Africa agriculture transformation scorecard performance and lessons for Malawi

In line with the continental commitment on mutual accountability, Malawi implemented the BR process to track progress in the implementation of the CAADP agenda, particularly the 2014 Malabo commitments. The process provided a platform for stakeholders in the agriculture sector (the public sector, private sector, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, and research institutions) to hold each other mutually accountable on both the financial and nonfinancial commitments they made on common development goals for the agriculture sector. The BR process also helped provide a platform for agriculture sector stakeholders to learn from each other (peer learning). The objective of this brief is to present Malawi’s performance and discuss lessons from the implementation of the inaugural CAADP BR mechanism

Maize flour price trends in rural districts and urban districts of Lesotho under COVID-19

This bulletin focuses on the relationship between maize flour price trends and the actions in response to COVID-19 Pandemic in Lesotho. An understanding of food price movement is important for providing guidance on policy interventions that would ensure food security among households and the country at large

Africa agriculture transformation scorecard performance and lessons for Lesotho

This BR brief shows that Lesotho was not on track to meet the Malabo Declaration targets for 2025. Three commitments were on track: recommitment to CAADP, boosting intra-Africa trade in agriculture, and mutual accountability for action and results, while the others were not on track. Lesotho was on track on 6 of the 43 indicators, highlighting the substantial efforts required to implement the commitments of the Malabo Declaration and national priorities in the agriculture sector. This brief summarizes the performance, key issues, and recommendations for Lesotho from the inaugural BR report to help improve and strengthen the country’s efforts to domesticate and implement the commitments of the Malabo Declaration within its own national agricultural investment plan and strategy

THE NATURE OF PUBLIC AGRICULTURAL SPENDING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

This paper sets out to analyses and present trends in investments in agriculture in the SADC region. In pursuing this goal the paper empirically highlights the importance of disaggregating expenditure data when examining its links to measures of productivity and poverty. This is important because not all types of expenditure have the potential to positively impact on productivity and poverty. In order to pursue the goals set out in this paper, analysis focused mainly on data on agricultural public expenditure for Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  Trend analysis leads to the following main findings:  Various countries have tended to invest in their agricultural sectors differently across time, but investments have been limited and volatile, while the quality of spending has also gone down.  There is also public agricultural expenditure bias towards crops at the expense of other sectors.  The major implication is that there is need for more concerted efforts in the SADC to ensure  more and better-targeted agricultural growth enhancing investment

Africa agriculture transformation scorecard performance and lessons for Eswatini

The objective of this brief is to analyze Eswatini’s performance and discuss lessons from the implementation of the inaugural CAADP BR mechanism. Based on the results, recommendations are proposed for strengthening mutual accountability and performance of the agriculture sector in Eswatini. The analysis is based on results of the Africa Agriculture Transformation Scorecard (AATS) that was presented to African Heads of State and Government in January 2018. Additional information for the analysis came from technical notes in Eswatini’s BR report. Furthermore, experiences and lessons from continental and regional engagements in the implementation of the BR process were also integrated in the analysis

Africa agriculture transformation scorecard performance and lessons for Zimbabwe

The main objective of this BR brief is to summarize the performance, key issues, and recommendations for improving progress toward agricultural transformation in Zimbabwe. This brief provides recommendations and action items based on Zimbabwe’s performance in the inaugural BR mechanism to help the country improve its domestication and implementation of the Malabo Declaration commitments. In addition, recommendations are shared to help the country strengthen mutual accountability to actions and results, ultimately contributing to improving the country’s progress towards achieving the Malabo targets by 2025

Trends in public agricultural spending in Swaziland

Swaziland as a developing middle income country has continuously sought to create an enabling environment for the development of the agricultural sector. The country has enacted policies and strategies together with programs to facilitate the attainment of growth targets in the agricultural sector (World Bank, 2011). Consequently, this will lead to the attainment of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) targets, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and facilitate economic growth.Non-PRIFPRI1; ReSAKSSDSG

The nature of public agricultural spending in southern Africa

This paper sets out to analyses and present trends in investments in agriculture in the SADC region. In pursuing this goal the paper empirically highlights the importance of disaggregating expenditure data when examining its links to measures of productivity and poverty. This is important because not all types of expenditure have the potential to positively impact on productivity and poverty. In order to pursue the goals set out in this paper, analysis focused mainly on data on agricultural public expenditure for Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Trend analysis leads to the following main findings: Various countries have tended to invest in their agricultural sectors differently across time, but investments have been limited and volatile, while the quality of spending has also gone down. There is also public agricultural expenditure bias towards crops at the expense of other sectors. The major implication is that there is need for more concerted efforts in the SADC to ensure more and better-targeted agricultural growth enhancing investments