The 2013 southern Africa regional dialogue on agriculture: brief presentation on the Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP), presented Martin Muchiero, SADC FANR, at The 2013 Southern Africa Regional Dialogue on Agriculture, 05-06 November 2013

1. Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP)
THE 2013 SOUTHERN AFRICA REGIONAL DIALOGUE
ON AGRICULTURE
BRIEF PRESENTATION ON THE RAP
BIRCHWOOD HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE, O.R. TAMBO
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
6 November 2013
FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIRECTORATE
SADC SECRETARIAT

2. SADC – RAP
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
1. Conceptual Framework for RAP
2. RAP Policy Issues and Interventions
3. Linkages between RAP and CAADP
4. Towards Policy Implementation
5. Envisioned RAP Implementation Mechanism
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3. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR RAP
Expected Impact of the RAP
1. It is expected that the RAP would, among other benefits,
– Create a framework for harmonizing and integrating policy objectives, strategies and
programmes of the Member States;
– Provide opportunities to capitalize on the trade benefits of improved resource
allocation and greater competition;
– Provide improved market access to other countries; and
– Strengthen multilateral bargaining power in international fora.
2. The RAP would also facilitate the preparation of requests and serve as a catalyst to attract
and channel urgently needed additional external assistance and investment for agriculture
in a more prioritized and coherent manner.
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4. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Contribute towards the attainment of the SADC Common
Agenda which promotes sustainable and equitable economic
growth and socio-economic development
•
Goal
Overall
objective
Contribute to sustainable agricultural growth and
socio-economic development
Improve regional and international
trade and access to markets of
agricultural products
1
Enhance Sustainable
Production, Productivity
& Competitiveness
Specific
Objectives
2
Improve private & public
sector engagement &
investment in the
agricultural value-chains
Reduce social & economic vulnerability in
the context of food and nutrition security
and the changing economic and climatic
environment
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3
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5. SADC – RAP
Criteria for Prioritisation of Policy Issues and
Interventions
Priority setting criteria
In addition to the principles guiding the RAP formulation, the following criteria was used to
prioritise policy issues for consideration under the RAP:
1. Regional relevance - regional coordination adds value to national
intervention
2. Significant developmental impact;
3. There must exist justification of public intervention ;
4. Consistency with SADC’s policy agenda (e.g. Treaty, Protocols and other
commitments);
5. Issues that can feasibly be implemented
6. Relevance to the goal, purpose and objectives of the RAP.
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6. Specific Objectives of the RAP
Specific Objective No. 1 :
Enhance sustainable agricultural production, productivity and competitiveness
Focus Areas:
1. Access to factors of production (e.g. productive land, water and energy, capital
including human capital, etc) with a focus on productivity-enhancing inputs
(including plant and animal genetic materials, soil-fertility enhancers) and control of
pests and diseases;
2. The provision of effective farm support systems and services, including R&D,
technology and knowledge generation, adoption and dissemination, institutions
(including legislative and regulatory frameworks) and farmer organisation support;
and
3. The sustainable utilisation of natural resources and the environment. It is not
enough to simply provide land but ‘quality land’ for purposes of agricultural
production. Furthermore, the maximum sustainable use (including production and
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processing) of natural resource products such as fisheries and forestry

