Africa-Press – Liberia. It was an auspicious occasion when some stakeholders of Liberia’s agriculture and food system recently deliberated on the successes and challenges of the nation’s agriculture in observance of the World Food Day celebration.
The program which aimed to highlight the accomplishments of agriculture and the food system was organized by Agrotech, a youth focused organization.
World Food Day is observed every year on October 16 to highlight the achievements of agriculture and the food system globally.
The event brought together key stakeholders, including farmers, the private sector actors, young entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector to share their perspectives on the way to promote food security in the country, particularly in line with the current National Agriculture Development Plan for Liberia.
Reflecting the progress made thus far in improving food security and the challenges that still need attention, the food system actors, some who served as panelists during the event underscored the need for a transformative agriculture.
The panelists mentioned the need for the government to exert more efforts to address pertinent issues that still confronts the country’s agriculture and food system.
They outlined ensuring women access to land, improving on extension services, improving on access to finance and the provision of adequate inputs among others as some critical issues.
Accordingly, the panelists said that addressing those issues will inspire more young farmers and agripreneurs to set out in exploring opportunities in the agriculture and agribusiness sector.
They also use the opportunity to explain their organization contributions toward food security in Liberia over the past year.
Hawa Dunor Varney, Executive Director for the Women In Agriculture said that women contribute immensely to the food system in Liberia and as such there is need for the government to continue to create the enabling environment to improve farming.
According to her as an organization, considering the difficulties women experienced in access to land they are working to create awareness around the issue.
“We are providing the skills and knowledge as well as providing them the education on business knowledge to make agriculture a business. We are also providing literacy education as part of our programs so that the women can go out and seek for opportunities,” she said.
As an organization we advocate women access to land in communities to be able to provide land to grow their food.
Hired Lankah, of Nimba Venture, a snail farmer, explained that his organization is working to change the minds set of the young people about agriculture.
“We provide not just food security but also alternative livelihood. I try to make the young people understand that agriculture requires developing the proper mindset to succeed,” he said.
He mentioned that there are a lot of challenges that still confront snail farming and so they’re supporting young people who don’t have the starting capital.
Neemu Barcom of the Farmer Union Network of Liberia explained that her organization has been very much busy addressing post harvest losses in the food sector.
“We also worked to train farmers in the past for rice cultivation, adding that her organization currently works to revamp the coffee sector.
According to her, the program aims to train the farmers in improved coffee cultivation to improve incomes.
Barcom said that though the project is yet to provide equipment, farmers are trained in harvest and processing.
According to her, for the first time, under the program farmers were able to export some quantities of coffee to Europe.
“The farmers are very much excited about the program as more women and youths are now getting involved,” she explained.
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