EAC agriculture and rural development policy
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Date
2006-11
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East African Community
Abstract
The East African Community Agriculture and Rural Development (EAC – ARDP) has been developed following the Council of Ministers’ directive. It forms the initial step of implementing the provisions of the EAC Treaty as set out in Chapter 18 Articles 105-110. The policy reflects the commitment of the Partner States to foster their economic co-operation for the benefit of their people.
The overall objectives of the EAC under the agricultural sector as set out in the Treaty are the achievement of food security and national agricultural production. The EAC-ARD policy will guide in the development of strategies, programmes and projects for realisation of the above objectives.
The economies of the three Partner States depend heavily on agriculture for growth and development. On average, the sector contributes 36% (2001) of the GDP and offers a source of foreign exchange earnings and employment. In addition to agriculture, artisanal activities, tourism, mining, forestry, fishing and small-scale manufacturing contribute substantially to the rural economy.
The development of the EAC Agriculture and Rural Development Policy is therefore a deliberate move by the Partner States to attain the goals and aspirations set out in the Treaty. It also provides a pillar for the development of a shared regional vision for sustainable development and takes advantage of the opportunities arising from globalisation and regional integration.
The policy is organised into five sections. Section one contains background information, performance of agricultural sector, and policy reforms undertaken in the Partner States. Section two describes the rationale and justification for the formulation of the policy. Section three spells out the goals and objectives of the policy. Section four provides the details on policy statements while section five gives provisions for implementation and financial arrangements, roles of stakeholders and highlights monitoring, coordination and evaluation.
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Development policy
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Citation
East African Community. (2006). EAC agriculture and rural development policy. East African Community