African Development Bank, IFAD Partner To Strengthen Food Security In Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the CGIAR System Organisation have formed an alliance to address rising hunger on the African continent.

At a two-day high-level dialogue that focused on modernising food production,the group observed that the impact of climate change, rising fragility, conflict and locust invasions in east and southern Africa are taking a toll on the continent’s effort to tackle food insecurity.

Finding solutions will require strong backing from governments, development partners and the private sector.

The virtual event brought together government officials, heads of multilateral development banks, development partners, regional organisations, research institutions, business leaders, private sector operators, investment agencies and civil society organisations.

The dialogue was an opportunity to share achievements and lessons from across the African continent and accelerate agricultural transformation.

Report shows the number of people living with hunger on the continent increased from 214 million to 246 million between 2015 and 2020. Agricultural and agrobusiness related activities could provide employment opportunities for millions of young Africans, who account for 70 per cent of the population.