This archive report was first published on 3 May 2021.
May 3, 2021 - The African Development Bank (AfDB) has initiated a collaborative effort with multilateral lenders and other partners to address the growing food insecurity in Africa, which has been deemed a more significant threat than the COVID-19 pandemic.
AfDB, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), and the CGIAR System Organization, has pledged to work with African leaders to tackle rising hunger on the continent and provide adequate financing to transform and modernize Africa's food production.
According to AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the number of people living with hunger has increased from 214 million in 2015 to 246 million in 2020, primarily due to the impact of climate change, rising fragility and conflict, and locust invasions in East and Southern Africa.
Dr. Adesina emphasized the importance of getting new and appropriate technologies into the hands of African farmers, stating, 'Unless we show strong collective resolve and turn ambition into reality, we will be confronted with enormous food shortages on the continent. Rapid population growth, urbanization, and ongoing climate change will make this certain. The consequences of not acting would be devastating.'
The two-day high-level dialogue aims to modernize food production, make African agriculture more business-oriented, and strengthen agriculture value chains. IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo noted, 'Africa has the potential to feed itself and feed the world. If we commit today to increasing investments in modernizing agriculture, providing skills, finance, and better access to food value chains, agriculture has the potential to become a thriving and successful sector that creates jobs and provides livelihoods for small-scale farmers and rural populations.'
