21/04/2022

Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (SAM) in Africa remains to be an urgent imperative and an indispensable pillar for attaining the Malabo Declaration: Zero Hunger Vision by 2025, Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals - and Agenda 2063, the Prosperous Africa We Want. Doubling agricultural productivity and eliminating hunger and malnutrition in Africa by 2025 will not be realized unless mechanization along the food value chain is accorded utmost priority. In this context, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through an Africa-wide consultative process, developed the Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa (F-SAMA). Launched in 2018, the framework has ten priority elements geared towards mainstreaming SAM into national and regional agricultural development programmes.

 On March 31^st 2022, Directors and Heads of Agricultural Mechanization and Engineering Services (DAMES) from various African countries and other key stakeholders convened virtually to actualize the establishment of operational structures for the implementation of the Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (F-SAMA) at sub-regional and regional levels. The webinar was jointly organized by the FAO, the AUC and the African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) and attracted 68 invited participants, including DAMES from 30 countries and representatives of four Regional Economic Communities (RECS).

 This webinar was built on the successful exchanges and lessons learnt through a series of eight webinars held since November 2020.During the meeting, participants called for expedited actions towards collaboration among the DAMES and agreed on establishing a formal network to realize the long-term vision for implementing sustainable agricultural mechanization in Africa. The network will support efficient collaboration, networking, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance and will strengthen the development and promotion of agricultural mechanization in Africa.

 Participants highlighted that mechanization interventions should be tailored to local contexts and be consistent with national long-term agricultural and economic development plans. Furthermore, effective adoption and scaling of sustainable agricultural mechanization in Africa requires substantial political and financial commitment from both governments and the private sector.

The journey towards establishment of operational structures for implementation of the F-SAMA at sub-regional and regional levels has successfully commenced with the formation of an Interim Steering Committee of the DAMES, supported by the AfricaMechanize  Platform Secretariat (FAO, ACT and AUC). The Committee will report their progress to the Assembly of the DAMES on May 24^th, 2022.