SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION IN AFRICA’S AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

May 28, 2024

SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION IN AFRICA’S AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

The demand for engaging India through its agriculture-related experience, capacity building, investment, and partnership is high among smaller organizations and enterprises in Africa.

Enhancing Agricultural Value Chains

Exciting developments were discussed in Nairobi at the 11th Sankalp Africa summit on scaling agricultural innovation through South-South collaboration. Attendees from across Africa gathered to explore solutions for their communities, with a focus on the success of Indian models in various countries.

Key Focus Areas

The agriculture and South-South cooperation session aimed at creating a deeper understanding of the challenges facing agricultural value chains in Africa. Discussions emphasized the role of agricultural innovations, targeted interventions, and sustainable development approaches to benefit small farmers. Key areas of focus included:

• Innovative Agricultural Enterprises: These enterprises foster cross-border partnerships and are crucial as the East African Community expands and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area progresses.

• Agriculture in India-Africa Cooperation: India-Africa cooperation has traditionally focused heavily on agriculture, featuring prominently in PM Modi’s 10-point action plan for Africa.

Overcoming Barriers

Despite numerous initiatives like seed demonstration centres and rural technology centres offered by India, their absorption by African governments has been challenging. The private sector and civil society have shown better absorption rates and conducive environments for backward integration.

Sustainable Development and Technology

Sustainable development in agriculture includes enhancing food security, promoting renewable energy, and creating jobs, especially for women. This involves focusing on value chains, such as cassava for edible oils and biofuels, and scaling up commercial success with smallholder farmers.

Investment and Support

Impact projects, which focus on small farmers through investments and support programs, are essential. These projects aim to address challenges like access to credit facilities, especially for women, and encourage the adoption of technology for better production and marketing.

Commodity Exchanges

Discussions highlighted why India’s example of commodity exchanges had not been fully followed in Africa. While Ethiopia has a commodity exchange modelled on India’s MCX experience, other African countries have yet to adopt such systems, limiting marketing opportunities.

Boosting Cooperation

South-South cooperation has received a boost under India’s G20 presidency and the India-Africa Forum Summit processes. Supporting the private sector to integrate South-South development cooperation into sustainable investment and business formats is crucial.

The high demand for India’s agricultural expertise and partnership among smaller organizations and enterprises in Africa underscores the potential for further collaboration and growth.

SRIRAM’s