EU, FAO agree to deepen strategic alliance, halve food waste

NaijaAgroNet:

The European Union (EU) Commissioner of Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva have agreed to ratchet up collaboration between the two organizations to address food waste, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance in supply chains, reports NaijaAgroNet.

In a new letter of intent signed between, FAO and the EU, both pledged to work closely together to halve per capita food waste by 2030, a goal established under the new Sustainable Development Goals global agenda. It also commits them to intensified cooperation on tackling the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on farms and in food systems.

Speaking at a signing ceremony at FAO's Rome headquarters, Commissioner Andriukaitis said: "Food loss and waste represent an unacceptable, unethical and immoral squandering of scarce resources and increase food insecurity, while AMR marks a grave societal and economic burden," adding: "We are becoming more united, more efficient and more strategic in how we tackle these issues, and as such, this agreement should be celebrated."

Calling AMR growing global concern, Graziano da Silva said: "Unfortunately the use of antibiotics, including their use to promote growth, is already widespread."

He described FAO's vision that antibiotics and other antimicrobials should be only used to cure diseases and, in certain circumstances, to prevent epidemics. They should not be used for growth promotion, he said.    

Noting that food loss and waste is linked to many aspects of sustainable development, Graziano da Silva cited the importance of strong partnerships like that between the FAO and the EU in addressing the problem.

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AGRA set to release Africa Agricultural Status Report

NaijaAgroNet

The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is set to release its annual Africa Agricultural Status Report, to provide a framework on how the sector could becomelucrative option for Africa’s young entrepreneurs, NaijaAgroNet reports.

AGRA will be maximizing the opportunity offered by the presence of more than 500 leaders from over 40 countries that are attending the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), which opened Wednesday in Lusaka, Zambia, to make the report public.

The President, AGRA, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, said, “The African Union in 2014 pointed to the potential for agriculture-related jobs to employ at least 30 per cent of African youth. Yet many young Africans are pessimistic about agriculture, because they see too many farmers and agriculture businesses struggling to survive.”

Also expected at the AGRF 2015, NaijaAgroNet gathered, are high-level government officials, leaders of pan-African development organizations, representatives of youth and women’s organizations, academic experts, investors and agriculture business innovators.

According to Vanguard, the Conveners of  this year’s AGRF with the theme “Walking the Talk on Youth and Women: Bringing Inclusive Agricultural Markets to Life” said the rapid rise of urban food markets across sub-Saharan Africa represents an unparalleled opportunity to drive development of African agriculture, and ultimately to engage millions of youth who enter the continent’s labour market each year.

The Secretary General, Common Market of East and Southern Africa, Sindiso Ngwenya, said, “The AGRF can generate huge momentum for policies and programs that support Africa’s famers and African-owned agriculture businesses to capture a bigger stake in the agricultural sector and rising urban markets.”

“Rather than meeting this demand through food imports, Africans need to grow, process, package and market the food consumed in our rapidly growing cities and towns,” Ngwenya stated.

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Africa agriculture potential reaches N159trn by 2030

NaijaAgroNet

 

The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has said that the value of Africa's agriculture output is estimated at $280 billion, about N55.79trillion yet it has the potential to reach $800 billion, about N159.4 trillion by 2030, reports NaijaAgroNet.

"It (agriculture) could address a major problem in Africa by providing economic opportunities for the 200 million people between 14 and 24 years old that make Africa home of the youngest population in the world."

NaijaAgroNet gathered that a global accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has, in its own assessment of the continent’s agriculture, said that Africa "represents the 'last frontier' in global food and agricultural markets".

"The continent houses almost 60 per cent of the world's uncultivated land and an abundance of natural resources." It also said due to the large percentage of uncultivated fertile land and the presence of water, sub-Saharan Africa was specifically attractive.

A report by the international accounting firm KPMG said agricultural growth in Africa has failed to reach its potential and there was need for a concerted effort at improving techniques, markets and access to credit for small farmers.

This avalanche of positive reports about Africa’s agricultural profile, Business Standard informed, is reasonthe third India-Africa Summit coming up in New Delhi next month will, afford an opportunity to deepen India's involvement in improving Africa's agriculture NaijaAgroNet learnt.

The Nigeria’s permanent secretary, ministry of agriculture, Sonny Echono said the Chinese agricultural development model suited Nigeria's Agricultural Transformation Agenda and the country was working to improve its milling capacity in rice and cassava.

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AGRA partners COMESA for youth-centred agro plans

NaijaAgroNet

The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has concluded plans to partner with the Zambian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), to invent strategies that will enable the youth and women engage in profitable agriculture.

AGRA and COMESA, NaijaAgroNet gathered, will next month host the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) to develop concrete investment plans for driving Africa’s agricultural transformation. The forum, whose theme is “Walking the talk on youth and women, bringing inclusive agricultural markets to life,” is slated for September 29 to October 2, wherein about 300 global and African leaders are expected.

AGRA president Agnes Kalibata at a press briefing recently, NaijaAgroNet reports, said as African economies have continued to experience positive growth, it is important that all stakeholders join forces in scaling up production to give to the livelihoods of the people.

“The AGRF partners group is pleased to have Zambia as the venue for this year’s forum. Zambia is a regional agribusiness hub and Government has prioritized agricultural growth over the past few years as witnessed by its heavy investments in developing the sector,” she said.

She said for Africa to unlock the wealth that exists in the agriculture sector, governments should ensure that the value chains work for men, women and youth.

NaijaAdgroNet learnt that the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Given Lubinda  on her part, said that government will support any programme that seeks to promote the growth of the sector in a sustainable way.

“We are ready to partner with AGRA, the AGRF Partners’ Group and other industry players to ensure that the planned forum is a resounding success and that Africa’s agricultural transformation gets the push it needs to witness even more progress for our businesses and farmers,” Lubinda stated.

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 PIX: Agnes Kalibata