The World Bank is supporting the implementation of Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP) in East and Southern Africa to increase preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems. FSRP interventions are implemented at continental, regional and national level with the African Union Commission (AUC) and AUDA NEPAD representing the continental level; two (2)Regional Organizations (ROs) are supported in East and southern Africa (the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA.. At the national level, FSRP supports Ethiopia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Malawi, and Comoros in Eastern  and Southern Africa.

The FSRP for Eastern and Southern Africa was approved on June 21, 2022.The programs use the Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) and provide a platform for collaboration and cross-learning among participating  countries, with support from the continental and regional organizations. Participating countries tailor their respective activities among a number of pillars that are key to medium-term resilience of the food systems. Activities center around rebuilding resilient agricultural production capacity, supporting better natural resource management, improving market access and promoting resilience-focused national and regional policies.  The projects also   address barriers to trade across borders in agricultural inputs and products, which can only be done through a regional approach. The shared nature of natural resources, especially in transboundary areas and river basins, needs regional coordination to maintain and strengthen the region’s productive   base. The continent’s most urgent food insecurity drivers, including climate change, natural resource degradation as well as the spread of conflicts, fragility, and violence are mostly cross-border in nature and therefore best addressed at the regional level. Regionally coordinated actions allow to create regional spillovers and economies of scale which is the most efficient use of scare resources. Both FSRPs promote cross-border coordination for maintaining shared natural resources and address climate-change induced productivity decreases through integrated landscape approach. They promote interregional trade to allow food to better flow from surplus to food deficit areas balancing fluctuations in national production while creating producers’ opportunities to achieve economies of scale. Regional collaboration strengthens hydrometeorological (hydromet) and early warning information to farmers and pastoralists generating positive spillovers.

The total financing envelope of US$2.3 billion equivalent approved includes: (i) a Phase 1 of US$788.1 million comprising US$600 million to Ethiopia, US$158.1 million to Madagascar, US$25 million to Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and US$5 million to the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA); and (ii) subsequent phases for the equivalent of US$1,511.9 million to Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and additional regional organizations.

All the implementers of the program are at different levels in terms of advancing the agenda depending on the start time of the project and historical connection and background of the project.

It is against this background that the World Bank, AUC, IGAD, and CCARDESA are organizing a first learning event for the Food Systems Resilience Programs in Eastern and Southern Africa. This event will take place from 4 to 6 March  2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. FSRP West Africa will also be invited to attend the event.

Objectives

The overall objective of the learning event is to showcase what has been achieved by FSRP at regional and country levels since the start of the program,  document and share lessons learnt which can then be used in program implementation going forward and to raise the profile of the FSRP in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The specific objectives are:

1. To establish the event as a key feature of learning for FSRP countries, ROs and AUC, AUDA-NEPAD.
2. Exchange knowledge created by FSRP investments and similar interventions.
3. To link FSRP-generated evidence to national, regional, and continental policy processes.
4. Raise the profile of FSRP by showcasing what is being done.

Expected Outcome

• Strengthened Institutional Learning in World Bank Investments in Food Systems Resilience in Africa
• African Food Systems empowered with Digital Technologies through the identification of Challenges and Opportunities and by Co-creating actionable strategies for scaling digital adoption

• A better understanding of how to leverage Trade Scorecards and address SPS Implications in Agriculture

• Increased knowledge: Participants will have a better understanding of the FSRP program, its principles, and its components.
• Increased collaboration: Participants will have established partnerships with other stakeholders to support food security resilience efforts.
• Scaling up of successful interventions. Participants will have identified and scaled up successful interventions, leading to increased impact and sustainability.
• Influence on policy and programming: Participants will have the opportunity to influence policy and programming decisions at national and regional levels, contributing to a more enabling environment for food security resilience.

Theme

Theme 1:  Empowering African Food Systems with Digital Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities

Theme 2:  Strengthening Trade Integration: Leveraging Trade Scorecards and Addressing SPS Implications in Agriculture

• 1.   Participation

  This will be a high-profile event to be attended by Ministers, directors & experts of Agriculture and Ministries responsible for Early Warning and Early Action (DRR/DRM), Conveners of National Level Food Systems Structures, relevant commissioners, and directors from FSRP Countries in East, South and West Africa, FSRP national and regional coordinators. The AUC will be represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) of the AUC. It is also expected that the Executive Secretaries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and IGAD will participate. The total number of participants will be about 200 and will include relevant Research Institutions and Civil Society organisations.

  2.   Methodology

  The target of day 1 & 2 of the event will be directors and experts

  Day 1: On day one participants will have the opportunity to learn more about national and regional Food Systems Resilience Programs in Eastern and Southern Africa. This will be achieved by a presentation on the overview of FSRPs in Africa and a poster session where each program will have the possibility to present more details.

  Day one will also be used to strengthen institutional learning in World Bank Investments for the purpose of advancing African agriculture. The objectives of this session will be to;

  1. Understand barriers to institutional learning within World Bank-funded agricultural projects.
  2. Explore strategies and tools to improve knowledge capture, sharing, and application.
  3. Develop practical actions to foster continuous learning and knowledge application.

  Day 2: Day two will provide an opportunity to dive deep into two specific thematic areas as indicated below.

  Theme 1:  Empowering African Food Systems with Digital Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities

  The objectives of this session will be to identify key challenges in integrating digital technologies into African food systems.

  1. To explore practical solutions and opportunities for digital transformation.
  2. To co-create actionable strategies for scaling digital adoption.
  3. Co-create actionable strategies for scaling digital adoption

  Theme 2:  Strengthening Trade Integration: Leveraging Trade Scorecards and Addressing SPS Implications in Agriculture

  The objectives of this session will be to:

  1. Build an understanding of trade scorecards as tools for tracking and improving trade integration.
  2. Explore the implications of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures on agricultural trade.
  3. Equip participants with strategies to harmonize SPS compliance with trade integration goals.

  Day 3: Day 3 will have two distinct sessions. The first two hours of the morning session will be used to finalise the session on Theme 2 of day two. The time between tea break and lunchtime will be used to make final preparations of the key messages to be presented to ministers during the afternoon. The target of the afternoon session of the third day of the event will be Policy Makers from FSRP implementing countries (Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Members of Parliaments), Executive Secretaries and other dignitaries.

  The ministerial event in the afternoon will involve presentations on key messages and the way forward on the learning themes:

  1) Learning process

  2) Digital Technologies

  3) Scorecards & Market

• Knowledge products and visibility materials:Apart from the general visibility materials that will be produced for the specific purpose of the event, each FSRP implementing entity will produce and make available Knowledge Products that have been achieved as an output of project implementation. This includes, but, is not limited to, videos, brochures, and leaflets to be shared at the learning event. An exhibition booth can be considered for displaying these knowledge products.

• Media engagement

Media plays a key role in popularising the FSRP to a wider audience. The organizing committee will laisse with their organization’s communications team to reach out to various media outlets to engage them and get wider coverage for the event in Western, Eastern, and Southern Africa.Leading organisation of the event:The World Bank, IGAD, CCARDESA, and AUC will take the lead in organizing the event but will directly coordinate with participating countries.