Report

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region faces significant challenges in the agricultural sector, primarily due to lack of reliable, accurate, and real-time farm data. This data gap hampers effective decision-making at the farm, country, and regional levels

The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) was founded by SADC member states to harmonise the implementation of agricultural research and development (R&D) in the SADC region. CCARDESA intends to address agricultural research and design issues in the SADC region. CCADERSA is executing its mandate through the four main interventions i.e. coordinate, facilitate, promote and improve agricultural technology generation, dissemination and adoption in the region through collective efforts, training and capacity building.

Agriculture plays a vital role in producing food and ecosystem services in the East and Southern African (ESA) region and is central to fostering regional economic growth, reducing poverty, and improving food security. Agriculture contributes between 4% and 27% of GDP and approximately 13% of overall export earnings, with about 70% of the region's population depending on agriculture for food, income, and employment. However, the region is facing numerous challenges from slow agricultural transformation, growing populations and increasing demand for food, urbanization, and climate change.

The 2024 CAADP-XP4 Joint Portfolio Review and Planning Meeting, organized by CORAF and held in Saly, Senegal, brought together key stakeholders to assess the progress of the CAADP-XP4 program and to strategically plan for the final year of implementation. Representatives from AFAAS, FARA, CORAF, ASARECA, and CCARDESA gathered to review milestones, identify pending tasks, and discuss new emerging priorities. The focus was on sustainability, agroecology, digitalization, and ensuring that the CAADP-XP4 program’s legacy continues post-closure. This report provides a detailed review of the discussions, key decisions, and agreements made during the meeting, with a strong emphasis on the strategic rationale for requesting a one-year no-cost extension

Food Systems provide a direct pathway to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) achievement in particular in regard to food insecurity and poverty. Therefore, transforming Food Systems – making them more productive, competitive and resilient is key. At the same time, Food Systems resilience is threatened by conflicts, climate change, inflation (rising food, fertilizer, fuel prices) and also pandemics e.g. Covid 19.

The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) is implementing a regional component of the European Union-funded ‘CAADP ex-Pillar 4 (X-P4) Programme in Southern Africa’ to support national agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (NAKIS) in African countries, benefiting smallholder farmers, youth, women, pastoralists, and marginalized communities.

Climate change poses a significant threat to Southern Africa's agricultural systems, which are vital for the region's food and nutrition security and economic stability.

The Government of Eswatini was offered support by CCARDESA to hold a Symposium on Apiculture for Forests Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods on the 26th March 2024 at the George Hotel, in Manzini. The symposium was followed by a two (2) days workshop for the apiculture technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Natural Resources. The beekeeping interim committee which comprises of experienced beekeepers and honey processors were the resource persons in the workshop who also represented the views of the farmers. The workshop was held on the 27th to the 28th March 2024 at the Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini.

The first Apiculture Symposium supported by CCARDESA convened at Hotel Selibe in Selibe Phikwe on the 21st to 23rd May 2024. About 100 participants from government departments, Non-Governmental Organisations, Trusts, Farmers (Beekeepers, Forestry, horticulture and arable), suppliers of beekeeping equipment, academia (Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources), Dikgosi, District Commissioner, Deputy Mayor of Selibe Phikwe town, FAO representatives, SPEDU, APIMONDIA and representative from SADC region; Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Lesotho, South Africa and Eswatini attended.

This is a report about the Regional Stakeholders (NARES) Sensitization of the Relevance of Foresight for Food Systems Training & Establishment of a Regional Hub in Zambia