By Taiwo Ajala
The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) today in Kigali Rwanda suggested ways that Africa can achieve food security in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.
The suggestion was contained in the 2020 Africa Agriculture Status Report ( AASR) published since 2013 which was unveiled at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) held virtually in Rwanda.
Now in its 10th year, it would be the first time the AGRF would be held virtually following the COVID-19 prevention protocol.
This year’s report which focused on the theme, “Feeding Africa’s Cities,” highlights the opportunities, challenges and polices required to enable African farmers and agribusinesses serve the rapidly growing urban food markets while seeking ways for smallholder farmers to drive food security, rural prosperity and inclusive economic growth.
“This report highlights the opportunity for all agriculture industry stakeholders to bring together viewpoints that define the transformation agenda, while outlining the practical next steps to an agricultural revolution,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President AGRA told reporters at the conference.
The report highlights the opportunities provided by Africa’s urban food markets to the continent’s 60 million farms indicating that cities shape Africa’s agribusiness environment by affecting patterns of agricultural production and inducing the rapid expansion of food processing and distribution plans.
“Traditional markets and small-format shops currently account for 80 – 90% of urban food retailing in African cities,” Andrew Cox, AGRA’s Chief of Staff and Strategy said. He noted that “supermarket shares, though currently small, seem likely to increase in the coming decades.”
Cox noted that this year’s AASR report shows that as the centre of gravity in Africa’s agri-food systems shifts increasingly towards the urban areas, there will be a new, non-traditional actors including city planners, local government officials and trader organisations who will play vital role in the implementation of agricultural policies.
Following the coronavirus pandemic, the report highlights five areas on which Africa must focus in order to achieve food security and overcome urban under-nutrition including: Improved Food System Governance, Efficient Urban Wholesale Markets, Food Safety Regulation and Enforcement, Regional Free Trade and Agricultural Policy Harmonisation and Agricultural Research, which is focused on high-growth, high-value food commodities.
The AGRF with the theme Feed the Cities, Grow the Continent: Leveraging Urban Food Markets to Achieve Sustainable Food Systems in Africa, opened virtually today and has brought together 4,000 delegates including heads of state and governemt, agricultural ministers, members of the civil society, private sector leaders, scientists and farmers in discussions to find ways of feeding Africa’s increasing urban populations.
