The
world must do more to tackle the increasing global food insecurity worsened by
Russia’s war in Ukraine, the African Development Bank Group President Dr.
Akinwumi Adesina told a G7 ministerial conference on Friday.
Governments,
multilateral Development Banks, international and regional organizations,
non-governmental organizations, civil societies, and philanthropists demanded,
among others, the release of millions of metric tons of food trapped in Ukraine
due to the war.
The
German government hosted the conference titled ‘Uniting for Global Food
Security,’ to coordinate responses to the global food crisis caused by climate
change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and heightened by the war in Ukraine.
In
her opening speech, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said there was an
urgent need as a result of the war and disruptions to food production in
Ukraine, one of the world’s leading food baskets, to provide humanitarian
assistance, especially to vulnerable groups. She said in 2022, Germany would
provide €2.8 billion to its humanitarian partners to support relief
effort.
“We
are calling on everybody to join forces to help put food on the plate for those
who are starving, to bring medicine to the sick and to provide shelter to those
who have had homes taken from them,” she said: “In all of this, our response
needs to be swift and bold – it’s not an easy task, but we are here today to
say we are acting united around the world.”
African ministers speak out on
impact of global food crisis African ministers on Friday
outlined the impact that the global food crisis is having on their countries
and added their voices to calls for action.
Addressing
the conference by videoconference, Dr. Adesina urged Germany and other G7
countries to support a $1.5 billion African Emergency Food Production plan
developed jointly by the Bank and the African Union to help African countries
avert a looming food crisis.
“While
the African Development Bank has mobilized $1.3 billion of the
$1.5 billion needed for the African Emergency Food Production Plan, we
have a financing gap of $200 million. I would therefore like to request
that Germany and all G-7 countries help provide this balance of
$200 million,” the Bank Chief said.
Africa
relies heavily on cereal exports from Russia and Ukraine. Due to the war, the
continent faces a shortage of at least 30 million metric tons of food,
especially wheat, maize, and soybeans imported from both countries.
Adesina
stressed: “I raise my voice on behalf of the 1.3 billion people affected
in Africa by a looming food crisis arising from this war. For Africa, we must,
however, move beyond emergency food aid. We must prioritize food production. We
have the technology to feed Africa – Africa does not need to hold bowls in hand
to beg for food. Africa needs seeds in the ground to produce food for itself.”
The African Emergency Food Production Facility will
provide 20 million smallholder farmers with certified seeds. The plan will
increase access to agricultural fertilizers and enable them to rapidly produce
38 million tons of food worth $12 billion.
A
key role for international financial institutions
Ministers
from African countries, including South Africa, Mauritania, Tunisia and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, highlighted the socio-economic impact of
climate change, Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. They called for accelerated
effort to end the war.
UN
Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a strong plea saying, “hundreds of
millions of people on the poverty line have been crushed by this
crisis – informal workers who are mainly women, smallholder farmers, micro and
small business owners, people with disabilities.”
Guterres
called on “developed nations and international financial institutions to make
resources available to help governments support and invest in their people,
leaving no one behind. Developing countries that face debt default must have
access to effective debt relief to keep their economies afloat and their people
thriving.”
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “We’ve all cited numbers of this
growing food insecurity. But what we know is this: We know that those numbers
are people, real people, real lives, real livelihoods, mothers, fathers,
children.”
Blinken
said it is time to turn the responsibilities and pledges of the various blocks
and institutions into concrete action. He said the US last month approved
$5.5 billion in new funding for global food security and humanitarian
assistance in addition to an earlier commitment of $2.8 billion.
Source: classfmonline