The 3rd Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (21-25 October 2019) has formally endorsed Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) as the official host to the Secretariat of the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOA-I) and requested the African Union Commission (AUC), AUDA-NEPAD and partners to strengthen and support its functioning. The mandate gives BvAT the official responsibility to support the Secretariat which is the AUC official support agency in the implementation of the AU decision on Organic Agriculture in Africa as per the African Heads of States and Government decision passed at its Eighteenth Ordinary Session in January 2011 on Organic Farming (OA) (EX.CL/631 (XVIII). The STC also urged Member States to mainstream Ecological Organic Agriculture into their National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs) and allocate adequate resources for its growth and development.
During a briefing to the BvAT staff and sharing congratulatory messages from the BvAT Board of Trustees, the Executive Director, Dr. David Amudavi expressed his appreciation and delight by this endorsement adding that the high-profile recognition also calls for higher standards of work, commitment and accountability. Of particular mention was that, the Chair of the AU led EOA-I Continental Steering Committee (CSC), Dr. Simplice Nouala (Head of Division Agriculture and Food Security at Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission) has already tasked BvAT to take lead on the consultations of drafting of appropriate EOA indicators to track the status of EOA-I implementation to be included in the AU led Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Biennial Review Reporting process.
The Board of BvAT is pleased with this new development and has sent its messages of goodwill to the staff for the wonderful achievement and very well deserved and to the AUC for this recognition. In his remarks, the Chair of the BvAT Board of Trustees, Mr. Andi Schriber has welcomed the endorsement noting that it has been long overdue since BvAT has been hosting the AU led EOA-I Continental Secretariat for almost five years now. Mr. Schriber added that although it is going to be a challenging and interesting year for all of us, BvAT is equally matched to this noble responsibility. The development provides a big motivation to move forward with the current road map for BvAT’s institutional development, focusing on its monitoring & evaluation system among its priority areas.
Compiled by:
Dr. David Amudavi, Mr. Alex Mutungi and Ms. Venancia Wambua (BvAT EOA-I Team)