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Green-seeds.com:
publications & research: articles
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AFRICAN NETWORK FOR HORTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT |
Wilfried BAUDOIN
FAO - Production végétale et Protection des plantes
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla - 00100 ROME
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Introduction
 Over the last decade,
the total population of the sub-Saharan region of Africa has been increasing
rapidly at a rate of more than 3% annually, with urbanization expected to
be approximately 40% of the total population by the end of the century.
Parallel growth has not been achieved in the agricultural sector in West
Africa, with vegetable production and availability being amongst the lowest
in the world. This has compounded the already food insecure and malnutritive
situation in the region.
In this context, the
development of the horticultural sector with the goal of achieving intensification
and development of agricultural production and improved food security, would
also promote the sustainable use of available land and water resources,
generate employment and development activities, thereby contributing significantly
towards improving food security and nutrition especially for women and children.
To this end, and within
the framework of their agricultural development policies, 10 countries of
West and Central Africa have come together and committed themselves to the
diversification and intensification of horticultural crops in the region.
Project's history
In 1972, funded by the
Belgium Government and with the technical assistance of FAO, the "Centre
pour le
Développement de l'Horticulture (CDH)" of Camberene - Dakar
was established, with its mandate being horticultural research and development.
Subsequently, a regional
project for horticultural cooperation, the "Regional Cooperation for
vegetable productions development in West Africa" based at CDH was
started in 1988 with the aim of promoting the dissemination of new vegetable
production technologies within the region.
A total of 10 countries
joined the project during its first 2 phases and in 1996, the African Network
for Horticulture
Development (RADHORT) was started during the third and last phase of the
project known as «Regional
Co-operation for Horticultural Development in Africa». This third
phase is expected to go on until the end of the year
2000.
The first two phases
of the project have concentrated on the establishment of a network of national
representatives
from research / development institutions; the identification and implementation
of priority areas for vegetable crop
development; and the formation of training and extension networks.
The third phase of the
project has however prioritized sustainability of the project as its objective
by promoting human
resources development and the organization of a framework for the implementation
of an autonomous regional
cooperation structure. To this end, the "Horticulture National Council"
has been established with the aim of mobilizing
all the players in the horticultural sector and being the focal interaction
point for project formulation and analysis, as
based on common priority needs identified at national levels by the National
Committee for Horticulture Development.
This third phase has also seen the expansion of the technical area to cover
regional cooperation in the fruit sector.
Organisational and Functional Structure
At the national levels,
National Co-ordinators co-ordinate horticultural activities and represent
the sector at the regional
level. Identified national priorities which are classified as regional priorities
are handled by specific national officers
who also act as correspondents for regional meetings. Based on these common
priorities, the annual regional
coordination meeting agrees on an annual work plan proposal and supports
the implementation of agreed upon field
activities .
As in the 2 first phases,
the technical activities are executed at the national level through contracts
between national
institutions and FAO known as National Contractual Services Contracts.
Those in the first 2
phases were made through specific national research institutions whereas
in the third phase, they
are made through the National Horticulture Council thereby encompassing
all the various partners in the horticultural
sector.
In addition to National
Contractual Services Contracts (now called Standard Letter of Agreement
- SLA), the third
phase involves regional SLAs which will concretize the technical achievements
by the regional sub-networks, of
which there are four. The results obtained in a country of a given area
are valid for all on the same iso-potential zone.
From January 2000, the
operational responsibilities of the project will gradually decrease as institutionalization
takes place, and the autonomous regional organization RADHORT takes over
the management of the network. It will be administered by an Executive Secretary
seconded by a President of RADHORT.
Project sustainability
It is important that
member countries ensure human and financial management of the core network
unit, allowing external partners to support specific activities of the network.
At this juncture, the main functions of the autonomous cooperation should
include:
Implementation of a
policy to ensure the sustainability of the network. This will involve
establishing a framework for network institutionalization/appropriation
by partners countries
addressing financial and functional needs by encouraging the 10 member countries
to make financial and
technical contributions.
Identifying potential donors.
Promotion and support
of Regional Officers with the aim of intensifying technical exchanges and
relations
with member and non-member countries of the network.
Based on the above developments,
it is important that feasible policies and strategies are developed that
will encourage and ensure the sustainability of RADHORT, thereby arming
it in its war against insecurity and poverty in Africa.
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