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
