Food insecurity: UN’s EBAFOSA to feed 240 million hungry Africans
To combat food insecurity, climate change, ecosystems degradation and poverty reduction, the United Nation (UN) has launched the Ecosystem-Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA), in Nigeria.
According to the UN, about 240 million people in the continent go to bed hungry; while malnutrition is affecting nearly 200 million people and is the cause of death for over 50 per cent of children below five years.
The UNEP said that while the continent imports food worth $35 billion annually, it losses approximately $48 billion due to post harvest losses; adding that in Nigeria, while 75 per cent of tomatoes harvested yearly are being wasted, the government spends about $1 billion importing tomato paste.
With the launch on Friday in Abuja, Nigeria has successfully joined other countries in the world to check mate the effect of global food crisis.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, who was present at the event, alongside the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma and the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, said the objective of EBAFOSA keys into two of the six main pillars of the current administration’s development policy thrust and priority programmes which are economic and environmental sectors.
He pointed out that among the objective of the government was to ensure food, security, optimal nutritional status and increase value of agricultural export under its real sector and agricultural reforms.
Earlier in his key note address, Dr Richard Munang, UNEP Africa Regional Climate Change Coordinator, who said Nigeria is a country that is leading the way in environmental and agricultural development in Africa, added that “Agriculturally speaking, Africa holds 65 per cent of the world’s arable land and 10% of internal renewable fresh water sources. Africa’s agro-value chain is projected to be worth an estimated USD 1trillion by 2030. However, amidst this impressive postulation, the reality on the ground is appalling.
“Poverty levels have hardly shifted. Almost one in every two Africans lives in extreme poverty and under status quo, it is projected that most of the world’s poor will be living in Africa by 2030. As we speak, 240 million people in the continent go to bed hungry.
“Malnutrition is high affecting nearly 200 million people and is the cause of death for over 50 per cent of children below five years. While the continent imports food worth $35 billion annually, it losses approximately $48 billion due to post harvest losses.”
He explained that in Nigeria, while 75 per cent of tomatoes harvested yearly are being wasted, the government spends about $1 billion importing tomato paste.
“Reversing these losses, thorough value addition, will essentially eliminate the need for imports, enhance food security and inject $35 billion back to the continents economy, or in the case of Nigeria, $1 billion, for re-investment to enhance inclusive growth without increasing production.”
