Date: 13/02/2004
Source: Department of Agriculture
Title: T Didiza: Briefing on FAO Africa Regional Conference 2004
MEDIA BRIEFING BY THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND LAND AFFAIRS, MS THOKO DIDIZA, ON THE UNITED NATIONS FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION (FAO) AFRICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE, 13 February 2004
South Africa will host the 23rd session of the Food and Agricultural Organisation's (FAO) Africa Regional Conference (ARC) from 27 February to 6 March 2004 in Johannesburg at the Sandton Convention Centre, following Egypt who hosted the ARC 2002 in Cairo. Previous conferences in the Southern African region were held in Zimbabwe in 1984 and Botswana in 1994.
The Africa Regional Conference 2004 is an FAO Regional Ministerial level Conference attended by all African United Nations (UN) member states. The conference provides a platform for Ministers to deliberate on the state of food security, agriculture and rural development on the continent; and to agree to a set of actions in the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) agriculture sector plan, known as the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Plan (CAADP).
It is expected that the conference will attract approximately 500 delegates ranging from African Ministers, high-level participation from observer countries, other development agencies and international organisations, FAO secretariat staff and civil society groupings.
The Cabinet of the Republic of South Africa has approved the hosting of this conference in line with the importance that South Africa places in pursuing the agenda of agricultural production and food security in South Africa and Africa as a whole. The national Department of Agriculture as the lead department in this regard has allocated R4 million for the conference.
It is expected that the President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki, will open the conference on 4 March and the FAO Director-General, Dr Diouf, will preside over the launching of the South African Special Programme for Food Security in Limpopo on 3 March. Ministers of Agriculture as well as heads of international agencies will attend the event.
Delegates will be exposed to South African agricultural products and services. The service providers including airports, hotels and conference venue have been approached to showcase South African food, wines, crafts, and agricultural by-products during that period.
The fourth FAO Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)/Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Forum will take place on 27 to 28 February 2004 preceding the conference. The theme of the NGO conference is "The role of Civil Society in the implementation of the New Partnership for Agricultural Development and the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme, including food security matters".
A number of parallel sessions, which will contribute to dialogue on agricultural development and food security in Africa and provide networking opportunities for delegates, have been arranged.
Two parallel seminars will take place on 28 February 2004, namely,
* Promoting intra-African trade for agricultural growth in Africa and
* Food Security and Biodiversity.
The seminars will be complemented by exhibitions on "Promotion of African growth through trade and technology" as well as exhibitions by public entities focussing on the theme of "food security and biodiversity". The exhibitions will operate throughout the pre-conference and conference period from 27 February to 5 March 2004.
The formal FAO conference has two segments, that is, the technical segment which lasts from 1 to 3 March and the Ministerial segment from 4 to 5 March. A half-day roundtable of Ministers of Finance and Agriculture is planned for 5 March to allow for a Ministerial dialogue on the important issues of financing agriculture.
Field trips will take place on 3 March both at Ministerial and technical level. The Ministerial field trip will be to Burgersfort in Limpopo Province where the Special Programme for Food Security will be launched. The Provincial Government will partner with the national Department of Agriculture in hosting this event. It is a whole day event.
Technical level field trips will take place on the morning of 3 March ending at lunchtime. The sites for the field trips are:
* Cradle of Humankind in Sterkfontein
* Soweto including the Hector Peterson Memorial
* Apartheid Museum
* CSIR - Agricultural Research Council, Animal Improvement Institute, Irene
* City Deep and Abattoir (to be confirmed)
* Airport: cold storage facilities and SPS inspection point
* Onderstepoort Biological Products, (vaccine factory).
Artists billed to perform at social events arranged for networking purposes will showcase South African music. The FAO Goodwill Ambassador, Ms Miriam Makeba, has accepted an invitation to perform at the Gala Dinner to be hosted for the delegates on 4 March 2004. Coincidentally it will be Ms Miriam Makeba's birthday.
South Africa is looking forward to welcoming delegates to the conference and to our positive engagement on matters of critical importance as we celebrate a decade of democracy.
