NEPAD, Fairtrade Africa agree to support rollout of Africa’s biggest agric programme

NEPAD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fairtrade Africa in order to support the implementation of the continent’s agric programme known as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

Through joint activities, NEPAD said in a statement on its website February 13, 2012 that it “will be able to better access Fairtrade Africa’s extensive network in order to facilitate access of African smallholder farmers to high level markets, by connecting producers and consumers, promoting fairer trading conditions and empowering producers to combat poverty.”

In return, the NEPAD stated that mainstreaming CAADP into Fairtrade will lead to the contribution of CAADP’s growth targets and agriculture-led development in Africa.

The objectives of the MoU, the agency says are “joint resource mobilisation, facilitation of Fairtrade activities in the African wide region, capacity building of producer organizations and support of women in the Fair Trade business.”

The MoU was signed by Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, NEPAD’s Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Michael Kwame Nkonu who is the Executive Director of Fairtrade Africa.

Fairtrade Africa represents the interest of Fairtrade certified producers in Africa and to promote their socio-economic development through trade.

In Africa, the body is working in 28 countries and with over 290 producer organisations, representing more than 600,000 individual farmers and workers who are involved in various value chains including coffee, cocoa, tea, vegetables, fruits, wine, cotton and seeds and nuts.

By Ekow Quandzie