INVEST IN RESEARCH TO SAVE AFRICA’S AGRICULTURE

NAIROBI - Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa was already getting a beating from shocks such as droughts, desert locusts and a growing population, and COVID-19 has only added to the pressure.

As I listened to proceedings at the 11th Annual Summit of the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) held in Kenya last week (6-10 September), I became more convinced that the global pandemic is hurting agricultural systems across the continent, and that urgent action is needed to mitigate the situation.

A report released last year by the UN’s High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition says that measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 have had “profound implications for food security, nutrition and food systems”.

It became clear to me that COVID-19 containment measures such as stay-at-home decrees, slowed down agricultural extension services, reduced household incomes against the rising cost of cultivation, led to unavailability of agricultural input materials and uncertainty about the marketing of the products, among others.

But how do we cushion agriculture in Africa against unforeseen crises such as COVID-19? How can the sector be revitalised and made resilient? These were some of the questions that came to my mind as I listened to various panellists and attendees of the AGRF summit.

During the summit, experts shared knowledge and ideas on how to create sustainable food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa amidst the shocks of climate change and burden of disease in the region.

The continent needs robust policy changes in agriculture to ensure that the sector becomes responsive to the population’s current food needs and to further the socioeconomic development of Africa through creation of jobs.