7. Specific Objectives of the RAP
Specific Objective No. 2:
Improve regional and international trade and access to markets of
agricultural products
Focus Areas
1. The promotion of more effective and efficient input and output markets and
regional trade partnerships (including agro dealerships, price instability/risk
management, market information and intelligence systems, networks of
commodity exchanges and Public-Private sector Partnership (PPP) in agribusiness investment);
2. The facilitation and regulation of regional and international trade (including
tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, standards and quality issues, trade
agreements);
3. The provision of adequate agriculture related market infrastructure (e.g.,
roads, transport, storage and handling facilities, and communications) to reduce
marketing costs and enable access to input and output markets by the farmers.
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8. Specific Objectives of the RAP
Specific Objective No. 3:
Improve private and public sector engagement and investment in
the agricultural value-chains
Focus areas
1. The promotion of regional agricultural value-chains, including agri-business
and agro-processing; and
2. The provision of agricultural (particularly rural) financing for the whole
agricultural value chain.
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9. Specific Objectives of the RAP
Specific Objective No. 4:
Reduce social and economic vulnerability of the region’s population in the context of
food and nutrition security and the changing economic and climatic environment
Focus areas
1. Mitigation and adaptation against environmental shocks including climate
change and variability;
2. The mainstreaming into agriculture policies of gender equity and vulnerability
of specific groups (HIV/AIDS and rural migrants) as related to agriculture;
3. The promotion of strategies to improve on chronic and acute vulnerability to
the diversity of food security risks as it affects agriculture; and
4. The promotion of strategies to improve employment and participation of the
rural youth in agriculture.
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10. LINKAGES BETWEEN RAP AND CAADP
RAP Specific Objective / RAP intervention Area
CAADP Pillar
Enhance Sustainable Agricultural Production, Productivity, Competitiveness
Land , Energy and Water for Agriculture
Pillar 1
Productivity enhancing inputs
Pillar 4
Forestry and Fisheries
-
Farm support systems and services
Pillar 2, 4
Improve Regional and International Trade and Access to Markets of Agricultural products
Input and output markets and broad farmer participation
Pillar 2, 3, 4
Regional and international trade environment for agriculture
Pillar 2
Agriculture related market infrastructure
Pillar 2
Improve private and public sector engagement and investment in the Agric Value Chains
Value Chain promotion in Agriculture
Pillar 2, 3
Mobilisation of financial capital
Pillar 2
Reduced social and economic vulnerability of region’s population in the context of food & nutrition
security and changing economic and climate context
Addressing Climate change and variability
Pillar 1, 4
Mitigating Chronic and Transitory vulnerability including gender, HIV/AIDS,
migrant/mobile rural people and unemployment and marginalisation of rural youth
Pillar 3
Pillar 1: Extending the area under sustainable land management and reliable water control systems
Pillar 2: Improving rural infrastructure and trade-related capacities for market access
Pillar 3: Increasing food supply, reducing hunger and improving responses to food emergency crises
Pillar 4: Improving agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption
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11. TOWARDS POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
The following still need to be developed to operationalise the RAP
1. Develop RAP Investment Plan (linked to the CAADP Process) (by Dec 2013), i.e.
a. Develop RAP Results Framework (which will outline targets and related
indicators)
b. Develop RAP programmes to be implemented to achieve desired targets
c. Cost the RAP programmes (therefore define the levels of funding and types of
resources required to implement the RAP - RAP Investment Plan)
d. Financial and economic analysis of RAP programmes for purposes of
sequencing programme implementation for impact at least cost
2. Development and signing of the SADC Regional CAADP Compact based on the
approved RAP
3. Develop the RAP Implementation Instruments
i. Agricultural Development Fund (linked to the overall SADC Regional
Development Fund)
ii. Institutional and governance Structures for the RAP
iii. M&E Systems for the RAP
iv. Rules and regulations for the RAP
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12. ENVISIONED RAP PROGRAMME
IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISM
“NATIONAL INTERVENTIONS”
Implemented at MS level
“REGIONAL ONLY INTERVENTIONS”
Implemented at regional level
Specific Objective 1: Enhance Sustainable Production, Productivity & Competitiveness
 w interventions
RAP
(Policy)
 α interventions
Specific Objective 2: Improve regional and international trade and access to markets of agricultural
products
 x interventions
 β interventions
Specific Objective 3: Improve private & public sector engagement & investment in the agricultural value-chains
 y interventions
 γ interventions
Specific Objective 4: Reduce social and economic vulnerability of the region’s population in the context of food and
nutrition security and the changing economic and climatic environment
 z interventions
 δ interventions
RAP Agricultural
Development
Fund (ADF)
Programme
Implementation
BUDGET
Terms (SADC-MS shared %...)
Member State 1
PLANNING
Programme A
Programme B
etc.
Specific formal
agreement with SADC
Implementation
MS 2
PLANNING
Programme C
Programme D
etc.
Specific agreement
Implementation
BUDGET
MS X
Ibid.
Regional Partner/
Institution 1
Regional Partner/
Institution 2
Etc.
Programme X
Agreement/ contract
with SADC
Ibid.
Ibid.
Facilitation / Coordination
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13. Thank You
THE 2013 SOUTHERN AFRICA REGIONAL DIALOGUE
ON AGRICULTURE
6 November 2013
BIRCHWOOD HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
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