Sino-Africa poverty reduction forum held

The third Sino-Africa forum on poverty reduction and development started in Tanzania on Saturday with a focus on promoting agricultural modernization as a way of lifting millions of people out of poverty.The one-day forum held in White Sand hotel in the outskirt of Dar es Salaam was aimed at reviewing anti-poverty policies in China for over three decades and providing inspirations for some 120 participants, including policy makers, researchers, activists and investors on the continent.“Holding this meeting soon after the conclusion of the fifth Sino-Africa ministerial forum is very opportune indeed, it presents a unique opportunity to follow up of some of the decisions made in that conference. It also underlines excellent relations between china and Africa,” said Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete while opening the forum.About 70 percent of the people of sub-Sahara Africa live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihood and because of African agriculture being traditional in character, there is very little use of modern science and technology both productivity and production are very low, he said.“As a result, there is prevalence of income poverty and food insecurity in many countries of sub-Sahara Africa,” said the president.In these countries, more than half of the population lives on less than two dollars a day, and 238 million people are food insecure, representing 25 percent of world’s total people facing hunger. Therefore, malnutrition is also serious problem in Africa among children and pregnant women, he said.To avert the unfavorable situations, the low productivity and production in agriculture must be addressed and solved, he said.“African agriculture must be modernized in order to make people of our dear continent wealthier and healthier,” said the president, noting that “the time is now and we have the readiness and willingness to do it”. Xinhua