Africa-Press – Seychelles. The African continent annually loses around 30 percent of its agricultural production due to lack of conservation infrastructures, the African Union (AU) commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Josefa Sacko told.
According to the commissioner, those 30% of agricultural goods, which are lost due to lack of conservation, could serve to feed the populations of the continent very well.
In addition to the loss of agricultural products, resulting from the lack of conservation infrastructure, Josefa Sacko also pointed to soil problems and the lack of fertilizers in Africa.
As for the problem of soils in Africa, he said that they are being used a lot, but their health is not being addressed in order to increase productivity.
At this time, according to the official, in order to treat the soil and increase productivity, Africa uses an average of 18 kilograms of fertilizers per hectare, which is very little, but in 2006, in Abuja (Nigeria), at an extraordinary summit of the UA, designated “Abuja 1”, the heads of African states decided to reach up to 50 kg per hectare, “unfortunately without success”.
He explained that “Abuja 1” has the Abuja Declaration whose content predicted, by 2030, an increase in the use of fertilizers to 50 kilograms per hectare. “Until today we have carried out an assessment and concluded that Africa only uses 18/hectare. This does not increase productivity or ensure food security. These are the factors that we have to look at and accelerate, if we want to have food sovereignty ”, he warned.
In order to find solutions on the need for fertilizers, he added that, in June this year, the African Union will hold a Summit, in Senegal, in order to analyze questions about soils, as well as the supply of fertilizers to peasants at affordable prices.
Impact of war, financing and solutions
He referred that Russia, currently at war with Ukraine, is one of the main suppliers of fertilizers and cereals to the African continent.
The commissioner, who also spoke about the effects of that war in Africa, indicated Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya as the main affected countries, as Africa imports 30% of its wheat needs from these countries in conflict.
Faced with the various shocks that the continent has suffered, including those caused by Covid-19 and the Russia/Ukraine war, whose impacts are visible, Sacko defends “African solutions to African problems” – an AU slogan.
Thus, he informed that they already have available USD 1.5 billion to increase food production, granted by the African Development Bank (ADB) and USD 3.4 billion – financing from the World Bank (WB) to combat climate change, particularly drought, and ensuring food resilience in the eastern and southern African regions.
Taking into account the funding, which has already started to be distributed to the countries, according to the head of the AU Rural Economy and Agriculture portfolio, hunger relief on the continent is expected from the end of the first half of the current year.
Food production on the agenda
With regard to the issue of food production and hunger on the continent, Josefa Sacko stressed that the core of the issue is the lack of investment, political will and training.
In his view, these factors are very important, because, he justified, whoever wants to prepare food sovereignty must create these conditions.
Quoting the president of the United States of America, the commissioner said that at the recent US/Africa Summit, Joe Biden’s concern in cooperation with the African continent was food security.
“He said that it is not accepted that an individual wakes up in the morning and has nothing to eat. This is against human rights”, quoted the Angolan diplomat, stressing.
Asked if she believes that Africa can still be the world’s food reserve, as has been said for years, she said yes. “I think we can still count, but there must be political will”, underlined the interviewee.
In addition, he said that there are crises that bring opportunities such as that of 2020, of Covid-19, and in 2022, the Russia/Ukraine war, which showed the vulnerability of the agricultural sector in Africa.
The leader understands that it is necessary to dream and transform the continent, otherwise it will be a shame not to leave a good legacy for the generations that follow.
“I finish my term in two years at the UA, in 2025, and I have to leave a legacy. I may not do everything, but I have to leave something. These are the projects that we have to hold on to and that are benefiting our countries. It must be ensured that productivity has improved. I hope that the Summit on fertilizers will bear fruit and concrete actions”, he stressed.
He declared that he believes in concrete actions, but does not believe in speeches. “I believe in actions that show that this is what I did, because time is short. We have a four-year mandate and we can’t do everything, but taking advantage of the current situation, what is the solution to resolve this, asks the interlocutor.
For him, Africa can be the world’s food reserve if there is political will, good advocacy, because for the first time food security is an issue that is on the table, scheduled.
Angolan Josefa Sacko is an agronomist, economist and ambassador to the UA. She was Secretary General of the Inter-African Coffee Organization for 13 years. In 2017, she was elected Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Economy by the African Union.
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