The Director-General of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), José Graziano da Silva, has urged Oil- producing African nations to invest revenues derived from oil in the agricultural sector. This appeal was made during the 27th Regional Conference for Africa in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. “I would like to appeal to African nations, especially oil-producing countries to invest some of these resources in agriculture in a sustainable manner without damaging the environment,” Graziano da Silva said in a statement.

He believes that investing in agriculture holds the key to solving the impending hunger prediction. “I am convinced ending hunger is possible, given true political commitment. Each one of us has a contribution to make to achieve this goal: governments, the private sector, civil society, international and regional organizations and the media. I call upon all of you, all of us, to join forces to free the world from this curse,” the FAO DG said.

African countries present at the summit reaffirmed their commitment to build their agricultural industry while they define areas the FAO should focus on to support their vision. These areas include increasing productivity and market access for smallholders, reducing vulnerability to threats to food and nutrition security and improving management and governance for sustainable use of natural resources.
Meanwhile, an agricultural- oriented trust fund has been established to support food security on the continent. The trust fund otherwise known as the “Africa Trust Fund” would raise resources in the continent to fight hunger and would also allow for the scaling up of successful activities to prevent and respond to food and agriculture crises in the region.
“In the Horn of Africa, we are losing the opportunity to build on our recent gains and assure resilient rural communities. In the Sahel, this means not putting in place measures that could prevent the food security situation from worsening,” Graziano da Silva lamented.
The Director-General also stressed the need to intra-African trade and support for Africa’s smallholder farmers, herders and fishers for food security. “The continent spends over 50 billion dollars annually on food imports. At the same time, over 50 percent of its labour force is made up of smallholder farmers, herders, foresters and fishers. Let’s find ways to put them together so that Africa can feed Africa,” he said.

Also speaking at the conference, the President of the Republic of the Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, called for concrete efforts to achieve sustainable food security throughout the continent and to establish “a permanent climate of peace and consensus, without which all our dreams of development would remain mere fantasies and illusions.”

“That is why, the Republic of the Congo, my country, is issuing here in Brazzaville a vibrant appeal for a movement of solidarity on Africa’s part towards the countries of the Saharan and Sahel regions which are suffering the severe and relentless consequences of a crisis involving politics, security, food and the climate,” he said.

He stressed that the situation in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel show “how much the degradation of food security in certain regions of our continent remains a challenge” and added that with will and determination Africa could overcome hunger.”