EDITORIAL: African govts should implement policies that increase food production

Hunger, Malnutrition. These are some of the commonly used words many associate with Africa. The continent’s enemies have often used the words to show a helpless people who cannot fend for themselves. With countries like Somalia having severe cases of malnutrition and undernourished children, that’s no surprise. Even in East Africa, pockets of the population are still exposed to hunger and starvation. With the huge chunks of fertile lands and good climatic condition, how did Africa get to this situation? Why has it taken long for governments to ensure no one goes hungry and children do not die of hunger-related sickness? The continent has taken too long to fully embrace modern farming to help improve agricultural production and ensure food security for households, most of which depend on subsistence agriculture. That’s why leaders and academics need to work together to find solutions to food insecurity on the continent. Government policies on research and new innovations that could help boost food production need political will to be implemented and ensure food safety on the continent. For instance, 13 years after the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, very few national budgets meet the threshold 10 per cent of annual allocation to the agricultural sector recommended by the statute. This is a shame for a continent that is ordinarily supposed to be a food basket of the world now depends on food handouts. For the Africa to be food secure, governments must show willingness to support the sector for it to come out of its shell and feed the continent’s population. Remember, a hungry population cannot contribute to its development. So, with support of governments, agricultural researchers and academics should come out of their comfort zones and help find appropriate technologies to improve crop and animal production. Talk about the importance of the sector to Africa’s socio-economic transformation has gone on for long, let’s now walk the talk, put the money where our mouths are, and invest in agriculture, support development of related technologies and innovations. This will help make the sector a market-oriented business that will enhance household incomes and ensure no child sleeps hungry.

Opinions

EDITORIAL: African govts should implement policies that increase food production