Agri-food sector prepares to implement STAS
Strengthening food security nationwide
Namibia’s agricultural sector is entering a decisive phase as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR) convened a high-level roundtable in Windhoek to refine the governance and coordination framework for the Strategy for the Transformation of the Agri-Food Sector (STAS).The meeting, held on 27 November, coincided with a scoping mission from the African Union Development Agency – NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), marking what officials described as a crucial moment ahead of the full implementation of STAS in December.
Opening the session, MAFWLR Executive Director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata said the engagement with the AU represented “a timely and strategic opportunity for Namibia’s agri-food sector to engage directly with the African Union on our shared journey towards the commencement of the implementation of the Strategy for the Transformation of the Agri-Food Sector (STAS).” She described the mission as “a pivotal milestone in our collective efforts to operationalise the commitments made under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).”
The roundtable brought together senior government officials, agricultural boards, farmers’ unions, private-sector actors, input suppliers, agro-processors, development partners and academia.
STAS: Translating policy into action
STAS is a government-led initiative designed to boost production, strengthen food security, promote sustainable resource management, and enhance public-private collaboration across the agri-food value chain.
At the 2025 Agri Outlook Conference, Ben Haraseb, Director of the Directorate of Agricultural Production, Extension and Engineering Services, outlined how the strategy translates policy into practical programmes.
He explained that STAS builds on Namibia’s commitments under the African Union’s Maputo, Malabo and Kampala Declarations, connecting continental priorities with national plans such as Vision 2030 and the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
Haraseb highlighted that the strategy is structured around four pillars: 1) production, productivity and agribusiness; 2) food and nutrition security and governance; 3) sustainable resource management; and 4) an enabling environment with responsive institutions. He emphasised the importance of public-private collaboration, investment and coordinated stakeholder engagement to ensure that all actors — from producers and processors to marketers and logistics providers — work together effectively across the value chain.
Nghituwamata reminded stakeholders that STAS is the domesticated version of Namibia’s National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP), drafted through a national consultative process. She said it stands “as a key vehicle to drive investment, productivity and competitiveness across the agri-food value chains, while anchoring our commitments to contributing to the National Development agenda and the CAADP framework.”
Governance and coordination ahead of implementation
The roundtable focused on finalising a draft governance structure and coordination mechanism for STAS. Nghituwamata said: “They will define how we work together, how we measure our progress, and how we hold ourselves accountable to the goals we have collectively set.”
Referencing a directive from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Nghituwamata said: “MAFWLR must expedite the establishment of the structure to commence implementation of the transformation of the agri-food sector implementation plan, which identifies priority investment areas and clarifies stakeholder roles, by December 2025.”
Nghituwamata called on stakeholders to unify existing structures: “I urge you, as stakeholders, to form a single unified structure as instructed by the President, and to integrate all other structures that are currently operating with the same mandate.”
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