The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was established in 1980, when the majority-ruled countries of southern African states came together to establish the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) as a part of their fight apartheid. In 1992, as democracy began to take shape in South Africa, SADCC changed both its name to SADC and also its objective. The SADC mission is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance, and durable peace and security, so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy. Food, agriculture, and natural resources (FANR) are a part of SADC’s regional integration initiative. Its main function is the coordination and harmonization of agricultural policies and programs in the SADC region. The main focus of FANR is to ensure food availability, access, safety and nutritional value; disaster preparedness for food security; equitable and sustainable use of the environment and natural resources; and strengthening institutional framework and capacity building. An important focus of this work is to promote agricultural research and training. SADC also maintains an active publications program relevant to agriculture—policy documents, briefings, reports, and other resources.
