AFRICA-EUROPE Rural Transformation Action Agenda The EU is Africa’s first partner in trade, in foreign investment and in development assistance AFRICA-EUROPE ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT AND JOBS Announced in 2018 the aim of the Africa Europe Alliance is to take the EU’s partnership with Africa to the next level. Agriculture has a key role to play in this plan to boost investment, support education and skills development for employability, deepen trade and improve the business climate. TASK FORCE RURAL AFRICA “I would like Europe Task Force Rural Africa (TFRA) was created in 2018 to advise the European Commission on how best to contribute to sustainable development and job to have a compre- creation in Africa’s agri-food sector and rural economy. Its final report was hensive strategy the starting point for an AU-EU Rural Transformation Action Agenda and on Africa, our close called for an innovative partnership operating at three levels: neighbour and our most natural partner”. PEOPLE BUSINESS GOVERNMENT Ursula Von der Leyen, TO TO TO President of the European PEOPLE BUSINESS GOVERNMENT Commission AFRICAN UNION (AU) – EUROPEAN UNION (EU) MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE The third AU-EU Ministerial Conference took place in Rome in June 2019 where both Unions committed to further strengthening their partnership in food and farming. The conference concluded with a joint political declaration and, for the first time, an action agenda, which was endorsed by the two institutions, as well as all AU and EU member states. EU-Africa Rural Transformation Action Agenda 4. 2. Implementation of the Research & Continental Strategy AU-EU agri-food Innovation Digital solutions for Geographical 1. platform Partnership 3. for agribusiness Indications in Africa 5. 7. 8. 9. Strengthening food Strengthening African-European LEADER Africa Improving environmental safety governance African farmers’ farmers’ exchange Initiative sustainability, climate resilience, across the continent 6. organisations programme and agrobiodiversity in the agricultural sector Examples of ongoing actions DEVELOPING THE GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION (GI) SYSTEM IN AFRICA The African Union’s Continental Strategy for GIs aims to develop rural areas in Africa, preserve heritage and tradition, while helping farmers and producers to gain added-value for their quality In 2019, a GI digital hub has been established and a regional GI training has been orga- nised in Yaoundé. In addition, as part of its support to the set up of the African Continental Free Trade Area, the European Commission launched in December 2019 an initiative of 8 million Euros to support the development of an Intellectual Property Rights framework in Africa. GIs is one of the focus areas of this programme which will support priority actions like GI pilot projects, training, improved legal framework on GIs, communication activities and studies. https://africa-gi.com/en AFRICAN-EUROPEAN FARMERS’ EXCHANGE PROGRAMME Working in cooperation with African Farmers’ Organisations, this capacity-building pro- gramme aims to increase income and improve livelihoods, as well as food and nutrition security and safety across the continent through greater integration of family farms in the value chains. The inception phase is underway with grants having been provided to five organisations to support the planning and preparation of the programme. PAN-AFRICAN NETWORK FOR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF POLICIES (PANAP) PANAP brings together stakeholders, researchers, data analysts and policymakers from na- tional and multilateral institutions to explore the role of science in supporting policy decision making in Africa’s farming and food sectors. The network was launched in November 2019. Collaboration has already begun with five countries making us of the JRC’s modelling instruments. Activies ahead will be prioritised to put particular emphasis on the setting up of the Afri- can Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will be prioritised. https://www.africa-eu-partnership.org/en/our-events/panap-pan-african-network-econo- mic-analysis-policies.