African must reduce imports, increase agricultural production

TRIPLING intra-African trade in “Commodities” agriculture is one of the goals of the 2014 Malabo Declaration, committed to developing agriculture and improve food security by 2025.

Food imports into Africa are very high, we hope that with the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), intra-African trade in agricultural goods and services will increase.

As regional integration is crucial to World Bank assistance, the African Union firmly believes in it as also the foundation for the integration of its eight economic communities, the continent and, at the same time, the success of the AfCFTA.

Support is also being provided to African Union member states to develop policies and strategies to reduce post-harvest food losses by 50% by 2025, as more food saved means a smaller food import bill.

About 75% of Africa’s population lives in rural areas and works mainly in the agricultural sector, so it entails to make rural areas attractive, especially for young people.

The intention is to transform agriculture from a mere source of subsistence to a business, regardless of its size, that small farms are more productive, increase the value of farmers’ production and promote agro-processing industries.

In this way, the exodus of youth from rural to urban areas will be avoided.

Unskilled migrants constitute the majority of the poor in our urban centres, who leave rural areas bound for the cities in search of job opportunities.

To reverse the trend, policies such as promotion of land tenure security in order to keep, mainly women, in rural areas must be instituted.

Africa must eye to register at least 30% of land owned by women by 2025. Angop