The inception workshop of the STOSAR II which was held in Botswana targeted all SADC countries. The workshop gathered representatives from the 16 SADC Member States, focusing on the line ministries relevant to the STOSAR II Project. Participants included staff from national statistics offices, the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs), and pertinent agribusiness and nutrition bodies. Additionally, the event featured representatives from the SADC Secretariat, the European Union, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). International development partners, Centres of Excellence, parastatals, academia, farmer unions, and private sector partners were also invited to participate.
Background
The previous project, STOSAR I, was part of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Indicative Programme (RIP), specifically under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) sub-regional envelope. It aligned with the 11th EDF RIP for the Eastern Africa (EA), Southern Africa (SA), and Indian Ocean (IO) regions covering the period from 2014 to 2020. The primary objective of the project was to promote sustainable agricultural growth and socio-economic development by implementing the SADC Regional Agriculture Policy (RAP). It was anticipated that achieving this objective would create trade opportunities and enhance the competitiveness of both animal and plant products in regional and international markets, while also ensuring food and nutrition security across all SADC Member States.
STOSAR I was carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) over five years, and it consisted of two interrelated components: (a) enhancing information related to agricultural production, sustainability, and competitiveness to enable evidence-based decision-making; and (b) improving market access by implementing control strategies for plant and animal pests and diseases at the regional level.
The new initiative, STOSAR II, goes beyond information systems and market access. It builds on the lessons learned and the achievements of its predecessor project, while also enhancing the synergies developed through previous and current regional and national projects. These efforts support the transformation of the agriculture sector into more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems.
Workshop Objectives
▪ To officially launch the Project: Present Phase II of the STOSAR Project to all key stakeholders.
▪ Start operationalizing the Project: Present project goals and objectives, M&E and reporting requirements, operational modalities and kick-start implementation;
▪ Build Consensus: Facilitate stakeholder engagement and interaction with implementing partners, build consensus and deliberate on project operational modalities;
▪ Review and Update Project Work Plan: Discuss expected deliverables and milestones, generate regional and national work plans and map the way forward.
Key areas of focus and deliberations
The primary objective of this follow-up intervention is to promote a climate-smart, productive, inclusive, and sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and regional Centres of Excellence, will implement four key components within these thematic areas:
- Enhancing information and knowledge on sustainable and competitive agricultural production to enable evidence-based decision-making. This will include providing standardized data for analysis and research, as well as facilitating intra-regional trade.
- Improving access to markets by developing and implementing strategies for managing plant and animal pests and diseases at both regional and national levels. This includes strengthening capacities to meet Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) requirements for international trade.
- Strengthening the regional monitoring and implementation capacity of the SADC Food and Nutrition Security Strategy.
- Increasing the operational capacity of regional and national producers’ organizations and agricultural industrial associations within selected inclusive value chains that are based on sustainable innovations and agro-ecological principles.
Under these thematic areas, member states were divided into groups’ specific to their respective focus areas: Animal Health, Plant Health, Information Management Systems, and Value Chains. The purpose of this grouping was to discuss the proposed activities and validate those deemed relevant and appropriate for each country. These activities were developed and confirmed according to the requirements of the member states, and they were approved for implementation.
It was noted that the project is planned to last four years, with a budget of 10 million euros, starting in 2024 and aiming to conclude in 2028. The Plant Health thematic area has been allocated 2,595,914 USD, which will be distributed among the 16 countries based on their specific activities.
Key Follow-up Actions for Implementation
Essentially, the follow-up actions aimed to effectively enhance the international trade ecosystem and improve trade practices, rather than merely participating in the workshop without making subsequent changes through the implementation of activities. They included the following:
- Support the national integration of the regional Transboundary Plant Pest and Diseases (TPPD) control strategies developed under STOSAR I. CABI to provide technical support to the following countries to domesticate regional TPPD strategies in countries where there are no national strategies and review/revise existing strategies.
- Implement e-Phyto across 13 SADC Member States; Successful onboarding, customization and implementation of GeNS ePhyto Solution across 8 SADC MS – are ready to implement GeNS.
- Translate national strategies into practical action for increased control of trade-sensitive TPPDs. Support for fruit fly control for select countries (Angola and Namibia) by the National Fruit Fly Laboratory of Mozambique.
- Partial support for the response to FocTR4 (Stellenbosch University)
- ARC – Surveillance of Goss’s wilt (All SADC Member States)
- Market Access; Baseline study to determine the current status of market access and assess the needs for market access across the 16 SADC Member States (to be done by 31 May 2025) – CABI to design questionnaire by 30 April 2025 and FAO/SADC to administer the questionnaire and obtain the data from the SADC Member States by 31 May 2025.
Conclusion
The main takeaway from the launch workshop was that the implementation of the SADC RAP will occur at both regional and national levels. As previously mentioned, SADC will serve as the executing agency, while the FAO will be the implementing agency. The FAO will handle the execution of the Action, providing technical, operational, and administrative support through the FAO Sub-regional Office for Southern Africa (SFS), with additional assistance from the FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAF), FAO Headquarters in Rome, and FAO Country Offices.
To improve coordination and ensure that activities are complementary, the FAO and SADC Member States will collaborate closely with the relevant EU Delegation Offices at the national level. This partnership will focus on the selection, preparation, and implementation of the Action’s activities.
Acknowledgements
The successful execution of the inception workshop was made possible through the cooperation of everyone involved. The technical and logistical support provided by the FAO and the EU for the intervention, along with the government’s decision in Lesotho to allow my attendance, was greatly appreciated and contributed significantly to the workshop’s success.
By: Dr. Motlatsi Molatela.
