[BLOG] Achieving food availability

It is common knowledge that food security is directly linked to climatic conditions and the environmental conditions in general. The prevailing negative effects of climate change which have disproportionately affected regions have far reaching implications for agriculture and food production in Africa.

This unfortunate situation is accompanied by the fact that Africa is not adequately resourced to deal with new and emerging challenge of climate change. The ability of the continent to deal with mitigation and adaptation of climate change will continue to depend on availability of both financial and transfer of technology to the continent.

In efforts to overcome the threat posed by climate change on agriculture and food security on the continent, we need Africa governments to bring together ministers of agriculture, environment and water to advance spectral approach in addressing the climate change agenda.

I believe that these efforts will ensure that African countries adopt measures to adequately mitigate and reverse the impact of climate change on agricultural production and food security.

Food and energy prices on the continent are still volatile and unstable. If this trend continues unabated, the goal of eradicating extreme poverty on the continent will become an illusion.

While I note and appreciate that aid to Africa has increased over the years, this trend has not been the same in the area of agriculture and food security, where support has decreased.

Today, of the total aid extended to Africa, only 2 per cent is allocated to agriculture and food security.
I call upon all negotiating parties in the WTO Doha development round to show restraint and spirit of give and take, so that the world can resolve the issue of protectionist measures, which directly hampers agricultural development efforts in developing nations.

The case in point is the issue of heavy subsidies, which are granted to farmers in developed countries. These subsidies have a stifling effect on farming in developing countries, Africa in particular.

Isaac Twumasi-Quantus, is the Managing Business Director at Africa Business Communities.

 

This article was originally posted on West Africa Business Communities

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