Partnerships for fall armyworm response – Safeguarding food security and livelihoods

PRETORIA, South Africa, November 29, 2017/ -- What: Southern Africa fall armyworm Stakeholders’ Meeting: Situational Update, Preparedness and Coordination 

When: 30 November – 01 December 2017, (8:00 – 10:00 Opening Session)
Where: Holiday Inn (near OR Tambo Airport), Johannesburg, South Africa
Who: David Phiri – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa
         Esaiah Tjelele - Crops Programme Officer, Southern African Development Community (SADC).
         Government of South Africa (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
Why: Stakeholders will present and discuss their fall armyworm response actions and plans for the 2017/18 agricultural season. They will also identify policy issues that will inform the response in the short, medium and long-term.

The fall armyworm, a transboundary pest that is difficult to manage and first reported in Southern Africa in late 2016 continues to cause damage to maize and other crops in the region. Key concerns about the fall armyworm infestation are the impact on food security and livelihoods of especially smallholder farming households.

From 30 November - 01 December 2017, FAO and the SADC will hold the Southern Africa fall armyworm Stakeholders’ Meeting at the Holiday Inn (near OR Tambo airport) in Johannesburg South Africa.
The meeting will bring together key stakeholders in the region, including representatives of Member States, donors, Academia, Research organizations and development partners.

Stakeholders will present and discuss their fall armyworm response actions, lessons, challenges and preparedness plans for the 2017/18 agricultural season. Donors and development partners will give their perspectives on the concluded and planned fall armyworm response actions.

The key outputs of the meeting will be a situation update of the fall armyworm infestation in the region, including response actions, a regional preparedness plan for the 2017/18 production season, key messages on fall armyworm management for farmers and policy issues that will inform the response in the short, medium and long-term.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Information Centre in Pretoria (UNIC).