Agricultural Sector Policy Framework (ASPF).

This Agricultural Sector Policy Framework (ASPF) is a sectoral policy framework of the Republic of South Sudan applicable to the period of 2012-2017. Its main objective is increase of agricultural productivity to improve food security and contribute to economic growth and environmental sustainability.The ASPF provides for measures regarding both food security and nutritional security. Regarding the former it notes that it aims to enhance the adoption of policies that increase farm productivity, conserve post-harvested stocks, diversify household income and permit access to marketed stocks so as to ensure food security for all households all year round. Among others, it promotes better food utilization, ensuring that farming households are able to achieve adequate level of productivity and income to meet their food and nutrition needs as well as plans to ensure that food is accessed by low income households at affordable prices throughout the year. Regarding nutritional security, it promotes policies that facilitate the use of acceptable methods in food handling and diet planning to enhance the nutritional value and balanced food intake by the population. Finally, the ASPF also notes that it will ensure that utilization of water resources is consistent with the principle that water is a fundamental human right.In the area of agriculture and environment, the document aims to ensure a comprehensive institutional and legal framework for sustainable forestry management involving multiple stakeholders under the facilitation of government and states under the auspices of the South Sudan Forest Corporation.Much measures contemplated under the ASPF are aimed at reducing rural poverty, including measures such as instituting and facilitating strategies that will attract and empower youth to remain in the rural areas and engage in production, value addition and trade. In addition, it plans to facilitate the implementation of gender empowerment programmes in the agricultural sector and influence the same in other spheres of the society. Further, the document notes that it aims to enhance implementation of an established social welfare safety net for vulnerable groups in rural areas. According to the document, it will be ensured that agricultural growth generates remunerative employment for women, youth and returnees.The Policy Framework also provides for accelerated food and agricultural production while ensuring that the growth is pro-poor, sustainable and contribute to food and nutrition security. It will support small holders and their organizations in increasing their secure access to land and water, enhancing access to technologies and knowledge to boost both labour and land productivity, and improving their access to markets and finance. The ASPF plans to enhance facilitation to the growth of banking and non-bank financial services, including rural finance institutions, for financing agricultural and rural sector development in production, processing, storage and marketing of products. The document also discusses the issue of developing and enhancing human and institutional capacity. In this regard, particular attention will be given to building the capacity of CSOs, community based organizations and business associations. The ASPF also promotes agricultural research, agricultural education and training as well extension services. Further, the document intends to promote a vibrant and well-coordinated and capacitated cooperative sector as a critical catalyst of economic activities by the communities. The Policy equally treats the issue of land reform with the following policy objectives: implementing a Land Policy; putting in place a land tenure and land use system; promoting and supporting the efficient and transparent operation of land markets; ensuring that poor citizens, including women, youth, returnees and IDPs, gain security of property rights; and making sure that land use and land tenure systems ensure sustainable use of natural resources.In the field of disaster preparedness the document contains several core policy areas, including plant protection, agricultural insurance and climate change mitigation. Regarding the plant protection, it aims to enhance institutional framework for promotion of sustainable crop pest and disease management and ensuring accessibility of organic and inorganic pesticides by farmers. Additionally, the ASPF provides for facilitation of establishment of weather-based crop insurance system and operation of an early warning system on possible droughts and pests outbreaks, whereas, regarding the climate change, it provides for enhancing policy measures meant to mitigate the adverse effects and impacts from climate change in the medium and long-term.In terms of monitoring and evaluation, the Directorate of Agriculture within state ministries of agriculture will identify specific goals and outcomes (bench marks) of sub-sector policies and define related indicators of M&E and identify sources of information for each indicator (sample surveys, secondary data, etc. ). Also, at the county level, the County Department of Agriculture will be responsible for monitoring and evaluation.