The Food and Agriculture Organization‘s (FAO) Regional Representative for Africa, Mr Abebe Haile-Gabriel, recently revealed that Africa is not on track to achieve zero hunger by 2030.
He said this at a meeting evaluating the continent’s progress toward that target so far.
The meeting is part of the Seventh Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD), which is currently taking place in Brazzaville. It is co-organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the World Food Programme (WFP), in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Congo.
Mr. Haile-Gabriel said, “The results remain unsatisfactory, and there are numerous challenges due to climate change, the weak economic condition, and the negative effects of COVID-19, as well as a lack of public investment.”
He did claim, however, that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the continent’s food system to be transformed.
Mr. Haile-Gabriel said that political will and determination at the highest levels were crucial in addressing Africa’s hunger issue, as were national and local efforts and investments.
Read Also: Mahama to speak at 5pm today after losing election petition
After the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, the continent urgently needed to rebuild and move forward, with governments being urged to invest in social security programs to safeguard society’s most vulnerable.
He said that in order to help end hunger in Africa, the African food system must be transformed, and that comprehensive multi-sectoral approaches must be adopted.
Mr Chris Toe, a WFP representative, said that in order to eliminate hunger and food insecurity, African countries needed to prioritize and scale up investments in rural transformation, sustainable infrastructure, and human capital growth.
This, he said, will not only help the continent maintain its current success, but will also help the continent achieve zero hunger, as outlined in the SDGs, Africa’s 2025 pledge to end hunger, and Agenda 2063 aspirations.
Speaking on behalf of Agriculture Minister, Mr. Joseph-Antoine Kasongo, Mr. Mukena Bantu, a Congolese government official and advisor in charge of cooperation and projects, said the new administration was determined to accelerate the growth of agriculture in order to end hunger.
“We have announced that the soil must take over the subsoil,” he said, adding that “there is political will to implement all required measures to achieve food security.”
The side event gave member states an opportunity to focus on and share transformative actions and investments that will help Africa’s food systems better meet the 2030 Agenda’s expectations and priorities, as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
SOURCE:ATLFMONLINE
