APA Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Close to 100 policymakers, researchers, and representatives from farmers’ organizations, donor and development agencies, and the private sector are convening on 23-24 November for an Africa-wide conference to improve agricultural and rural development across the continent on Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to a press statement from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the event is organized by the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS).

The theme is "Exploring New Opportunities and Strategic Alternatives to Inform African Agricultural Development, Planning, and Policy."

Facilitated by IFPRI, ReSAKSS supports implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

"Agricultural development can be a powerful source of economic growth and a key element in the fight against poverty, hunger, and malnutrition," said Professor Richard Mkandawire, head of CAADP at NEPAD.

"African policymakers must determine priorities, identify appropriate levels and areas of investment, allocate resources efficiently, and create comprehensive development strategies," he said.

To help achieve these goals, ReSAKSS provides analysis, data, and tools to promote evidence-based decisionmaking, fill gaps in knowledge, and support implementation of CAADP.

Recognizing the crucial role of agriculture in fostering growth and poverty reduction on the continent, African leaders launched CAADP in 2003 and agreed to commit at least ten percent of their national budgets to agriculture and achieve at least six percent annual growth in that sector.

The major aim of this conference, which runs at the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, is to assess countries’ progress in implementing CAADP, discuss what needs to be done in the future, and share experiences and success stories.

To date, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Niger, and Senegal have surpassed the target of committing ten percent of their budget to agriculture, and most countries have made significant progress towards this goal.

More than 20 countries in Africa have achieved agricultural growth rates of six percent or more.