FAO Regional Office for Africa

Purchase from Africans for Africa and Institutional Markets Knowledge Sharing Seminar, 2-6 June 2014, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

WHAT:      PAA Africa and Institutional Markets Knowledge Sharing Seminar
WHERE:    Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
WHEN:      Monday, 2 to 6 June 2014 (including a field visit to Hawasa, 270 km south of Addis Ababa)
WHO:        

  • H.E. Mr. Tefera Derebew, Minister of Agriculture, FDRE
  • H.E. Ato Fuad Ibrahim, State Minister of Education, FDRE
  • Mr Lamourdia Thiombiano, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa
  • Mr Modibo Traore, FAO Representative to the African Union and UNECA and Sub Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and Representative to Ethiopia
  • Mr. Pascal Joannes, Deputy Country Director in Ethiopia, World Food Programme

Background

The Purchase from Africans for Africa Programme is a joint initiative of the Brazilian government, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Its creation was inspired by the successful Brazilian experience with the “Food Purchase Programme” (PAA), which is in place since 2003 as part of Brazil´s Zero Hunger Strategy. PAA Africa seeks to promote the food security of school children and small-scale family farmers’ access to institutional markets by implementing local food purchase initiatives for food assistance. Initiated in February 2012, the programme is implemented in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger and Senegal. In January 2014 it started its phase II, planned for 5 years with two sub-phases of 18 and 42 months.

PAA Africa does not stand alone. A number of important initiatives that use local institutional food procurement are in place throughout the African continent. PAA leverages WFP's Purchase for Progress (P4P) initiative which supports food procurement from smallholder farmers in 15 countries in the continent.

Animated by the PAA Africa experience and knowledge sharing so far, this event seeks to provide an opportunity for political and technical dialogue on PAA Africa and on similar local food purchase initiatives in Africa. It will bring together actors from governments, civil society, FAO, WFP and other partners to discuss country.

Objectives of the Seminar

  • Deepen the technical knowledge sharing on the implementation of PAA Africa and the design of local institutional purchase policies and programmes;
  • Identify potential gaps and needs regarding PAA Africa and local procurement initiatives in terms of implementation/consolidation/expansion, in order to jointly propose possible solutions;
  • Promote dialogue on local institutional purchase among political officials in the region, including on ways to foster youth participation and gender equality in agriculture;
  • Support dialogue with non-PAA African countries to foster the debate on the need to develop sustainable initiatives to support family farmers and promote food and nutrition security; and
  • Support civil society discussion and involvement in local institutional purchase strategies.

Accreditation

Only opening sessions are open to accredited media. Kindly R.S.V.P at:

  • Melese Awoke | Public Information Officer, World Food Programme
    [email protected] | 0911 20 1981
  • Tewodro Negash | Communications officer, Food and Agricultural Organization [email protected] | 0911 42 2991

More information