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Accra, September 14, 2022 - A conference kicking off this September 14, 2022 in Accra (Ghana), will explore how stakeholders intend to harness science and partnerships to accelerate agricultural transformations in Africa.

The Science and Partnerships for Agriculture Conference (SPAC) brings together over three hundred (300) participants from forty (40) countries, including policy-makers, farmers, researchers and the private sector, around the central theme: "Insights into climate-smart agriculture (CSA) action to strengthen accountability, resource use and impact in Africa".

The conference aims to find solutions to the challenges of agricultural production and productivity in Africa, in particular climate change.

"Recent data on the effect of climate change indicate rising temperatures and sea levels, changing rainfall patterns and the possibility of more extreme weather conditions that will threaten human health, safety, food security and socio-economic development in Africa," said Ghana's Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie AKOTO, at the opening ceremony.

"Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing African agriculture, compromising food and nutritional security, eroding people's livelihoods and preventing them from escaping the poverty trap," commented Dr Emmanuel NJUKWE, Director of Research and Innovation at CORAF.

Ghana's Minister of Agriculture stressed that to combat the negative effects of climate change on the agricultural and food systems, we must entrust science with the task of generating the appropriate knowledge and technologies to sustainably support production.

At the same time, Dr NJUKWE stressed the importance of partnerships and collaborative working to better coordinate efforts, avoid duplication and capitalize on synergies.

SPAC provides a forum for African agricultural stakeholders to discuss the continent's preparedness to cope with and mitigate the impacts of climate change on agriculture, as well as to contribute to the realization of continental instruments such as Agenda 2063.

It comprises four (04) different conferences, running simultaneously over three days.

These include (i) the 2022 Biennial Conference of Climate Smart Agriculture Stakeholders in Africa, (ii) the Closing General Assembly of the EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (LEAP4FNSSA) and the drafting workshop to develop the European Union/African Union International Research Consortium on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture, (iii) the 2022 Scientific Meeting of the Pan-African Network for Economic Policy Analysis (PANAP) and (iv) the Conference on Knowledge Management for Agricultural Development (KM4AgD).

SPAC is organized by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the member organizations of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme ex-Pillar 4 (CAADP-XP4), in collaboration with the government of Ghana and several other partners and donors.

CAADP-XP4 is funded by the Commission of the European Union and administered by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

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