22nd AU summit launches 2014 year of agriculture, food security

The 22nd African Union (AU) summit kicked off on Thursday at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the opening of the summit, the AU heads of state launched "2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security, Marking 10th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP)." Preceded by the sessions of the Permanent Representatives Committee on Jan. 21-23 and the Executive Council on Jan. 27-29, the summit is held with the theme of "Transforming Africa's Agriculture: Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development." The summit was also preceded by the meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council at the level of heads of state on Jan. 29, when the leaders deliberated on the situations in South Sudan, Central African Republic and Egypt. In her opening remarks at the summit, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission, noted with emphasis on Africa's economic integration, coupled with infrastructure development, to boost intra-Africa trade from less than 12 percent in 2013 to 50 percent by 2045.