18TH COMMONWEALTH SPEAKERS AND PRESIDING OFFICERS’
CONFERENCE (CSPOC) IN YAOUNDE – CAMEROON
13TH – 22ND JULY, 2023
THEME: AFRICAN PARLIAMENTS AND AGENDA 2063
TOPIC: ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGE OF FOOD SECURITY IN AFRICA BY PROMOTING INVESTMENTS IN AGRICULTURE
A MOTION MOVED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE PARLIAMENT OF GHANA
SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF CAMEROON AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMONWEALTH SPEAKERS AND PRESIDING OFFICERS’ CONFERENCE;
RIGHT HON SPEAKERS AND PRESIDING OFFICERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES;
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES OF THE 18TH COMMONWEALTH SPEAKERS AND PRESIDING OFFICERS’ CONFERENCE, AFRICA REGION
ACCOMPANYING OFFICIALS
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND PARTICIPANTS
OUR FRIENDS FROM THE MEDIA;
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
Thank you and Good Morning,
I would like to extend to you the warm greetings of the people, Parliament and the President of the Republic of Ghana. Members of the delegation from Ghana express their deep heartfelt gratitude to the Government, Parliament and people of Cameroon for hosting this conference and the warm reception.
Hon. Chairperson,
I thank you for the opportunity to move the motion on “addressing the challenge of food security in Africa by promoting investments in agriculture”. This topic is very important and timely as we draw closer to the First Ten Year Implementation Plan of Africa’s Agenda 2063. There is the need to have an introspection on the journey thus far, to see whether we are on course to achieving the goals that Africa has set for itself. This will give Africa a scientific basis of what to do next to ensure a fuller and total implementation of Agenda 2063.
Hon. Chairperson,
The Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal Two (SDG 2) seek to end hunger in all its forms, achieve food security, and improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agricultural production by the year 2030. In its 8th year of implementation, the magnitude of the current global hunger and malnutrition crisis is a clear indication that not much has been achieved. According to the World Food Programme, this year, more than 345 million people are facing high levels of food insecurity. This indicates a rise of about 200 million people compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. It is believed that if current trends continue, the zero hunger target will be largely missed by the year, 2030.
Countries in Africa are among the most-affected, with threats of famine and extreme levels of malnutrition in some affected populations in Countries such as Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan. Indeed, conflicts in sections of the population in these countries have had impact on food security mainly through disruption of agricultural production and farmers’ investment indecisions. Climate change impacts such as extreme weather events, loss of biodiversity, and degradation of natural resources including water scarcity are jeopardising food security and nutrition, leading to forced migration.
The global economic shocks have also contributed to food insecurity and compounded pre-existing economic vulnerabilities. For example, the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 and the repercussions of Russia Ukraine war have led to an increase in global food prices and price volatilities. According to the 2023 Global Report on Food Crises, between January 2023 and April 2023, 4 of the 10 countries with the highest food price inflation, in nominal terms, were in Africa: these are Zimbabwe, Egypt, Rwanda and Ghana.
As a result, many countries including some African countries are actively using trade policy to respond to domestic needs in the face of potential food shortages, especially at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries such as Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Morocco, and Tunisia banned exports of major food commodities while Uganda imposed taxes on exports as a way of dealing with the situation. Unfortunately, these trade measures are major sources of risk for global food price stability.
This calls for urgent action to provide workable policy options or interventions to pull people from the brink of hunger, which has been projected to worsen from now to November, 2023. African leaders are aware of the importance of agriculture in contributing to food and nutrition security, poverty reduction and overall economic growth. It is in this light that the African Union (AU) member states reaffirmed their commitments under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme by adopting the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods at the African Union Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in June 2014. This was a remarkable set of concrete agriculture goals to be attained by the year 2025, signifying the First Ten Year Implementation Plan of Africa’s Agenda 2063.
