By Aloysious Kasoma
Small Scale farmers and Civil Society Organizations from the East African Community (EAC) are challenging the region organs to expedite discussions on the formation of the Agriculture and Food Security Commission.
The commission would go a long way in monitoring, engaging, and provision of timely and coordinated information about the current status of food in the region.
The farmers under their Umbrella Eastern and Southern Africa Famers Forum [ESAFF] say, the EAC, food Commission will play a role when it comes to the implementation of agricultural policies and protocols that are geared at transforming the Agriculture Sector.
Hakim Baliraine, the ESAFF chairperson, said the region’s Agriculture sector is underperforming within the EAC Member states because there’s no regional organization at the EAC level that can advocate for the sector apart from the Agriculture Nature Resources and Tourism Committee of the East African Legislative Assembly.
‘’Yes, the Committee is there but its members are always busy, they cannot pay much attention to the sector and that is why as farmers we need an independent commission that will be the mouthpiece for the Agriculture sector and its stakeholders such as farmers, policymakers, and the Academia,’’ Baliraine said in a communique which farmers issued during the 6th East Africa Community Agriculture Summit.
The 6th Agriculture Summit was held at the EAC headquarters in Arusha Tanzania. The major objective of the summit was to discuss Agriculture financing, Climate Change among others.
Andrew Adem, the project Manager at ESAFF Uganda, said just like how the EAC has established many organs for some sectors such as the regions Language [The Kiswahili Commission responsible for promoting Kiswahili Language that was adopted as the EAC language], the Lake Victoria Basin Commission responsible for protecting the Largest Lake shared among some member states and other Commissions and Agencies, farmers should also be given priority to have one.
‘’Agriculture sector plays a big role in the region’s economy, especially when it comes to food and livestock production, but it’s being neglected by most policymakers, especially legislators. That is why we are calling for the commission that will have the mandate to spearhead the development of the sector at the regional level,’’ Adem said.
He explained that once the commission is established, farmers’ interests will be easily implemented, especially those concerning with adaptation of Agroecology production systems that are being neglected by some EAC member states.
The forum was organized by ESAFF and East African Civil Societies operating in the sector of Agriculture and it was attended by Policy makers from the EAC member States, farmers groups, academia and the media among other stakeholders operating in the agricultural sector.
