28 November 2006
The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs, Ms Lulu Xingwana, leaves for
Gabon this evening to attend both the African Union (AU) and the Food and
Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) Ministerial meetings to be held in the capital
Libreville. Minister Xingwana has been invited by the AU Commission.
The objective of these meetings is to deliberate and agree on concrete
measures and steps focusing on key strategic issues to accelerate the
implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme
(CAADP) adopted by African Heads of State and Governments, during the second AU
Summit in Mozambique in 2003.
With regard to the AU Ministerial meeting, the following will form the
agenda:
* African position on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in agriculture
and food security
* improvement and co-ordination of Early Warning Systems (EWS) for food
security
* progress report on the 10 percent budget allocation to agriculture and rural
development.
The Ministry is working on placing on the agenda the fact that South Africa
will be hosting the Fourth World Congress on Rural Women from 23 to 26 April
2007 at the Durban International Convention Centre. Cabinet has approved that
the Ministry for Agriculture and Land Affairs to be the main host of the world
congress.
Issues to be discussed at a FAO Ministerial meeting are:
* investments in water control and infrastructure for food security and
agricultural development
* improvement of intra-African agricultural trade for food security.
The meetings end on the 1 December.
For more info please contact:
Godfrey Mdhluli
Tel: (012) 312 8438
Cell: 082 418 1823
Issued by: Department of Land Affairs
28 November 2006
