Naivasha — The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Assets (AU-IBAR),with the funding of the Invoice & Melinda Gates Basis, is internet hosting a four-day high-level workshop in Naivasha, in a major step in direction of remodeling Africa’s pastoral economic system
The African Pastoral Markets Growth (APMD) Platform Technical Pillar Planning and Stakeholder Engagement workshop brings collectively consultants and key stakeholders from Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia to chart a transformative path for Africa’s pastoral communities.
The APMD Platform goals to drive market-led transformations in pastoralism, an important livelihood for hundreds of thousands throughout the continent.
The Platform additional seeks to combine pastoralists into extra profitable livestock markets, in a bid to reinforce their financial resilience.
APMD Platform mission lead Prof Ahmed Elbeltagy stated the workshop is an important a part of that course of, as it can validate precedence actions, develop a sturdy technical implementation plan, and establish each implementers and beneficiaries of the platform’s initiatives.
“It goals to handle the challenges dealing with pastoralist communities whereas unlocking the huge potential of pastoral markets on the continent,” he stated.
The APMD Platform contributes to key African Union methods similar to Agenda 2063 and the Complete Africa Agriculture Growth Programme (CAADP).
With a concentrate on sustainable improvement and rural resilience, the platform is ready to rework pastoral markets and uplift pastoral communities, offering a roadmap for Africa’s future.
Kenya and Nigeria have been recognized as a “Lighthouse Nation,” the place the APMD Platform will initially translate methods into motion.
Six further Strategic Outreach International locations (SOCs) will profit from the teachings realized throughout this section, in a bid to scale up success throughout the area.
“The objective is to foster collaboration amongst pastoral livestock stakeholders and make sure that pastoralists can entry extra worthwhile markets whereas making certain meals safety throughout Africa,” Prof Elbeltagy stated.
Pastoral communities kind the spine of Africa’s economic system, notably in arid and semi-arid areas, the place livestock farming gives a livelihood for hundreds of thousands.
Regardless of their significance, these communities face persistent challenges, together with restricted entry to markets, local weather change results, and coverage gaps.
Extended local weather change-related drought has led to the lack of hundreds of thousands of livestock in Africa, shattering the livelihoods of pastoralist communities.
Totally different stakeholders stated the APMD Platform is designed to offer sensible, market-driven options to those challenges, making certain pastoralism stays resilient and worthwhile.
The platform is anchored on three key pillars of enabling coverage atmosphere, purposeful knowledge ecosystem, and personal sector integration.
Specialists say fostering partnerships between pastoralists and personal enterprises will assist to enhance livestock advertising, commerce infrastructure, and financial alternatives.
