities thus ensuring its visibility. 

Biotechnology has been recognized by the Heads of African States in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as “an important priority area in science and technology for the continent’s development”. The United Nations (UN) has also recognized Biotechnology as a tool of ‘unique opportunities for developed and developing countries and small and large enterprises’.  

Representatives of many Addis Ababa-based UN institutions  held, in 2003 and 2004 at ECA, a series of consultative meetings on issues related to biotechnology uptake in Africa. They recommended the establishment and implementation of a UN Inter-Agency Partnership on Biotechnology for Africa’s development or UN- Biotech/Africa in support of NEPAD. 

 UN Biotech Africa is expected, among others, to (i) coordinate policies, strategic approach and actions among agencies and programmes of UN system in support of NEPAD in the area of biotechnology; (ii) generate synergies between activities of UN institutions for greater impact through greater efficiency in the use of UN resources; and (iii) create an effective platform of exchange of biotechnology-related information, experiences and perspectives

On Common Ground:  A Joint Donor Concept on Rural Development