2004 SADC HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT SUMMIT ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY The Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Agriculture and Food Security was held in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania on 15 May 2004, and was chaired by His Excellency, Benjamin W. Mkapa, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. The Summit was held under the theme: Enhancing Agriculture and Food Security for Poverty Reduction in the SADC Region. The Heads of State and Government and Heads of Delegation present at the Summit were: Angola H.E. Prime Minister, Mr Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos Botswana Hon. Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Baledzi Gaolathe Democratic Republic H. E. Vice President Mr Jean Pierre of Congo Bemba Lesotho Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Mr Pakalitha Mosisili Malawi Hon. Minister of Housing, Mr Kaliyoma Phumisa Republic of Mauritius Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Food Technology and Natural Resources, Mr Nandcoomar Bodha Mozambique Hon Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Leonardo Simao Namibia H.E. President Dr Sam Nujoma South Africa Honourable Deputy President, Jacob Zuma Swaziland Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Mr Absalom T Dlamini United Republic of Tanzania H.E. President Mr Benjamin W. Mkapa Zambia His Honour Vice President Dr Nevers Mumba Zimbabwe H.E. President Mr Robert Gabriel Mugabe Seychelles was not represented at the Summit. Also in attendance were Members of the SADC Council of Ministers and SADC Ministers of Agriculture, the Executive Secretary of SADC, Dr Prega Ramsamy, the Director General of the Food Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Dr Jacques Diouf, NEPAD, representatives of the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the World Food Programme, and the Africa Zero Emissions Research Initiative (ZERI). In his official opening statement, His Excellency President Mkapa, the Chairperson of SADC extended a warm welcome to the Heads of State and Government and all delegates to the Summit. He underlined the need for the region to continue to fight together for economic liberation of Southern Africa, especially in finding a lasting solution to the pressing questions of food security and sustainable poverty reduction. He said the Summit affords SADC Leaders an opportunity to build political will to put the question of agriculture and food security at the heart of national and regional priorities. Quoting an African proverb that says "Where there is no shame there is no honour", President Mkapa called on the Leaders to bring honour to SADC by ensuring that the region feeds itself on a sustainable basis. In his introductory statement, the Executive Secretary of SADC said that the Extra-Ordinary Summit allowed SADC to have an action oriented road map with a clear time frame and responsibilities that will enable the region to address the situation. He stressed that food security was an urgent necessity and therefore there is need to combine efforts at the household, national, regional and continental levels to combat hunger and food shortages. In his address to the opening session of the Summit, the Director General for Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Dr Jacques Diouf said FAO is providing assistance to each Member State for the preparation or update of five-year national programmes of agricultural development and food security under the NEPAD Comprehensive Agriculture Programme. FAO has also worked with SADC in preparing a Regional Programme for Food Security for which resources are now needed for implementation. Summit was preceded by meetings of the Extra-Ordinary Council of Ministers and Ministers of Agriculture and Natural resources who met in February 2004. Summit noted with concern that total cereal production in the SADC region has remained stagnant for over a decade remaining at the same level in 2003 as it was in 1990, with an estimated 22,753 000 and 22,062 000 metric tonnes respectively. In the same period the population has grown from 152 million to 212 million. Summit further noted that agriculture is a major sector in SADC, contributing 35% to the regional GDP and 13% of total export earnings. In addition, about 70% of the population of SADC depends on agriculture for food, income and employment. However, given the huge land mass available in SADC suitable for the production of food crops and livestock farming, agricultural productivity remains at very low levels. In this regard, the SADC Heads of State and Government adopted and signed the Dar es Salaam Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in the SADC Region, which reaffirms their commitment to ensuring accelerated agricultural development and sustainable food security, as a matter of urgency through multi-sectoral strategic interventions in accordance with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the Declarations of the World Food Summit in 1996 and 2002 and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP). The Dar es Salaam Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security also identified a number of priority areas on which SADC will focus in the next two (2) years and medium to long term actions in order to achieve sustainable food security in the region. In this regard, Member States undertook to ensure availability and access of key agricultural inputs to farmers. In addition The Summit also underscored the need to provide targeted support to vulnerable farmers with key inputs such