The East African Community has come together as one block to try and settle the problem of unemployment and food security in the region. Recently, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the East Africa Community (EAC) launched an initiative to boost food production, job and income opportunities for farmers through advancing agriculture value chains in East Africa.
The initiative has been spearheaded by UNDP’s African Facility for Inclusive Markets (AFIM) and the EAC Secretariat that has brought together multiple stakeholders representing governments, UN agencies, private sector, farmers, financiers and civil society from, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia for an East Africa Project Facilitation Platform (PFP).
The initiative was launched on June 12 in Nairobi. At the opening of the workshop in Nairobi Aeneas Chuma, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator for Kenya said, “Agriculture value chains and agribusiness are critical to advance food security and economic opportunities, A new private sector is emerging in Africa with great potential for creating new jobs, generating higher incomes and delivering products and services for all.”
In a press statement released by East African Community, it stated that the East Africa PFP is discussing partnerships and value addition of the various stakeholders in strategic agrifood value chains, especially sorghum, soy and dairy.
The statement read in parts that the Project promoters presenting planned interventions include Africa Harvest, East Africa Dairy Development Project and UNIDO/UNDP. African Facility for Inclusive Markets Manager Tomas Sales said, “UNDP’s African Facility for Inclusive Markets is brokering partnerships and building capacity to develop inclusive markets that contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially toward food security and inclusive economic growth.
