On 21 October 2019, FAO Namibia and the Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry (MAWF) launched  the project “Support Towards the Operationalisation of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (STOSAR)” for Namibia. The 33 month long project is financed by the European Union’s 11^th Economic Development Fund Programme (EDF 11) with FAO as the lead implementing agency. Including all 16 member states the project will operationalize the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP) approved in June 2013 by the SADC Council of Ministers to develop and advance agriculture in the region. As a follow up, the SADC Regional Agricultural Investment Plan (RAIP) was approved in July 2016 to operationalize the RAP. The RAIP was prepared in the context of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), established in Maputo in 2003 as a Pan-African policy framework to transform agriculture, create wealth, improve food security and nutrition and promote inclusive economic growth.

The three components are as follows; the first two components will be implemented by FAO and the third to be implemented by the SADC Secretariat.

1. enhancing information on agricultural production, sustainability and competitiveness for evidence-based decision-making;

2. improving access to markets through implementation of plant and animal pest and disease control strategies at the regional level;

3.  facilitating implementation of some components of the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Strategy (FNSS) in SADC Member States

The focus of the project is to enhance information management systems and control of transboundary plant pests and animal diseases to create sustainable agricultural growth, socio-economic growth, promote trade and enhance food and nutrition security within the SADC region.

Additionally, the implementation of an integrated Agricultural Information Management System (AIMS) is proposed for member states to be effectively linked in a regional set up.  “The project will also address information dissemination challenges and provide the technical expertise and financial resources at national and regional levels for hardware and software provision including coordination mechanisms” said Ferdinard Mwapopi, Assistant FAO Representative (Programme).

Overall, the project aims to ensure that the measures taken at regional and national levels will contribute towards improved rural livelihoods, food security and increased opportunities in trade.