The African continent is experiencing positive transformation across its agri communities. Not only large farming enterprises but also subsistence farmers are applying innovation, science and traditional knowledge to diversify their crops, build climate resilience and increase their harvests.
Should the private sector and national policies step on board to aid their efforts, the modern African farmer’s use of innovative digital tools would see the opening up of additional agri-food chains and lead to greater efficiency, ensuring food security.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with a broad range of partners, is actively promoting the African continent with the aim of ensuring the continent’s food systems become more efficient, increasingly inclusive, highly resilient and more sustainable as climate change brings about new challenges.
Earlier this year, representatives from more than 50 African countries converged in Equatorial Guinea for the 32nd Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa to define regional priorities for agri-food systems transformation.
It is estimated that 281 million people in Africa do not have enough food to eat every day and that almost three-quarters of the continental population cannot afford nutritious food. Widespread drought is threatening lives and livelihoods in the Horn of Africa while many countries continue to battle the economic negative financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like the tall ceiba tree on Equatorial Guinea’s national flag, we too must stand tall in the face of Africa’s many simultaneous and overlapping challenges – Qu Dongyu, Director-General of FAO
The four-day, high-level conference was held in the same venue where leaders of the African Union member countries first committed to transforming the African agriculture sector to end hunger in Africa by 2025.
Donguy told delegates that time was running out and that without extraordinary efforts by every African country, it would be difficult to meet these aspirations and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
AfCFTA and digitalisation – game changers
Digitalisation and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are seen as game changers toward reaching the SDG’s. The FAO considers digitalisation a core element of ongoing rural development. The organisation’s 1000 Digital Villages initiative is being piloted across seven African countries, (as in Asia and the Pacific), with the ultimate aim of equipping communities with digital tools and services to fast-track rural transformation and wellbeing. Through this initiative, FAO has already successfully supported countries to apply digital tools in creating electronic land registries and innovative applications to assist farmers.
The unique AfCFTA concept is able to radically transform Africa’s rural prosperity. This regional single market, covering 1.2 billion consumers, is a major opportunity to boost economic growth, reduce poverty and broaden economic inclusion. The FAO called for swift national implementation, especially taking into account women and youth.
CAADP to end hunger and poverty
African countries already boast various initiatives to speed up the transformation of agri-food systems and rural development. The Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), the continent-wide initiative led by African countries, would be instrumental in ending hunger and reducing poverty through agricultural development.
The FAO welcomed African countries’ renewed commitment to accelerate CAADP implementation and committed itself to support this work, including strengthening the quality of data used to measure progress as part of the CAADP biennial review.
Other instruments to accelerate agricultural progress include the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), providing a common framework for African stakeholders to build an integrated infrastructure system to boost trade and jobs. Another initiative is the African Union Climate Change Strategy aiming to achieve the Agenda 2063 vision by building the resilience of the continent to the negative impacts of climate change. Also, the Science Technology Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA), promises enormous benefits for agriculture by Boosting Intra African Trade as a development trade driver.
African ownership and African leadership are necessary
During the regional conference, ministerial roundtables focussed on policy priorities needed to address and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on African agri-food systems; investing in ecosystem restoration on the continent; promoting trade and investment under AfCFTA and ensuring women, youth, and rural farmers are included in the continent’s agri-food systems.
Policymakers, civil society organisations, research institutions, the private sector, donor partners and all stakeholders interested in Africa’s transformation by innovation in agriculture, followed the proceedings online. Inclusivity was called for in setting a roadmap towards achieving better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
Central to delivering on these objectives are FAO’s flagship initiatives, such as the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, which identifies gaps in rural transformation and matches countries with partners to deliver tangible results. It is supported by a geospatial data platform powered by FAO’s wealth of data on key sectors. So far, 27 African countries have joined this global initiative.
FAO has recently launched the One Country One Priority Product initiative in Africa to support countries in developing sustainable value chains and reaching new markets. Another instrument of the FAO is the Green Cities Initiative, integrating urban forestry and agriculture into local planning. This is already underway in several African cities and would ensure more sustainable cities and shorter routes for nutritious food to reach markets. All these initiatives are country-driven and country-owned, highlighting that action at the country level is critical.
Dongye said that by working together, Africa’s agriculture can be transformed to achieve The Africa We Want.
