Following the 6th Special Session of the Africa Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) supported the establishment of the Africa Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA), its’ Constitution and the outcomes of the process leading to the establishment of the Assembly, as the inclusive pan-African policy framework and implementation platform that brings together key stakeholders and actors along the entire ecosystem-based adaptation-driven agriculture value-chain

 With this highest policy recognition by AMCEN countries have a big opportunity to build on the call for these partnerships to implement their INDCs/NDCs as well as ensuring Adaptation Mitigation projects are jointly implemented towards a transition to low-emissions and climate resilient development in order to realize 2030 Agenda for the SDGs and Africa’s Agenda 2063

 Article 7 of the EBAFOSA constitution establishes the structure of EBAFOSA and Country branches are the critical component where impactful activities are undertaken in a country led process. Country branches register local, continental and global actors within the country and facilitate their interactions and mutual partnership to bridge gaps in policy processes, techniques, technology, markets, commercialization, and finance and achieve implementation.

 It is against this backdrop that the DRC National Branch hosted by the Save the Climat, a national Non-Governmental Organization   was launched on 28^th September 2016, under the theme “Re-shaping DRC’s food security and climate resilience through EBAFOSA”. The launch event under the leadership of the EBAFOSA DRC officials, and the government, academia, the private sector, and the non-governmental, attracted over 150 stakeholders representing multiple sectors from government, academia, NGOs, CSOs, individual professionals & citizens, farmers, resident UN agencies with strong media coverage to enhance awareness across the country.

 The EBAFOSA DRC was officially launched by the Ministry of Environment. In his statement the Secretary General Ministry of Environment reiterated his ministry’s full support for EBAFOSA. He noted that EBAFOSA was timely towards ensuring the DRC meaningfully achieves the SDGs and implements its NDCs. He noted the EBAFOSA approach of convening both state and non-state actors is crucial to mobilizing means of implementation towards ensuring substantive actualization of both the SDGs and Paris agreement. He noted that EBAFOSA convening of both state and non-state actors for mutual-benefiting partnerships to bridge policy siloes and other implementation gaps towards shared outcomes enhances efficiency of actions through reducing duplication and increasing complementarity and synergy. Rather than acting in siloes. He further noted that EBAFOSA is well aligned to support DRCs vision to be a middle income country and industrialize by 2030.

 The UN country teams were also well represented. The FAO country representative noted that the EBAFOSA approach of building on existing food security initiatives for complementary, synergistic, harmonized progress is aligned to FAO’s strategy. In addition, he noted that agriculture is not only about food security but economic growth through creation of jobs. He lauded the EBAFOSA approach of creating jobs along the entire agro-value chain – both on farm and upstream and downstream post farm-gate supply and value chains. He also noted that EBAFOSA will ensure dissemination of ecological approaches across the country to reverse degradation, enhance ecosystems and build climate resilience in food systems in the DRC. He also noted that integration is crucial to building optimal solutions. He concluded by saying FAO is happy to support EBAFOSA and will partner in rolling out EBAFOSA.

 The UN resident coordinator and UNDP representative also lauded EBAFOSA integrated approach and noted that the integrated approach is part of UNDP in DRC. She noted this is crucial to ensuring country ownership which is crucial for long term sustainability. She noted that EBAFOSA country-driven approach provides an opportunity to localize SDGs and climate actions. She noted that EBAFOSA provides an opportunity to scale up agri-business and sustainable agriculture projects by UNDP in DRC and this is laudable. She noted the urgent need to progress from intentions to actions, noting that togetherness and mutual partnerships are what will unlock implementation. For which EBAFOSA provides the opportunity. She promised to support EBAFOSA DRC.

 The broad participation in the launch, especially cross-cutting policy level, UN and other development partners, academia, individual professionals & citizens, private sector coupled with significant media coverage was a crucial achievement for the EBAFOSA DRC branch. This in ensuring the launch catalyzes progress in the EBAFOSA stakeholder promotion & mobilization and strategic partnership building, the crucial tenets towards EBAFOSA’s mandate of building targeted policy & action solutions for optimized, climate resilient food systems in the DRC and Africa.

 With the support of AMCEN and with the launch of EBAFOSA DRC, the country squarely has a national policy driven niche for its currently rolled out Assembly and national branches of EBAFOSA to domesticate the EBFOSA branches at national level. The uptake into policy will ensure enhanced EBA uptake and integration into national plans, development processes and decision making frameworks in countries easily gain its way.

 As next steps, with guidance from the continental secretariat hosted by the UN Environment and partners, EBAFOSA DRC will embark on activities to ensure the promotional aspects and awareness created by the launch event are leveraged to catalyze expedited progress in implementing the EBAFOSA roll-out strategies. A follow up of new contacts from policy level, private sector, academia, NGOs, and resident UN agencies and other International / intergovernmental organizations etc., established at the launch event will be made to ensure their registration and involvement in EBAFOSA DRC activities. This will be underpinned by multi-stakeholder mobilization & registration across sectors in DRC, and fomenting of mutual multi-level, cross-sectorial partnerships towards bridging implementation gaps at both policy and operational level. Through volunteerism, regional and sectorial focal persons will be recruited to lead in these activities as illustrated in the EBAFOSA Phase two rollout Strategy and Implementation Plan. The EBAFOSA DRC national branch will develop an action plan based on this strategy, with timelines and responsible persons through guidance from the continental secretariat to proceed with activities.  

 EBAFOSA DRC becomes the 11^th National branch to be launched.

 Congratulations EBAFOSA DRC!

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