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Food Security: Are Our Diets Sustainable?
REPORT FROM FOOD SECURITY AND ADAPTATION CONFERENCE 2013 AT UNITED NATIONS GIGIRI.
By Phena Nyamulu.
August 26th, 2013.
SPEAKERS
● Mr. Mounkalia Goumanadakoye, the Regional Director and
Representative, UNEP Regional Office for Africa.
● Mr. Modibo Traore, FAO Representative to the AU and UNECA.
● Dr. Tony Simons, Director General World Agro forestry Centre
(ICRAF).
INTRODUCTION
Africa’s vulnerability to climate change impacts have been underscored by the severe droughts experienced in Sahel in 2012 and the Horn of Africa in 2011. Its population is expected to constitute about 23% of the global population by 2050 hence placing a huge demand on the government and states to provide opportunities for enough food and new dietary demands. The challenge therefore is charting new pathways to eliminate food insecurity, adapt to the changing climate and build sustainable systems. There is need therefore for a paradigm shift towards Sustainable development goals to replace the millennium development goals after 2015, which will serve multiple purposes and provide cross cutting benefits to Africa and the rest of the world.
In 2008, 1.3 million people in rural areas and 3.5 to 4 million people in Urban Areas were food insecure in Africa. Therefore, Achieving food security is unmanageable without climate smart practices that not only support farmers produce enough food to meet people’s needs but also preserve ecosystems from degradation. Approaches with the potential for informing and guiding policy and practices are imperative. One of these approaches is the Ecosystem Based Approaches which provide flexible, cost effective and broadly applicable alternatives for building robust food systems on less inputs, and reduces the impacts of climate change.
The question therefore should be what is the meaning of food security? And how can the emerging Ecosystem Based approaches in addressing food shortages be consolidated and scaled up? What scale of production is appropriate to do this? Below are some conference highlights and possible solutions going forward.
HIGHLIGHTS AND THE WAY FORWARD
● States and Governments should allocate budgets for food security in their strategic plans.
● There is need for monitoring and evaluating the allocated funds from Governments and donors.
● There is need for transboundary cooperation between countries to upscale Agribusiness in promoting businesses of large scale and small scale farmers.
● Organization of farmer into groups at grass root level to enhance self funded projects instead of depending for funds from donors.
● Upscale training among young people to make them understand that farming is a business and not a punishment.
● The gap between science and research should be addressed to create an understanding on what has been researched on and what needs to be done.
● In terms of funding, BOT, BOS, BOL mechanisms should be used to be able to access funding for projects.
● Form a resource management board to manage finance in Africa (Regional and continental)
● Mainstream EBA into the school curriculum starting from the elementary level to the University level.
● Integrate robust early warning systems in order to utilize the benefits of EBA.
● Pursue Sustainable Development Goals Agenda to mainstream policies and financial mechanisms.
● Apply mitigation practices in initiating resource management and sustainable farming practices in order to curb GHG emissions into the atmosphere.
● Incorporate the post-harvest methods into the EBA to achieve a food secure nation.
● Set up institutions that mainstream sustainable practices in mitigating and adapting to climate change.
● Take conferences on food security to the rural areas to educate farmers to educate them on EBA to apply on their farms.
● Use regional blocks to ensure donor funds trickle down to communities.
To learn more about the conference and its proceedings go to http: //www.foodsec.aaknet.org/
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