FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva
Mr. José Graziano da Silva, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday stressed the need to promote family farming on the African continent as a catalyst for achieving food security and social protection.
He said about 90 per cent of rural African households were engaged in farming-related activities and that to achieve food security there was the need to combine the sustainable increase in production and social protection to provide a cushion for the most vulnerable.
Mr. da Silva who was speaking at the official opening of the Ministerial session of the 28th FAO Regional Conference for Africa currently underway in the Tunisian capital, said getting more African youth involved in agriculture and boosting support for the region’s vulnerable family farmers will be pivotal to improving food security and economic well-being of Africans.
He mentioned water scarcity, low investment and conflict as being among the challenges facing food security in the region, adding he was confident that Africa could “reach peace, stability and food security” in the future.
He further noted that: “The region’s economic growth rate is above the global average and most of the world’s fastest-growing economies are in Africa and the challenge is to translate this growth into social inclusion”.
He said the links between the youth, agribusiness and rural development were high on the agenda at the conference. “Africa is the world’s youngest region, with more than half of the population being under 25 years of age”, he added.
The FAO Director-general said impressive growth in some African countries over the past decade had not translated into widespread employment or income for young people.
“FAO is calling for greater public and private investment in agribusiness, agro-industry and market-related services to attract and keep young workers, fuel job creation, and spur new development in the agricultural sector”, he stated.
The Prime Minister of Tunisia, Nehdli Jemaia who opened the Conference, praised the Organising for bringing the event to Tunisia.
He said putting the youth at the centre of agricultural development was strategic since it would provide employment and other opportunities for them.
Mr. Jemaia indicated that Tunisia had incentive for young entrepreneurs who ventured into agriculture in terms of land credit facility.
“We also target young graduates to obtain finances to acquire land and other farm implements for agricultural purposes”, the Prime Minister stated.
Source: GNA
