| Rural Development Conference |
|
Focus was on the processes relating to the delivery of agricultural and rural development aid while keeping government’s progress in perspective.
We looked at donor’s views on key drivers and strategic approaches to rural development delivery.
Platform members were keen on interrogating the factors that hinder rural development processes
and these factors range widely from; people-centered development; local government; economic conditions;
natural resources; rural infrastructure; rural service systems; and economic governance both locally and globally.
International development partners agreed that national and global hunger and poverty reduction targets will not
be met unless rural poverty is reduced. With only 6 years to go until the 2015 MDG target date (and this target has
since been deemed unreachable), 1.4 billion individuals still live on less than $1.25 a day. International statistics were
discussed i.e. the 2008 food price crisis brought additional international attention to the underlying problem of food insecurity
in which millions of people suffer food deficits and an additional one hundred million people were pushed into poverty.
FAO estimates that currently over 950 million individuals are undernourished. It also highlighted the impact of decades of
under-investment in developing countrys’ agricultural sectors. In 2009 food prices remained volatile and it is highly likely
that price volatility will continue. Increasingly volatile food and commodity prices, the economic and financial crisis, climate
change and water scarcity are among the major emerging global challenges influencing development today. This platform succeeded in
facilitating the exchange of a broad spectrum of ideas and practicalities faced by practitioners in this arena. New relationships and
networks were created among attendees.
|
Speakers at the event included;
|
Chairperson: Dr Stephanie Midgley
(PhD,Bot) (Msc, Agric, Hort) Climate Change, Land Use and Food Security Specialist:Oneworld Group,
Cape Town, South Africa
|
Ms Nelisiwe Lindiwe Sithole:
Head of Department: Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and
Land Administration, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
|
Martin Jansen van Vuuren:
Director: Grant Thornton Strategic Solutions
|
Ms Zanele Silo:
Chief Executive Officer: Eastern Cape Appropriate Technology Unit
|
Mr Alphonce T. Kyariga:
Monitoring and Evaluation Manager: Rural Energy Agency (REA)
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
|
Dr Moraka Nakedi Makhura:
Head: Agricultural Economic Research & Innovation Services (AERIS):
Land & Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa
|
Prof. Aldo Stroebel:
Director International Affairs and Centre for Sustainable Agriculture:
University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
|
Mr James Chakwizira:
Built Environment Acting Research Group Leader Rural Infrastructure
& Services: CSIR
|
Mr O. R Mathebula:
Chief Executive Officer: NRM Consulting (Pty), South Africa
|
Prof. Frans Swanepoel (PhD) Fulbright Visiting Fellow, Cornell University,
USA:
Director: Research Developement | Professor: Sustainable Agriculture
University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
|
Hannah Edinger:
Senior Manager & Head of Research: Frontier Advisory (Pty) LTD
|
"Time is short. We must seize this historic moment to act responsibly and decisively
for the common good, deliveringon the global partnership for achievement of rural development."
|
|
|
|
| Future Conferences |
State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Conference
On 16 and 17 November 2010
Read more
|
Thought of the week
Even the best men, if left to themselves, will err in judgement. Ellen G. White.
Acts of the Apostles p.g.196
|