Issued by: Department of Agriculture
13 February 2004
Source: Department of Agriculture (http://www.nda.agric.za)
Source: Department of Agriculture
Title: T Didiza: Briefing on FAO Africa Regional Conference 2004
MEDIA BRIEFING BY THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND LAND AFFAIRS, MS THOKO DIDIZA, ON THE UNITED NATIONS FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION (FAO) AFRICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE, 13 February 2004
South Africa will host the 23rd session of the Food and Agricultural Organisation's (FAO) Africa Regional Conference (ARC) from 27 February to 6 March 2004 in Johannesburg at the Sandton Convention Centre, following Egypt who hosted the ARC 2002 in Cairo. Previous conferences in the Southern African region were held in Zimbabwe in 1984 and Botswana in 1994.
The Africa Regional Conference 2004 is an FAO Regional Ministerial level Conference attended by all African United Nations (UN) member states. The conference provides a platform for Ministers to deliberate on the state of food security, agriculture and rural development on the continent; and to agree to a set of actions in the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) agriculture sector plan, known as the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Plan (CAADP).
It is expected that the conference will attract approximately 500 delegates ranging from African Ministers, high-level participation from observer countries, other development agencies and international organisations, FAO secretariat staff and civil society groupings.
The Cabinet of the Republic of South Africa has approved the hosting of this conference in line with the importance that South Africa places in pursuing the agenda of agricultural production and food security in South Africa and Africa as a whole. The national Department of Agriculture as the lead department in this regard has allocated R4 million for the conference.
It is expected that the President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki, will open the conference on 4 March and the FAO Director-General, Dr Diouf, will preside over the launching of the South African Special Programme for Food Security in Limpopo on 3 March. Ministers of Agriculture as well as heads of international agencies will attend the event.
Delegates will be exposed to South African agricultural products and services. The service providers including airports, hotels and conference venue have been approached to showcase South African food, wines, crafts, and agricultural by-products during that period.
The fourth FAO Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)/Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Forum will take place on 27 to 28 February 2004 preceding the conference. The theme of the NGO conference is "The role of Civil Society in the implementation of the New Partnership for Agricultural Development and the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme, including food security matters".
A number of parallel sessions, which will contribute to dialogue on agricultural development and food security in Africa and provide networking opportunities for delegates, have been arranged.
Two parallel seminars will take place on 28 February 2004, namely,
* Promoting intra-African trade for agricultural growth in Africa and
* Food Security and Biodiversity.
The seminars will be complemented by exhibitions on "Promotion of African growth through trade and technology" as well as exhibitions by public entities focussing on the theme of "food security and biodiversity". The exhibitions will operate throughout the pre-conference and conference period from 27 February to 5 March 2004.
The formal FAO conference has two segments, that is, the technical segment which lasts from 1 to 3 March and the Ministerial segment from 4 to 5 March. A half-day roundtable of Ministers of Finance and Agriculture is planned for 5 March to allow for a Ministerial dialogue on the important issues of financing agriculture.
Field trips will take place on 3 March both at Ministerial and technical level. The Ministerial field trip will be to Burgersfort in Limpopo Province where the Special Programme for Food Security will be launched. The Provincial Government will partner with the national Department of Agriculture in hosting this event. It is a whole day event.
Technical level field trips will take place on the morning of 3 March ending at lunchtime. The sites for the field trips are:
* Cradle of Humankind in Sterkfontein
* Soweto including the Hector Peterson Memorial
* Apartheid Museum
* CSIR - Agricultural Research Council, Animal Improvement Institute, Irene
* City Deep and Abattoir (to be confirmed)
* Airport: cold storage facilities and SPS inspection point
* Onderstepoort Biological Products, (vaccine factory).
Artists billed to perform at social events arranged for networking purposes will showcase South African music. The FAO Goodwill Ambassador, Ms Miriam Makeba, has accepted an invitation to perform at the Gala Dinner to be hosted for the delegates on 4 March 2004. Coincidentally it will be Ms Miriam Makeba's birthday.
South Africa is looking forward to welcoming delegates to the conference and to our positive engagement on matters of critical importance as we celebrate a decade of democracy.
Issued by: Department of Agriculture
13 February 2004
Source: Department of Agriculture (http://www.nda.agric.za)
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