Strategy for agricultural transformation in africa

 
Beyond its participation in a range of specific initiatives the Bank is also poised to 
step into a broader orchestration role, which will be essentially for the successful 
execution of the strategy and a significant break from past efforts to drive successful 
agriculture sector development.
A broad set of actors are already and will continue to be 
involved in driving the development of agriculture in Africa; although there are some disparate 
areas of transformation emerging, overall the investments and activities dedicated to 

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agriculture have not delivered on their promise to date. Coordination platforms already exist, 
but the Bank envisages a role that involves alignment around specific and targeted value-chain 
transformation agendas, supported by significant resources both from the AfDB and others, 
both of which involve a difference in approach before what has gone before.
3.11 
To make this work, key actors (from the public sector, private sector and 
development actors) must align on transformational goals
and ensure that their activities 
towards achieving key outcomes – such as those outlined in the strategic framework – are well 
integrated. The sector can benefit from a “Partnership for Agricultural Transformation in 
Africa”, The PATA will facilitate a variety of activities, including:
• 
Bringing coherence and clear plans of action and securing commitments
• 
Holding participating actors accountable to their commitments
• 
Selecting priority focus areas both for decision-making and resource allocation
• 
Sequencing efforts across the same value chain and within the same country or 
region
• 
Leveraging shared capabilities and footprints to enhance programs and expand 
reach
• 
Sharing previous experience and learnings as they pertain to new projects
• 
Engaging and understanding the needs of value chain actors and larger private 
sector players
3.12 
While the PATA will be housed at the Bank, convening locations will rotate between 
partners as will some chair-related roles. To ensure buy-in, the exact operating mechanism for 
the PATA will be co-developed with partners at the outset of the Strategy launch. However, it 
is expected to be comprised commodity-focused working groups with participation from 
organizations working across the different enablers. Ideally, this focus will translate into 
concrete working group outcomes and reinforce partner commitments. Failure to hold to these 
commitments or, at the very least, to develop a remediation plan, will jeopardize an actor’s 
standing within the partnership.