Building resilient food systems vital to end hunger in Africa
Regional Conference for Africa asserts private sector has an important role to play
26 October 2020, Accra/Harare – Countries attending the first day of the Regional Conference for Africa have underscored that building resilient food and agriculture systems in the face of climate change, conflicts, economic downturns and COVID-19 is key to driving progress towards ending hunger.
The 31st Session of the Regional Conference for Africa is convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and brings together more than 90 Ministers and deputy Ministers from more than 45 countries. Representatives from observer countries, donor organizations, civil society and the private sector are also attending.
FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa David Phiri told today’s session that Africa is significantly off track to achieve the African Union’s Malabo commitments by 2025 and the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030, even without considering the impacts of COVID-19.
Africa has the fastest growth in the number of hungry people compared to other regions, and will outstrip Asia in terms of the total number of undernourished people if current trends persist.
Phiri said it was vital to reduce community vulnerabilities to crises and disasters, and to better prepare for future shocks. He said humanitarian assistance must be better integrated with development support through multi-year planning processes that in turn require longer-term donor commitments. Over the longer term, governments must invest strategically to strengthen their country’s and people’s resilience.
Supporting Small Island Developing States
In particular, small island developing states (SIDS) and land-locked developing countries (LLDCs) often experience food insecurity because of vulnerability to climate shocks and overreliance on food imports, FAO’s Sub-regional Coordinator for Southern Africa Patrice Talla told the meeting.
SIDS such as Cabo Verde, Comoros, and São Tomé and Príncipe’s share similar characteristics such as a narrow resource base, volatile markets, and high costs for energy and transportation. LLDCs such as Botswana, Burundi, Eswatini, Lesotho, and South-Sudan often face high transit costs and significant variations in the cost of trading across borders.
One of the recommendations to address these challenges is a mechanism to facilitate greater private sector investment.
“We need massive investment and that’s why we’re calling on FAO to help us,” said Joseph Kasonga Mukuta, Minister of Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We need to transform the whole of our agricultural system,” he said.
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Trade and Industry Edward Hinga Sandy said the private sector should be supported to increase production and help countries reduce their dependence on food imports.
“We cannot continue to do the same things and expect a different result…There is need for a broader change in our strategy,” he said.
“We need to feed our own people,” said São Tomé and Príncipe’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development for Francisco Ramos, recognizing his country’s reliance on imported food. “We need significant support for the blue economy – fisheries can be a way out for our people,” he said.
Looking to 2030
FAO Regional Programme Leader Ade Freeman told the Conference that promising opportunities lie in the region’s growing food markets, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), digital technology and innovations, and the growing youth population.
Tomorrow morning the FAO Director-General QU Dongyu will address the Conference, as well as representatives from partner organizations, civil society and the private sector.
The Conference continues until Wednesday, 28 October 2020