Dr Kanayo Nwanze, the President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has identified the decline in agriculture as the cause of hunger and poverty in Africa which he described as waste of human lives.
Nwanze stated this when he spoke at the opening of the 6th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW) with an estimated 1200 participants from across Africa in Accra .
He stressed that waste of human lives and potentialities through hunger and extreme poverty were not only tragic but also a disgrace to the continent.
According to him, growth in agriculture equates to a reduction in poverty, adding that in the sub-Saharan region , growth generated by agriculture is 11 times more effective in reducing poverty than GDP growth in any other sector.
The IFAD president said there has been a tremendous decline in Africa's agricultural sector in the past three decades because of lack of investment and inadequate research and development.
"Today, it seems that while much of the world moves forward, Africa is moving backward. Over the past three decades, agricultural productivity in Africa has been stagnant or declining because of years of under investment.
"Is there any wonder then that there is so much poverty and hunger on our continent, the resulting waste in human lives and potentialities is not only tragic but it is a disgrace because there is simply no reason for it?
Nwanze, however, urged the government of each country and international bodies to pay adequate attention to smallholder farmers as they are the key to development in Africa.
"There is a focus on the smallholder farmers by IFAD because they produce 80 to 90 per cent of the food we consume in this continent; they are part of the solution to food sufficiency and security in Africa.
"They are businessmen and women; they are not waiting for government, they are waiting for economic opportunities to grow their businesses.
"Smallholder holds the key to Africa's development. Successful small farms can provide a variety of jobs, decent income and food security," he said .
As the president commended the Forum for Agricultural Development in Africa (FARA) for bringing together African countries to share their experiences and address their challenges in order to boost productivity, he pointed that the forum's aim would be defeated if they was no consistent research and development in the continent, Nwanze noted.
Original Article Here
No comments:
Post a Comment