Africa Food Systems Forum urges innovation, investment for food security

Kigali, Sep 3 (IANS) Delegates attending the Africa Food Systems (AFS) Forum in Rwanda’s Kigali on Tuesday called for urgent innovation, investment, and political commitment to transform agriculture and ensure food security across the continent.

The forum, which attracted over 5,000 participants, including policymakers, agribusiness investors, academics, farmers’ organizations, private sector representatives, and youth, focused on accelerating the transformation of Africa’s food systems under the theme “Innovate, Accelerate, and Elevate.”

Speaking at the event, Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente emphasized the critical need for collaboration between governments, the private sector and other stakeholders to achieve sustainable food systems. He urged African governments to harness digital technologies, adopt climate-resilient practices, and create inclusive systems that guarantee access to safe and nutritious food for all Africans.

“The path to delivering food systems transformation in Africa lies in our ability to innovate, accelerate and scale,” Ngirente said, stressing the importance of swift and coordinated action to address the continent’s food security challenges, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hailemariam Desalegn, board chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and the AFS Forum, expressed concern over the lack of political commitment and investment in Africa’s food systems. He said that food systems are central to tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges but have not received the attention they deserve.

“Africa’s food systems have not received the political commitment and investments they need. We must ensure access to healthy, nutritious food for all and tap into the potential of African youth to develop and sustain innovation ecosystems in food systems,” Desalegn said. He called on all stakeholders to work together to turn ideas into action and achieve meaningful progress.

Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Ildephonse Musafiri underscored the need for productive, efficient, sustainable and resilient food systems as a solution to the continent’s challenges in production, nutrition and trade. Despite progress in some areas, Musafiri said that the pace and scale of food systems transformation in Africa remain insufficient.

Delegates highlighted a range of persistent challenges, including inadequate policy frameworks, poor coordination and delivery mechanisms, climate change impacts, infrastructure deficits, fragmented markets, food loss and waste, and limited access to innovation, technologies, and investment.

The forum emphasized the urgency of accelerating efforts to transform African food systems, driven by the looming deadlines of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030 and the Malabo Declaration in 2025.

Innovative policies, digital technologies, and scaled investments are essential to achieving food and nutrition security while creating jobs for the continent’s growing youth and women populations, according to the AFS Forum.

The AFS Forum serves not only as a platform for discussion but also as an accountability mechanism, with stakeholders expected to uphold their commitments and take concrete actions to drive the transformation of Africa’s food systems.

–IANS

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