agriculture and its potential to contribute to sustainable ...agriculture and its potential to...

Agriculture and its potential to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growthAgriculture and its potential to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth

Agriculture and its potential to contributeto sustainable and inclusive growth

Bukar TijaniFAO Assistant Director General andRegional Representative for Africa

The 13th Regional Meeting of the ACP-EU JPA

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 24 February 2017


• In October 2016, FAO signed an MOU with the Pan AfricanParliament (PAP) under the auspices of the African Union and theNEPAD Agency

The 2014 African Union Malabo Declaration The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Rome Declaration of the 2nd International Conference onNutrition (ICN2) with its framework for action being implementedunder the UN-Decade of Action on Nutrition

• The Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Africa, 2016was launched on 23 February 2017

Introduction


• Land: 45% of the world’s surface area suitable for agricultural production

• Water: Only about 2-3% of renewable water resource in Africa in use

• Labour: An abundance supply of low-skilled, low-paid labour for high skilledlabor-intensive agriculture-related products and services

• Youth: Almost 226 million people aged 15-24, the youngest population inworld, representing 19% of world total and expected to increase to 42% 2030.

• Markets: Africa’s food and agricultural market projected to reach US$1 trillionby 2030

• Key to achieving the “Africa we Want” in the Africa’s Agenda 2063

Agriculture’s Potential for Sustainable and InclusiveGrowth


1. Control of transboundary plant and animal pests and diseases

2. Climate change and the environment

3. Youth employment, urbanization and migration

4. Gender and women’s empowerment

5. Renewed interest in inclusive private sector agriculture investment

Unlocking Africa’s Agriculture Potentialfor Sustainable and Inclusive Growth


• An estimated 30% of post-harvest losses across the world, the rate of lossexceptionally high in Africa due to the pervasiveness of many diseases – theimpact of the Ebola epidemic, Avian influenza, Army worm and pest de petitruminant

• Well organized pest and diseases monitoring systems in Africa -Enhanced surveillance facilities at strategic points:

o The Secretariat and the Operational hub for the Emergency Prevention System forTransboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases (EMPRES)

oThe Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD)

oA Joint FAO-IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Initiative

1. Control of transboundary plant and animal pests and diseases


• Prone to natural disasters - the El Niño & La Niña weather phenomena

• Ongoing initiative such as the Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Alliancelaunched in Malabo by African Heads of State in 2014 with support from FAOto develop a road map to stimulate the uptake of climate smart agriculturepractices for the most vulnerable rural communities

• An opportunity to drive the economic transformation that Africa needs – i.e.Green Growth that supports poverty reduction, environmental protection,resource efficiency and economic growth in an integrated way

• FAO accredited to the Green Climate Fund, with partners in Africa and theEU, to support countries in their pursuit of climate smart green growthstrategies

2. Climate change and the environment


• Little attraction to a negative perception with many young people

• The disconnection of formal schooling from rural realities

• The least urbanized region of the world with only 39% and the fastest urbangrowth rate of 4.5%, projected 50% urban by 2035 and to nearly 60% by2050

• Changing landscape of the region’s demographic trends and increasinglyurban future for the structural transformation of African economies andsustained and inclusive economic growth

• Cities (and towns) now account on average for around 55% of the GDP ofAfrican economies - repositioning its cities as drivers of development

3. Youth employment, urbanization and migration (1)


• Growing challenge of youth employment, urbanization and migration

• Sound rural development policies and programmes for youngpeople, strengthen their capacities, and facilitate access toproductive resources needed to drive broad-based growth in theagricultural sector and rural economy

• Strategies for an enabling environment to promote youthemployment and entrepreneurship in agriculture and agribusinessalong strategic value chains

3. Youth employment, urbanization and migration (2)


• Continuous progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment,especially on:o Gender parity in primary school education ando The number of positions held by women, including parliament

• Challenges; cultural practices with unequal economic opportunities

• FAO aims at promoting gender equality as both a fundamental humanright and an essential means of achieving its development goals ofsustainable rural development and food security and nutrition

4. Gender and women’s empowerment


• During high volatility in global business cycles, agriculture sector receives asurge in private investment often fizzling out when stabilized

• Implications for the sustainability of ecosystems and assuring food andnutrition security for host communities in large-scale land acquisition

• An emerging trend - the interest in south-south agro-investments flows

• A number of complex and controversial issues – raised in relation to foodsecurity, poverty reduction, rural development, technology and access toland and water resources, yet at the same time,

• Efforts to attract foreign investment into agricultural sector, creatingemployment and incomes and promoting technology transfer

5. Renewed interest in inclusive private sector agricultureinvestment (1)


• No single solution exist for ’win-win’ investments

• Foreign investment projects that combine the strengths of the investorwith those of local communities shown to have good chances ofsuccess

• Investments that give local farmers an active role and control of theirland (e.g. contract farming, out-grower schemes) promising



• Within the framework of the Committee on World Food Security, FAOsupporting in developing multi-sectoral strategies for mainstreaming

o The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure ofLand, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security(VGGT) and

o The Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and FoodSystems (CFS-RAI)

• FAO actively supporting private sector investment that benefits smallscale farmers



FAO’s support in unlocking Africa’s agriculture potential to deliver sustainable andinclusive growth at the national & regional levels - the CAADP through the Malabo

Implementation Strategy & Road Map / SDGs:

Food security and nutrition; Fight against poverty;

Climate mitigation and adaptation and sustainable use of naturalresources, including energy and water scarcity;

Protection against animal and plant diseases and pests, and foodsafety threats;

Agri-food systems development and employment; Trade;

Gender and Youth

Concluding Remarks


Thank youContact [email protected]://www.fao.org/africa/en/

agriculture and its potential to contribute to sustainable ...agriculture and its potential to...

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