Food Security : placing farmers at the core of development efforts
In Africa, the race to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and the Malabo commitments to end hunger by 2025 is hindered by formidable challenges such as climate change, inflation, and regional conflicts. The call to rethink financing mechanisms intensifies, with a growing emphasis on mobilizing internal resources and innovative financing solutions to strengthen agricultural development.
By the editorial staff
The recent 10th African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) in Addis Ababa highlighted the importance of placing farmers at the core of development efforts to ensure food security in Africa. As the continent continues its race to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and the Malabo commitments to eliminate hunger by 2025, it faces enormous challenges such as climate change, inflation, and regional conflicts.
The call to rethink agricultural financing mechanisms has become increasingly urgent, with a heightened focus on mobilizing internal resources and innovative financing solutions to enhance agricultural development in Africa. Policymakers gathered in Addis Ababa were urged to center their policies on the needs of farmers and to improve access to financing in the agricultural sector.
Godfrey Bahiigwag, Director of the Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy Directorate at the African Union Commission, emphasized the crucial role of farmers in driving progress and development in Africa. He also highlighted the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), a flagship initiative of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which sets ambitious goals for transforming African agriculture by 2025, including African governments’ commitment to allocate at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture and rural development.
Private sector engagement to drive investments and innovation
“By fostering collaborative efforts and forging strategic partnerships, stakeholders can amplify the impact of CAADP, fortifying Africa’s agricultural systems and advancing the goal of food security across the continent”, said Mr. Menghestab Haile, Regional Director for Southern Africa, WFP
However, participants at the Forum emphasized the need for concrete action to translate these commitments into tangible results on the ground. Private sector engagement is identified as crucial to drive investments and innovation in Africa’s agri-food and nutrition sector, offering essential resources and expertise to address the complex challenges facing the agricultural landscape.
Participants at the meeting also emphasized that Africa stands at a transformative moment in its development trajectory, where innovative financing mechanisms are the key to unlocking the continent’s vast agricultural potential. By placing farmers at the center of development efforts and improving access to financing, Africa can pave the way for a better future for all its people.
