Africa Food Systems Summit 2023: African Development Bank leads charge for better food systems

Africa Food Systems Summit 2023  African Development Bank

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Sep 10, 2023 - 15:30
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Africa Food Systems Summit 2023: African Development Bank leads charge for better food systems

The 2023 Africa Food Systems Summit Calls for Building Better Food Systems and Promoting Food Sovereignty

The 2023 Africa Food Systems Summit held recently in Dar es Salam has called on African leaders to build better food systems and promote food sovereignty, with youth and women at the centre.

African Development Bank Group Hosts Food Sovereignty and Resilience Event

On the sidelines of Africa’s annual agriculture summit, the African Development Bank Group hosted a food sovereignty and resilience event. This follows the Dakar 2 Food Summit held in Dakar, Senegal early this year.

Discussion on Implementation Progress and Outcomes of Dakar 2 Summit

The session brought together ministers of agriculture from several African countries, including Tanzania, Sierra Leone, the Gambia, and Guinea Bissau, development partners, and private sector operatives. They discussed the implementation progress and outcomes of the Dakar 2 summit in their respective countries.

Unlocking Innovation for Productive, Nutritious, Inclusive, Resilient, and Sustainable Food Systems

Dr. Martin Fregene, the African Development Bank’s Director of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, said: “The 2023 Africa Food Systems Forum is a defining moment for highlighting and unlocking innovation. It allows us to take stock of the political, policy and financial commitments African countries have made to achieve productive, nutritious, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems in the continent.”

Panel Participants

  • Tanzania’s agriculture minister, Hussein Mohamed Bashe
  • The Gambia’s agriculture minister, Dr Demba Sabally
  • Sierra Leone’s agriculture minister, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka
  • Dr. Martien van Nieuwkoop, global director at the Agriculture and Food Global Practice
  • Donal Brown, associate vice-president for programme management at the International Fund for Agricultral Development (IFAD)
  • Dr Simeon Ehui, regional director for continental Africa at CGIAR and director general of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
  • Nivedh Shetty, ARISE IIP
  • Dr. Victor Oladokun, senior advisor to the African Development President
  • Richard Ofori-Mante, acting director of the Bank’s Agricultural Finance and Rural Development Department

Actions Taken by Tanzania to Accelerate Food Production and Systems

Hussein Bashe highlighted key actions that Tanzania has taken to accelerate food production and systems. This included the creation of the Presidential Delivery Council, the establishment of the Agricultural Transformation Office and Agriculture Delivery Unit, and a Build a Better Tomorrow me that promotes and supports youth informing and agriculture.

Hussein said: “Africa has to wash away the shame of not being able to feed itself. For Tanzania, food self-sufficiency is critically important.”

Systemic and Structural Developments in Rice, Cassava, and Livestock Value Chains

The Gambia and Sierra Leone also highlighted systemic and structural developments in rice, cassava, and livestock value chains.

Roles of Private Sector, Science, and Integrated Public Policies

Private sector and development partners from the CGIAR, the World Bank, and IFAD emphasised the critical roles of the private sector, science, integrated public policies, and political will to deliver on Africa’s food security and resilience.

Commitments and Support from Development Partners

In January 2023, the Dakar 2 Africa Food Summit demonstrated African countries’ and development partners’ strong commitment to achieve food security and resilience in Africa. Development partners announced support of more than $30 billion. This includes $10 billion over five years by the African Development Bank, in commitments to support the implementation of country compacts at the summit. Partner commitments since Dakar 2 summit have exceeded $70 billion.

Transforming Knowledge into Actionable Steps

Ofori-Mante urged participants to transform the knowledge shared into actionable steps in their countries, communities, organisations, and institutions.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Targets Indicators

SDG 2: Zero Hunger
  • 2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular, the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round.
  • 2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular, women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists, and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets, and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.
  • Proportion of the population facing severe food insecurity
  • Average income of small-scale food producers

SDG 5: Gender Equality
  • 5.a Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance, and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.
  • Proportion of women with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • 8.3 Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services.
  • Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) engaged in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries with secure rights over land

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
  • 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
  • Amount of food loss along production and supply chains

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
  • 17.6 Enhance North-South, South-South, and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, particularly at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism.
  • Amount of financial support from development partners

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Source: afdb.org

 

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