The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations announced that over one billion people in Africa lack healthy food patterns, warning of expanding hunger levels on the continent.
Shaw Donio, Director-General of the FAO, emphasized during the opening speech of the 33rd session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, yesterday, that hunger levels in Africa continue to rise despite previous commitments by African leaders to eradicate hunger in their countries.
He stressed the urgent need to address this crisis with its complex and destructive consequences.
Donio explained that Africa, endowed with vast natural resources and exceptional capabilities, with the largest agricultural area compared to other continents, records the highest levels of hunger among its population.
He expressed concern about the spread of hunger to include other social classes and countries, especially in light of armed conflicts and climate change across wide areas of Africa.
The UN official highlighted that the future of food security in Africa depends on international partnerships in agriculture and food.
He pointed out that over one billion people on the continent, out of an estimated population of 1.5 billion, lack healthy food patterns and face varying levels of hunger, which drives populations to migration, involvement in armed gangs and crime, and other dangerous social phenomena.
He noted that ten years ago, the Malabo Declaration on accelerated agricultural growth and transformation for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods was issued, reaffirming African leaders' commitment to eradicate hunger. However, despite these years, hunger rates continue to rise.
The Director-General of the FAO called for urgent action to ensure adequate food availability for the people of Africa, especially amidst fluctuations in global markets for agricultural and essential products and the inability of many countries to provide the necessary financial liquidity to meet their food needs from abroad.
It is worth noting that the FAO Regional Conference for Africa provides an important opportunity for African countries to discuss practical solutions to ensure their food security and improve their agricultural production.
Delegates from across Africa, including agriculture ministers and other officials responsible for food systems transformation, such as finance, trade, industry, forestry, fisheries, environment, science, technology, and health, are participating in the conference, according to a statement from the organization.
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