Allowing Africa a full role – factoring agriculture into agreements

COMESA

Climate Change is now top of the agenda with its real and visible threats to human survival. Our quest for a continuously improving and easier life has got us into this unnatural state and we should therefore correct it.

Ingenuity is our best weapon with which to tackle the issues. We have the technology, capability and resources to reverse and curb the adverse consequences of our actions.

The pre-COP-15 meetings and numerous others held globally show we are converging. We salute the common resolve and commitment of the parties gathered here in Copenhagen to find a lasting solution and are encouraged by the emerging consensus and the statesmanship exhibited by global leadership. We are in good company and together we shall decide on solutions.

The potential of land

The African continent, its inhabitants, fauna and flora, must effectively adapt to survive climate change. Africa does not have sufficient resources, technology and capacity to do this alone and needs help.

Its vast landmass means the agriculture and forest resources can sequester more than 20% of current global carbon emissions. To unlock this, improved technology to enhance agricultural productivity, sustainable forest management and land use, including mass access to water and clean commercial energy, are essential. It is imperative to include agriculture for a fair deal and the best incentives to mitigate climate change.

As a low emitter of greenhouse gases, investment is needed to support Africa on a low carbon growth and development path. COMESA is ideally positioned to push this forward with its established programmes including agriculture and livestock, infrastructure development, ICT, monetary harmonisation, gender, peace and security and public procurement modernisation.

Support and integration

COMESA launched the Biocarbon Initiative, COP 14 in Poland in 2008. The initiative arose from the realisation of the negative impacts of climate change on Africa’s agricultural productivity, water and energy security. The Initiative has supported member states to develop their national positions and align them with a unified African position. It has designed an African Carbon Facility to promote a vibrant carbon market and assisted states in policy development for the implementation of adaptation and mitigation projects in conservation agriculture, agroforestry, water and others.

COMESA’s wider climate change initiative is around achieving economic prosperity and climate change protection. The overall objective is to address climate change and its impacts and build economic and social resilience for present and future generations. The funding partners include the Norwegian Government, the Rockefeller Foundation and the International Development Research Centre. While taking a lead role in coordinating the implementation, COMESA’s project partners are regional economic communities, the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community. Technical partners are the World Agroforestry Centre, the Centre for International Forestry Research and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network.

The Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa is a specialised agency, launched last September, to integrate small farmers in national, regional and international markets. Its main goal is to increase farmer productivity and incomes in the COMESA region through trade in staple crops. Targeted crops include maize, sorghum, rice, beans, pulses, cassava, and bananas.

The COMESA-founded institutions (see: Supporting organisations) have already assisted regional integration and development. For example, Rwanda and Burundi have benefited from the Adjustment Facility of the COMESA Fund to help with revenue adjustments from reduction of customs duties.
COMESA is about development and improving the living conditions of people of the region. We urge the world to enable Africa to play its full role by including agriculture, forestry and other land uses in the post 2012 agreement.

Sindiso Ngwenya
COMESA Secretary General
W: www.comesa.int

Fuel Fuel CO2 per million Btu (That generates the least CO2 per heat output, measured in Btu) Natural gas Liquefied petroleum gas Gasoline Kerosene MSW (municipal solid waste) Coal (lignite) 53 63 71 72 91 98