Highlights and images for 29 November 2016

Kenya

Summary

The second day of the African Soil Seminar opened with three parallel thematic sessions. The first session discussed the links between land governance and sustainable land management in Africa, drawing on lessons from Benin and Burkina Faso.

The second session explored opportunities to bridge the shortfall in funding commitments for land and soil restoration, such as the estimated US$150 billion required to restore 150 million hectares of agricultural land in order to contribute to the food security aim of the New York Challenge. The session also highlighted the recently launched Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund, an initiative of the Global Mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which seeks to leverage public funds with private capital.

The third session discussed how to design and address food policies through youth programmes and involvement that respond to the challenge of severe hunger and food insecurity that is faced by millions of people around the world, especially in Africa.

In the afternoon, a High-Level Plenary convened to discuss the next steps, supporting policies, and partnerships necessary to ensure holistic and effective follow up and review of implementation of the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The discussions explored, among other questions: the kinds of information and knowledge needed to ensure effective monitoring of sustainable land and soil management targets; how to ensure that this information is made available to the poorest and most vulnerable communities; and how to incorporate a wide range of stakeholders into monitoring, follow-up and review mechanisms, especially in the face of a shrinking space for civil society in many countries.  

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided a summary of the African Soil Seminar on the 3rd of December 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Herman Njoroge Chege
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Thematic Session on Land Governance and Sustainable Land Management in Africa: What Lessons to Draw?

From L-R: Simon Bodea, TERRE et VIE; Marcellin Allagbe, Centre d'Action Régional pour le Développement Rural (CARDER), Benin; Saydou Koudougou, Groupe de Recherche et d'Action sur le Foncier (GRAF), Burkina Faso; and André Tioro, GRAF, Burkina Faso

Sayodu Koudougou, GRAF, Burkina Faso

Marcellin Allagbe, CARDER, Benin

André Tioro, GRAF, Burkina Faso

Simon Bodea, TERRE et VIE, Benin

Mary Githaiga, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Kenya

Austin Godwin Chiazor Onuoha, African Center for Corporate Responsibility

Conclusions from the thematic session on land governance and sustainable land management

Thematic Session on Making Investments in Soil Rehabilitation Count for Food Insecure Farmers

Clarisse Aduma, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB Group), discussed innovative financing instruments targeted at smallholder farmers.

Philip Osano, Stockholm Environment Institute

Yosuke Kotsuji, International Finance Cooperation

 

 

 

Thematic Session on Food Security Policies for 2030

Matheus Alves Zanella, Global Soil Forum, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany (IASS)

 

Janet Maro, Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania

Samie Blasingame, IASS

Siyabonga Myeza, Environmental Monitoring Group, South Africa

Nicodemus Nyandiko, Masinde Muliro University, Kenya

Boniface Kiteme, Centre for Training and Integrated Research in ASAL (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) Development, Kenya

Diana Lee-Smith, Mazingira Institute, Kenya

Daouda Maiga, Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, Burkina Faso

Participants at tea and coffee break

 

 

Plenary on Measuring What Matters: What Knowledge do We Need to Ensure That We Are Moving Forward?

From L-R: Ivonne Lobos Alva, IASS; Habtamu Hailu, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ethiopia; McBride Nkhalamba, African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Secretariat; Florence Mtambanengwe, University of Zimbabwe; Solomon Mkumbwa, UN-HABITAT, Kenya; Rose Oluoch, SDGs Kenya Forum; and Jes Weigelt, IASS

Jes Weigelt, IASS

Session Facilitator, Ivonne Lobos Alva, IASS

McBride Nkhalamba, APRM Secretariat

Habtamu Hailu, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ethiopia

Rose Oluoch, SDGs Kenya Forum

Florence Mtambanengwe, University of Zimbabwe

Members of MoTra, an all-female percussion band based in Nairobi, Kenya, entertained participants during the session

MoTra, entertained participants during the session

 

 

 

 

Around the Venue

 

 

 

Participants

Negotiating blocs
African Union
Non-state coalitions
Farmers