Dedicated leadership can achieve self-sufficiency in food
AFRICAN leaders underscored that the continent’s agricultural sector requires dedicated leadership in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food.
Ethiopia hosted a highlevel event recently on Food Self-Reliance in Africa, titled Africa Can Be Food Self-Reliant: Climate-Smart Solutions and Collective Action for Food System Transformation, on the sidelines of the 37th Ordinary Session of the African Union’s Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
During the forum, Ethiopian President Sahle-work Zewde emphasised that 90% of Africa’s agriculture relies on rainfall and highlighted the adverse effects of climate change on the continent’s agricultural practices.
She also identified limited access to finance and other challenges as significant obstacles to ensuring food security.
Zewde, citing Ethiopia’s leadership role in Pan Africanism, highlighted the country’s practical efforts towards achieving food selfsufficiency in recent years.
She emphasised the importance of modernising agriculture to ensure food sovereignty and integrate the Green Legacy Initiative into the food system to address climate change challenges.
Zewde also urged other countries to learn from Ethiopia’s success and work diligently to ensure food security. Africans can ensure their food sovereignty if they unite and should learn from Adwa’s victory, the Zewde indicated.
Prime Minister Success Masra of the Transitional Government of Chad on his part emphasised that Africa’s independence will remain incomplete unless the continent grows its own food.
He expressed concern over the billions of dollars expended on food imports despite the continent’s immense potential.
Masra mentioned the efforts being made in Chad to address the challenges of the sector stressing the need to shift focus towards increasing agricultural production and building a sustainable system that is independent of rainfall.
He indicated the importance of developing agricultural value chain to transform agriculture from a manifestation of poverty to a source of wealth.
Further Africa