Food security tops African Regional Summit agenda

This comes at a time when the continent is reeling from a global food crisis, triggered by surging energy and commodity prices.

The conference, taking place from Monday, 16 June 2008, until Friday, 20 June, will discuss ways of boosting agriculture and food security, such as by improving water management.

Kenyan Agriculture Minister William Ruto, who officially opened the conference Monday, said increased funding to the sector would foster economic development in African countries.

"I am confident that the results of the deliberations will provide the organisation and its partners with recommendations and necessary guidance to help boost agricultural development and food security in Africa," FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said.

Food prices have doubled in three years, according to the World Bank, sparking riots in many African nations. Brazil, Vietnam, India and Egypt have all imposed food export restrictions.

Minister Ruto, who is the conference chairman, also blamed sluggish agriculture for the current food crisis.

"Food and nutrition insecurity is a growing problem brought about by the slow growth of the agricultural sector.

"The [food] insecurity is further exacerbated by the global rise in food prices brought about by the rising demand for cereals, weather-related supply shocks, high cost of energy and increased prices for fertilisers and other inputs."

An FAO food crisis summit early this month in Rome resulted in pledges for US$6.5 billion in emergency food relief and vows to halve global hunger by 2015 by taking "urgent" action over the global food crisis.

A recent FAO report estimated that in order to meet rising demand, food production must double by 2030.

Despite record production in 2008, food prices are expected to remain high, impacting on the world's poor and sparking riots in countries reliant on imports, the FAO report said.

Article published courtesy of BuaNews