The Malabo Declaration provides direction to transform the agricultural sector and commits African Heads of State and government to increase public investments in agriculture as a demonstration of Africa’s ownership and leadership. In this regard, African countries committed to allocate at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture and to achieve 6% agricultural growth.
This, notwithstanding, with the exception of countries such as Benin, Ethiopia, Lesotho, and Malawi, which met or surpassed the target of allocating 10% of the national budget to agriculture in 2020, the rest of the African countries’ average allocation was around 2.1% in 2020′. This continued underinvestment is likely to constrain long-term agricultural productivity growth and the capacity of countries to develop value chains, reduce poverty, and ensure food security.
The continent has also not been able to achieve the target of 6% annual growth in agriculture value-added for the period of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme.
It is clear that food security in Africa requires a significant increase in investments in agriculture and rural development. However, boosting agricultural production through increased investment will not be enough to achieve food security and improved nutrition, especially if we consider that an estimated one third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted. Targeted investments in infrastructure and basic public services for production, distribution, conservation and storage are therefore required.
To enhance resilience in the face of economic, health, and climate shocks, African countries will need to increase public spending on agriculture with a greater focus on automated irrigation systems, soil sensors, and drones which can boost efficiency in production. Investments in disaster risk reduction in the agriculture sector such as digital tools for monitoring climate risks, which can identify the onset of climatic shocks before they happen and facilitate responses for building resilience, is also important.
In the face of volatile and rising food prices, rapid population growth, and climate change, governments are increasingly recognising the value of greater investment in agricultural research and development as an essential element to increase agricultural productivity in Africa. The Africa Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) committed African countries to allocate at least 1% of their national budgets to agricultural research and development. Yet, while most governments are not able to meet this target, spending is directed toward research staff expansion, salary increases, and rehabilitation of derelict research infrastructure and equipment, rather than actual research programmes.
As we may all be aware, parliaments can play a crucial role in promoting agricultural investments. Parliaments guide and oversee public-sector policies and budget allocations towards ensuring food security. In this vein, tracking, monitoring, and reporting on advancements towards achieving the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, NEPAD and Malabo goals and targets by various parliaments will be key to measuring progress over time and to holding countries accountable for delivering on the agricultural growth and transformation commitments.
Hon. Chairperson,
Bearing in mind that public investments and investment promotion policies are essential to facilitate and guide such investments towards sustainability, parliaments need to ensure that governments create and maintain conditions that favour investment in agribusiness and agro-industries by the private sector. The engagement of the private sector, within and outside the continent, should complement public sector investments in the agricultural sector to deliver the required financing for these bold commitments.
As part of our commitment to enhancing investment finance in agriculture, it is imperative for the Africa Union to fast-track the operationalisation of the African Investment Bank, as provided for in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, with a view to mobilising and disbursing investment finance for priority agriculture-related investment projects. As at May, 2019, 22 out of the 55 countries in Africa had signed the Protocol, and 6 out of the 22 had ratified and deposited the Protocol on the Africa Investment Bank. I would therefore, as a matter of urgency, implore African countries, including my own country Ghana, that have not signed and ratified the Protocol to do
so.
There is also a need to create a reliable and sustainable market of stable prices of agricultural products. Farmers and investors in agricultural products must be given assurance of good returns from their labour and investment capital. The call for a common currency and stable prices for food and agricultural products is a good call and must be a priority in addressing the challenges to food security in Africa.
Hon. Chairperson,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In conclusion, for Africa to achieve food security, proper implementation of these agricultural investment commitments is important. To achieve agriculture-led growth, halve hunger and end poverty, boost intra-African trade in agricultural goods and services, and enhance resilience to climate variability. Africa must harmonize trade policies, create a common market, currency and a Continental Free Trade Area. As representatives of the people, parliamentarians have a major role to play in legislation, advocacy, budgeting, scrutiny and oversight. Equal partnership with the executive and the judicial arms of governments is key to addressing the challenge of food security in Africa.
I appreciate the time and space granted to me.
I thank you all.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com
