Decree No. 18/97 approving the Agricultural Development Policy Charter (CPDA).

This Decree approves the Agricultural Development Policy Charter (CPDA) aiming to promote the national agriculture development. The CPDA is part of the Government's economic and social policy, whose priority objectives are to: Ensure the satisfaction of the essential needs of the populations, re-establish a better redistribution of income and fight against poverty; Rational use of pastoral agro-forestry resources. These major guidelines are currently being translated into profound changes at the economic, political and institutional level, namely: The effective application of a liberalization policy; A new distribution of responsibilities between different development actors; A progressive disengagement of the State and the consequent promotion of the private sector; A redefinition of the competences of the different public services of rural institutions, in accordance with the principles of effective administrative decentralization. The Government's general objectives in terms of agricultural policy are as follows: Guarantee food security; Increase and diversify agricultural exports; Ensure the rational management and preservation of agro-forestry-pastoral resources; Improve the livelihood of rural populations. General objectives aim to achieve growth in the agricultural economy, accompanied by human development and a long-term viability for the country's development, for a progressive disengagement of the State from the productive sectors in favor of the private sector and of greater responsibility and participation of the populations of rural communities in development actions. These four objectives imply: The capital growth of food production; Strengthening the availability of food products (markets, storage); Improving populations' incomes and, consequently, access to food products; The preservation of the national capital of natural resources (forests, soil, water, fisheries) through an appropriate level of exploitation.