Agenda 74 Organisation
About Mission for COMESA
Care to Change the World
This is Where It Began
Every lasting initiative begins with a moment of convergence. For the Social Development and Empowerment Programme (SDEP), that moment came when vision met opportunity — and need met readiness.
It was during the early dialogues with the African Development Bank that the core of the idea took shape. As we presented our Charity as a Business model and long-term equity frameworks, the Bank responded not just with interest, but with direction. They saw a fit — not just in theory, but in geography. They introduced us to COMESA.
More than a matchmaker, the Bank became a bridge. Through their strategic channels, we entered into dialogue with ACTESA, COMESA’s specialized agency for agriculture and trade. What followed was not just an invitation — it was a challenge: to turn models into missions, and theory into implementation.
SDEP was born not as a pilot, but as a promise. A promise to deliver measurable, lasting, and accountable change — across land, skills, systems, and sovereignty.
And it began here — in COMESA.
The Mission Begins: COMESA as Anchor
In a world increasingly defined by fragmentation, Mission 4 begins with a different ambition — unity through action. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is not just a trading bloc. It is a gateway. A platform where multilateral aspirations meet practical mechanisms for change.
Here, Mission 4 takes root — through ACTESA, COMESA’s specialized agency for agriculture and trade. But the vision is broader than food systems or market integration. This is the front line of a 50-year transformation, and COMESA is the first region to host it.
What is the Mission?
Mission 4 is the structured launch of the Social Development and Empowerment Programme (SDEP) — a comprehensive initiative designed to unlock potential across human capital, local economies, governance, and climate resilience.
Over a 24-month initial horizon, the mission will establish national chapters in selected COMESA countries, open operational offices in both Sweden and Africa, deploy critical tools like FlexSus and ECHO, and begin the layered work of system-building — from food security to vocational training, from compliance to communication.
What We Want
We want to end hunger—not through charity, but through systems change. We want to build a food economy that is circular, regenerative, and inclusive. We want to ensure that farmers are not exploited, that children are not born into hunger, and that Africa is no longer seen as a recipient of aid, but as a provider of solutions.
We want to:
- Transform agriculture into a driver of equity, employment, and innovation
- Build sustainable food systems that serve both people and planet
- Digitalise agricultural value chains and rural economies
- Empower women, youth, and smallholder farmers
- Create jobs across the food system—from farm to fork
- Align national food strategies with regional and global agendas
- Make COMESA the world’s food basket—on our terms
Our Framework: SFPSEI
At the heart of the COMESA Mission is the Sustainable Food Production and Social Equity Initiative (SFPSEI)—a comprehensive, multi-sectoral framework designed to integrate food security, agricultural transformation, and social development.
SFPSEI is not a program. It is a structural blueprint for how agriculture, governance, and equity can be aligned to deliver long-term, systemic change. It is implemented through two core modules:
- SDEP – Social Development Empowerment Program: A foundational program for rural transformation, digital inclusion, and local empowerment.
- ECHO – Equity-Centered Hubs for Opportunity: A network of integrated rural hubs combining agricultural services, education, healthcare, and cooperative enterprise.
Together, SDEP and ECHO form the operational backbone of SFPSEI, enabling COMESA countries to build resilient food systems that are locally rooted, digitally enabled, and socially accountable.
Strategic Goals
The COMESA Mission is guided by five strategic goals:
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End Hunger and Child Poverty: Eliminate extreme hunger and reduce child poverty across the region through targeted interventions and systemic reform.
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Build a Circular Food Economy: Promote regenerative agriculture, local processing, and zero-waste value chains that restore ecosystems and create jobs.
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Empower Rural Communities: Equip farmers, women, and youth with the tools, training, and infrastructure needed to thrive in a modern food economy.
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Digitalise Agriculture and Rural Services: Deploy digital platforms for extension services, market access, land registration, and cooperative governance.
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Position COMESA as a Global Food Leader: Align regional production with global demand, ensuring that COMESA becomes a net exporter of food produced ethically and sustainably.
Expected Impact
The COMESA Mission is designed to deliver measurable, transformative outcomes:
- 20 million people lifted out of hunger and extreme poverty
- 10 million new jobs created across agriculture, logistics, and rural services
- 5,000 ECHO hubs established across COMESA countries
- 100,000 farmers integrated into digital value chains
- 50% increase in regional food exports by 2030
- Full integration of SFPSEI into national development plans
- Strengthened partnerships with AfDB, IFAD, SIDA, and the African Union
Why COMESA Matters
COMESA is not only a market—it is a movement. It is a region with the land, the people, and the ambition to feed the world. But this will not happen by accident. It requires vision, coordination, and institutions that are built to serve—not extract.
The COMESA Mission is that institution-building effort. It is a call to action for governments, farmers, investors, and citizens to come together—not to manage poverty, but to end it.
