http://hub.iisd.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=99375&action=edit28 October 2011: At the Ninth Annual Partnership Meeting between the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), participants reviewed developments in current projects, discussed continued collaboration, and shared experiences for developing practical programming measures and action plans for enhancing collaboration. The meeting is held annually to assess and discuss the scope and relevance of the partnership.

This year’s meeting, which took place in Tunis, Tunisia, from 27-28 October 2011, focused on reviewing developments related to the planned Drought Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Project. The two sides noted the need for strong collaboration among development partners, continued dialogue with Governments in the Horn of Africa, and provision of development partner support.

They also emphasized the importance of their continued collaboration, including in thematic areas such as the Ex-Act Carbon Balance Tool for assisting in projecting design, agribusiness and post-harvest loss reduction.

In his statement, Abdirahman Beileh, Acting Director, Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department, AfDB, challenged participants to develop projects that contribute to long-term development in the region. He also encouraged identification of innovative sources of funding to support the sustainable implementation of Africa’s pro-poor agriculture and food security agenda. [AfDB Press Release]