The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney T.D., today jointly announced a call for applications to the Africa Agri-Food Development Programme (AADP).
The AADP is a collaboration between the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture, Food and the Marine, under which Irish agri-food companies are eligible for matching funding of up to €250,000 to develop commercial projects in Africa which are of benefit to local communities. The AADP also supports feasibility studies.
Inviting applications, Minister McConalogue said: “I am delighted that my Department is once again providing support to the Africa Agri-Food Development Programme. The AADP enables Irish agri-food companies to leverage their agriculture expertise to partner with African companies in the development of sustainable local food enterprises; to support the growth of markets for local produce; and to facilitate mutual trade between Ireland and Africa”.
Minister Coveney added: “The purpose of Africa Agri-Food Development Programme is to encourage Irish and African agri-food companies to work together in new, innovative partnerships. Agriculture is the key to unlocking Africa’s huge economic potential, just as it did in Ireland. I have seen how the AADP delivers commercial success while contributing to the sustainable development of local communities, for example in Kenya where it is supporting a revitalisation of the seed potato industry. It is to our mutual benefit to share lessons we learned in the transformation of our agriculture with partners in Africa. I believe that Irish agri-business, which has grown to world class over the past few decades, has a particular part to play in this, and the AADP is our way of supporting this.”
Applications for AADP support must be submitted online. Details on the programme can be accessed at https://www.dfa.ie/our-role-policies/international-priorities/africa/AADP/
The closing date for receipt of applications is 30 July 2021.
Notes to the Editor:
The AADP provides support to Irish Companies operating in or interested in establishing partnerships with African Companies in 18 sub-Saharan African countries: Botswana, Cóte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Finance for the Africa Agri-Food Development Programme will be drawn from existing overseas development aid budgets in the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Foreign Affairs (Irish Aid).
The report of the National Task Team Rural Africa (available here) sets out a new framework to enhance, and improve the coordination of Ireland’s existing contribution to the transformation of Africa’s agriculture and rural economy by harnessing the respective expertise of Government Departments, State Agencies, the private sector, civil society, academia and the African Diaspora.
ENDS