Home
About Us
Partnerships
Calendar
Documents
News/Media
Links

 

UN DESA |  UN Economic and Social Development | Contact Us |  FAQs |  Site Index | Site Map |  Search

 

   Sustainable Development Topics

Agriculture, rural development, Africa

During its 16th and 17th sessions, the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is considering the themes: agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa. Africa faces particular challenges in all of the first five thematic areas. In particular, at the 16th session of the Commission, it was recognized that African agriculture is critical for African development and faces challenges that must be addressed in order to achieve sustainable development for Africa at large.

This High-Level Meeting, being an inter-sessional Ministerial-level meeting of the CSD, will consider how African governments and other stakeholders can meet those challenges and take forceful policy and practical measures, in co-operation with the international community and development partners, to revitalize African agriculture and the broader rural economies in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

The meeting will aim to engage high-level decision makers in a discussion of some of the key challenges related to African agriculture highlighted in the UN Secretary General’s reports for CSD-16/17. This meeting will be an opportunity for African policy makers to prepare for the discussions in the CSD by identifying key issues and by initiating discussion on effective responses at all levels.

The meeting will focus on two main themes:

Theme 1: how to operationalize a green revolution in Africa;

Theme 2: integrating African agriculture into global markets.

(See agenda overview).

 

Each theme will be divided into 2 sub-themes:

 

Sub-Theme 1.1: Incorporating sustainable land management and agricultural practices into African agriculture

Sub-Theme 1.2: Increasing agricultural productivity in Africa

 

Sub-Theme 2.1: Moving African agriculture up the value chain

Sub-Theme 2.2: Integration of small farmers into global supply chains.

 

After the two main themes have been discussed, an additional session will focus on managing Africa’s agricultural transition. This session will use the results of the discussion of the two main themes, including a vision of the future of African agriculture, to address the issue of the transition from the current state to that future.

Quick Links

Agenda Overview

Detailed Agenda (pdf)

Speakers' Bios (coming soon!)

Information for participants

Registration


 

Copyright © United Nations |  Terms of Use | Privacy Notice
Comments and suggestions
December 2008