More than 150 participants from 18 African countries attended the five-day meeting of the 12th Africa Forum which ended in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 3 October 2008.

Bringing all stakeholders together and sharing experience was essential to achieve results in the agriculture sector, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD), Dr. Abera Deressa, said. Briefing journalists on the conclusion of the forum organised by MoARD and the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), the State Minister said the forum served as an important medium for countries to share experiences and learn from each other.

Martin Bwalya of the NEPAD-Secretariat said that efforts to improve the agriculture sector in Africa needed to be integrated.

“It is vital to join the efforts of NEPAD and the Africa Forum together to buttress agricultural development in Africa,” Bwalya said.

“The Africa Forum plays an important role as a peer-learning platform to ensure rural development in the continent,” he said, adding that other forums should be organised to exchange views on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

Dr. Albert Engel of the GTZ said the forum was crucial in getting across the African perspective of the global food crisis. He also underscored the experience-sharing significance of the forum for African countries.

He confirmed Germany’s commitment to assisting Africa’s endeavours to boost development in the agriculture sector.