The 6th PARM Advisory Committee (AC) meeting was held on Tuesday 18 April 2023 via videoconference, after 4 years of interruption of this platform, mainly due to the disruption caused by COVID-19.
The 6th AC meeting was a great opportunity to revamp the collaboration between PARM and the AC members in order to identify concrete synergies during the implementation of PARM Horizon 2 (2019-2025); in particular at country level where PARM is proposing new approaches and tools to integrate Agricultural Risk Management (ARM) into the national policies and investment plans of the host Governments. AC members from Agrinatura, Food Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) joined the discussion.
During the meeting, the AC members have elected the new AC Chairperson, Ms. Providence Mavubi, Director of Industry and Agriculture at COMESA who co-chaired the meeting with the PARM Secretariat focal point. She will be in charge of coordinating the Advisory Committee activities for one year. The PARM Secretariat then had the opportunity to share with the AC members the results of the second phase of its activities (PARM Horizon 2). PARM’s results presentations focused on: (i) Risk Assessment: Lessons Learned and Value Chain New Methodology ; (ii) Investment Programmes : Resource Mobilisation and Involvement of AC Members in the Country Process ; and (iii) Leveraging Knowledge Sharing and Learning in ARM: Knowledge Management, Capacity Development & FARM-D Community of Practice.
Following the presentations, discussions were open to explore how to improve the partnership between PARM and the AC members. Relevant documentation and information have been shared by AC members to enrich the PARM’s value chain new methodology of risk assessment.
Conclusions and actions were agreed to strengthen the partnership between PARM and the Advisory Committee which plays a key consultative role in providing technical and strategic guidance to PARM Secretariat and facilitating the flow of information among members to strength knowledge and partnerships on ARM.