Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), European Union (EU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) launch EUR 10 million initiative to accelerate the implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Agricultural Policy
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has launched the second phase of the European Union (EU)-funded project Support Towards the Operationalization of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (STOSAR II).
The launch, held in Gaborone, Botswana, marked a renewed commitment to advancing food and nutrition security, strengthening food security systems, enhancing climate resilience, and boosting regional agricultural value chains and market access across in the SADC region. The second phase builds on the achievements of STOSAR I, which was implemented from December 2018 to February 2024.
Supporting the transformation of food systems
STOSAR II aims to support the implementation of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP) by enhancing institutional capacities, promoting regional integration, and supporting the transformation of food systems. Through this programme, countries will be better equipped to address key challenges affecting agriculture, including pests and diseases, climate change, under resourced value chains and limited market access.
'The STOSAR Project plays a pivotal role in operationalizing the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP), by enhancing agricultural productivity, inclusive value chains, and ensuring sustainable food systems that leave no one behind,' said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, during the launch.
EU support for regional resilience and innovation
The European Union is financing STOSAR II under its 'Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture' (DeSIRA) initiative. This support underscores the EU's commitment to enhancing agricultural transformation and resilience in the region.
'The EU and SADC agreed to sign the STOSAR II programme for EUR 10 million, the goal of which is to contribute to a climate-relevant, productive, inclusive and sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems,' said Clement Boutillier, Head of Development Cooperation, EU Delegation to Botswana and SADC.
He added that 'By supporting regional integration through RAP, particularly in building regional value chains in the context of the global food crisis, the EU supports SADC countries to reduce dependency on external food imports and build resilient local systems.'
Regional call for action
Also speaking at the launch, the Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture for Botswana, Edwin Gorataone Dikoloti, emphasized the need for collective action across the region. 'We must all join hands to build resilience and drive the transformation of our agrifood systems, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for agriculture in our region,' he said.
'STOSAR II is being launched in a time that the new CAADP process, guided by the Kampala Declaration, and approved by the African Heads of State and Government in January 2025, will also start to be operationalized. This process has shifted from pure agriculture focus to a wider agri-foods systems approach,' said Domingos Gove, Director of the SADC Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Directorate.
Key components of STOSAR II to drive impact
STOSAR II will focus on four strategic components which are:
Enhancing agricultural information systems to support evidence-based decision-making and facilitate regional trade;
Strengthening strategies for the management of plant and animal pests and diseases, with improved compliance with international Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures;
Improving food and nutrition security monitoring and implementation capacity in SADC Member States; and
Increasing the operational capacity of agricultural institutions and value chain actors to promote innovation and sustainability, including agro-ecological approaches.
A collaborative start to implementation
The launch took place during a four-day inception workshop attended by over 120 participants from all 16 SADC Member States. The workshop provided a platform to review the project's implementation framework and initiate the development of country-level work plans to ensure effective implementation.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FAO Regional Office for Africa.
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