“As food travels from farm to table, a great deal is simply lost to waste. And overall, we are producing much less than we are capable of. We cannot put the blame for this situation on changing weather patterns alone. Africa’s farmers were poor before we saw and acknowledged climate change becoming a factor. So there are many problems we need to tackle at the same time without seeking an excuse in one instance or the other. We cannot afford to go on like this and there is no point we cannot change. Improving the enabling environment for agriculture is something we can fully control,” Kagame advised.
“We are off track with the Malabo Declaration target to eradicate hunger by 2025. In fact, since it was signed in 2014, undernourishment has been rising again in many African countries,” the president said.
Mr. Kagame assured other leaders that the problem can be ended with the right kind of technology, partnership, and cooperation.
“Here in Rwanda, we have had our struggles with this (malnutrition). But I assure you, with the knowledge that has been put in our hands, the technology, the support of partners, and ensuring that everyone participates, we are going to fix this problem and we are going to succeed. If we can, everyone can,” he said.
He warned that undernourishment will negatively impact today’s children throughout their lives if left unchecked.
“The entire human development agenda in Africa is at risk,” he said. “Increased agricultural productivity is essential for eradicating hunger and undernourishment. But food security is not where we stop. We want a continent that is truly prospering, in every sense of the term. And agriculture is undoubtedly the foundation of Africa’s prosperity. That is the larger ambition we must challenge ourselves to achieve. We owe it to the generations that follow us, ” President Kagame observed.
The two-day event brought together different stakeholders as part of facilitating their engagement in boosting collective action aimed at adapting Africa’s agriculture and food systems to climate change in order to improve on the continent’s food security.
Hosted by the Government of Rwanda, the meeting was organized by core partners that include the African Union Commission, the World Bank Group, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the African Development Bank, as well as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The dialogue brought together delegates that include Heads of State, ministers of agriculture and finance, heads of international institutions and Regional Economic Commissions (RECs), Nobel prize laureates, and eminent scientists in order to catalyze actions and financing to help address Africa’s worsening food security crisis under recent climate change.
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