The
Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Crops, Dr Ahmed
Yakubu Alhassan, said family farms need
technology propelled by African scientists for increased productivity, reports NaijaAgroNet.
Alhassan said this while speaking at the
Fourth Planning and General Meeting of Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa
(AFSA) in Accra, adding that “the era of despair, timidity and sometimes
outright cynicism of African agriculture must give way to confidence, mutual
trust and co-operation among stakeholders.” He said that this has become
paramount in the light of eroding natural resources and dwindling potential for
exploitation.
He
reiterated the need for indigenous knowledge of the African farmer to be
enhanced, to achieve food security and sovereignty, adding that Africa had the
needed trained human resources in scientific research to contribute to that
knowledge or technology development, NaijaAgroNet
gathered.
The
three-day meeting with the theme "Building on International Year of Soils,
Strengthening Family Farming,” had over 30 participants from the continent in
attendance. AFSA is a Pan-African platform of 21 networks and farmer
organizations championing small African Family Farming/Production Systems based
on agro-ecological and indigenous approaches that sustain food sovereignty and
the livelihoods of communities.
Mr Bernard Guri, Chairman of AFSA, NaijaAgroNet learnt, said their concern was to save African seeds, land and African agro-ecological farming practices that had fed Africa, and would continue to feed Africa and its ecology, while enhancing African cultural integrity.
Mr Bernard Guri, Chairman of AFSA, NaijaAgroNet learnt, said their concern was to save African seeds, land and African agro-ecological farming practices that had fed Africa, and would continue to feed Africa and its ecology, while enhancing African cultural integrity.
Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology
Pix: Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan,
