- Multi-stakeholder experts meeting at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have called for the promotion of agro-businesses as an essential element to Africa’s industrialisation efforts.
The experts representing governments, international organisations, academia and the private sector, are meeting to review a draft document prepared by ECA on using public-private partnerships as a vehicle for promoting agro-industry and agribusinesses. The meeting which opened on Wednesday, will run until Friday 24 July.
In his opening remarks to the meeting, the director of ECA’s Food Security and Sustainable Development Division, Josue Dione, stated that Africans continue to suffer from poverty and hunger even though it is now more than ten years since the World Food Summit.
“Sure, some progress has been made, but all in all, the poor performance of African agriculture and the persistent food insecurity in the continent remain matters of serious concern,” he said.
He said that although intra-African trade in agriculture remains low, the region imported on average $33 billion worth of agricultural goods annually between 2000 and 2005. “Such a high import bill in face of abundant production potential is symptomatic of a severe structural deficiency of the African food and agriculture systems that needs to be addressed,” he said.
He informed the experts that the final document from this meeting will be used as an advocacy tool in support of the implementation of the resolutions of the African Union Abuja Summit of December 2006 on Food Security.
Also speaking at the meeting, Mafa Chipeta of the Food and Agricultural Organisation called on the meeting to address the core question of why African agriculture remains uncompetitive. “Some international businesses are importing chicken from Brazil and selling them on the African market for a profit,” he said.
He said the experts should therefore address the reasons why African agriculture was uncompetitive even in African markets. He also called on the meeting to critically examine whether public-private partnerships are the best vehicle for promoting African agriculture.
David Njie of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) pointed at the paradox of Africa as “the richest continent with the poorest countries.” He said that UNIDO is attaching the highest priority to agriculture as the sector will be crucial to industrialization, and vice versa.
Some key issues addressed by the experts include the increasing disconnection of African farmers from both input and product markets; the extreme fragmentation of the African food and agricultural markets; how to improve the conceptualisation of regional agricultural value chains; and inter-institutional collaboration for promoting regional value chains.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español