Page 14 - Vol.40-No.4 issue

CROP PROTECTION

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agriculture sectors

Hunger levels in Africa have increased in the
past two years, due to lingering e"ects of the
COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing con#icts, the
climate crisis and economic shocks, but the
continent’s possibilities are vast and optimism
about the opportunities that lie ahead is in or-
der, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Na-
tions (FAO), said today at the 33rd Session of the
FAO Regional Ministerial Conference for Africa
(ARC33).

“Africa boasts the largest area of arable land of any continent impose a hefty burden on rural populations, as do the impacts of
and is abundant in natural resources,” he said. “Africa’s young peo- the climate crisis, Africa is home to many of the fastest-growing
ple offer extraordinary potential.”
economies in the world, and the emerging shift to a continental
Pushing forward on the regional agenda embodied in joint free trade area promises to reinforce its potential, making it a nat-
commitments such as the Maputo Declaration and Malabo Dec-
laration will require charting a new course, together and now, to ural destination for investments.
transform the continent’s agrifood systems, Qu said, calling for 36 sub-Saharan African countries have now joined FAO’s Hand-
“strategic partnerships, greater investments, and harnessing the in-Hand Initiative, and investment plans for the region now exceed
power of digital technologies to drive efficiency and productivity $12 billion. Ten countries in the region are currently participating
in Africa’s agriculture sectors.”
in the FAO 1000 Digital Villages Initiative, 29 in FAO’s One Country
Hunger in Africa reached 19.7 percent in 2022, twice the global
rate and up from 17 percent before the pandemic and up from an One Priority Product initiative, and 16 have rolled out the Agri-
estimated 14.8 percent in 2012. Moreover, 868 million Africans, 61 cultural Information Management System (AIMS). FAO has also
percent of the population, did not have access to adequate food mobilized more than $91 million from the Global Environmental
in 2022, and around 146 million people in 36 countries may have Facility and the Green Climate Fund for projects in Africa. These
faced acute food security. (IPC3 or higher). At the same time, hun- figures highlight FAO’s success in forging effective and strategic
ger rates vary enormously within Africa, with low rates in coun-
tries such as Algeria and Ghana and rates close to or even above collaboration with resource and technical partners in the country
50 percent in others such as Madagascar and Central African Re- and enable greater dynamism and agility going forward.
public. The Director-General flagged an array of FAO innovative initia-
“You have to have and help farming,” said Prime Minister Aziz tives in the region, including one using drones to deliver quality
Akhannouch of Morocco in his opening remarks, during which he germ cells for livestock reproduction in Rwanda, another using
outlined the Kingdom’s substantial multiyear investments in en-
hancing irrigation and water efficiency as well as other agrifood the larvae of black flies to turn food waste into organic fertilizer
initiatives that have improved rural incomes. “Putting investment in the Côte d’Ivoire, and another using DNA sequencing to assure
at the center of the farming equation” is also central to Morocco’s the integrity of avocado seedlings in the United Republic of Tan-
Green Generation plan promoted by King Mohammed VI, the zania. More local highlights are detailed here.
prime minister said.
Qu urged ministers to use the ARC33 to exchange knowledge
The ARC33 enables high-level consultations to identify key pri-
orities in the Region to be taken into account in preparing FAO’s and best practices so as to enable each country to take its own
Programme of Work and Budget for the next biennium. lead in transforming its agrifood system. FAO stands ready to con-
The Four Betters – Better production, better nutrition, a better tinue to support these journeys, he added.
environment and a better life – are the cardinal points of FAO’s The Regional Conference features several special events includ-
Strategic Framework 2022-31 and roadmap towards more effi-
cient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agri- ing ministerial roundtables that will investigate emerging technolo-
food systems. They “are not just a vision – they are a call to action,” gies, climate resilience strategies, market dynamics, the potential of
the Director-General said. aquatic foods, agricultural mechanization, digitalization, inclusive
Leveraging opportunities policies empowering women and youth, biodiversity challenges, de-
While protracted conflicts are a major obstacle to progress and serti!cation and livestock development strategies. Circle 14 on enquiry card
12 Vol. 40 No. 4