as improved seed varieties, fertilizers, agrochemicals, tillage services and farm implements which are critical to increased agricultural production in the region. Summit also stressed the need for Member States to vigorously embark on water management programmes such as flood control to prevent the loss of human life and livestock and the destruction of agricultural land and infrastructure. Equally Member States, in accordance with the Revised Protocol on Shared Water Courses, are encouraged to support programmes on water harvesting, inter-basin water transfers and the construction of water storage facilities in order to enhance agricultural development and other uses. Member States also undertook to accelerate and up-scale the adoption and use of irrigation technologies such as treadle and motorized pumps, canalization and water saving technologies. On agricultural financing and investment, Summit called on all Member States to progressively increase financing to agriculture by allocating at least 10% of the respective national budgets within a period of five years in line with the African Union Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security of July 2003. Summit also urged Member States to mobilize resources for agro-processing and to up-scale the establishment and use of rural intermediaries such as savings and credit schemes and rural mobile banks. Summit also agreed to consider setting up a regional Agricultural Development Bank/Facility, which could be financed through private equity, Member States Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and International Finance Institutions. On the region's disaster preparedness capacity, Summit considered the possibility of establishing of a Regional Food Reserve Facility, which would include both a physical reserve and a financial facility. In this regard, studies are to be conducted on the early warning and monitoring system, including a review of the SADC Food Security Early Warning System; a food reserve system that allows SADC to respond to food emergencies; and a risk insurance instrument that identifies a risk management strategy and safety-net support and strategies. Summit further noted the prevalence of gender inequality with regard to access and ownership of land in some Member States, credit facilities and agricultural inputs leading to the marginalization of women despite the fact that they constitute 70% of the labour force in agricultural production. In this regard, Summit urged Member States to enhance gender mainstreaming, in particular by enacting non-discriminatory laws on finance, credit and land. Member States were also urged to promote gender sensitive technologies, particularly on agro-processing. Summit stressed the need for Member States to mainstream efforts to combat of HIV and AIDS and other chronic diseases control in the agriculture and natural resources policies and programmes. Consequently, Member States were urged to review their HIV and AIDS mitigation programmes and implement the SADC HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework and Plan of Action 2003-2007 to ensure food security in the region. Other priority areas adopted by Summit include the following: Promotion of programmes to remove farm labour constraints and to facilitate the development of rural infrastructure such as roads, information and communication technology, water and sanitation services, and electricity; Acceleration of land policy reform initiatives and share experiences of best practices; Improving agro-industrial development and processing; Control and eradicate crop and livestock pests and diseases; Increasing the production of crop, livestock and fisheries resources; Engaging in non-traditional agriculture production such as mushrooms for food security; Ensuring the sustainable use and management of natural resources; Undertaking research, technology development and disseminating the information and findings widely; Involving the private sector in agriculture and rural development; and Enhancing market access for agricultural products. Summit undertook to implement, at the national and regional levels, the commitments, resolutions and intentions contained in the Declaration and in the complementary Plan of Action in order to improve the welfare of the people of the SADC region. Summit therefore directed the Integrated Committee of Ministers to initiate urgent follow-up activities in order to expedite the implementation of the Declaration and the Action Plan. Summit also undertook to review progress on the implementation of this Declaration at the end of every two (2) years from the date of signature. Summit expressed appreciation to the Government of the Republic of South Africa for a donation of One Hundred Million Rands (R100,000,000) to the SADC region. The resources will be used for agricultural inputs, food aid and for a vulnerability monitoring system. Summit congratulated the Government of the Republic of South Africa for winning the right to host the 2010 World Cup. Summit expressed appreciation to the Government and people of the United Republic of Tanzania for hosting the Extra-Ordinary Summit on Agriculture and Food Security and for the warm hospitality extended to all the delegates. Summit also thanked the Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Programme, the European Union, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, African Union and the Africa Zero Emissions Research Initiative (ZERI) for their valuable contributions during the Summit and the meetings that preceded it. 15 May 2004 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania