Private Sector can Boost Food Security in Africa

The Minister of Trade and industry Francois Kanimba has told a Kigali meeting of Agriculture ministers from Seven African countries that the private sector has a large role to play in enhancing food security in Africa.

Kanimba also urged Africa to emphasize at the May G8 summit the role of private sector in advancing Africas progress.

The meeting concluding today started March 19 attracting participation from Ethiopia, Burkinafaso, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana and Rwanda to discuss problems facing the agricultural sector in Africa.

“The Conference will solve key challenges by supporting private sector investment in agriculture,” said Kanimba.

Kanimba noted that to achieve food security, African states should not always expect foreign aid. “Africans should rely on their own efforts; the opportunities presented by their respective countries, and especially encourage investment in agriculture through the private sector”.

The Kigali meeting was initiated by the African Union (AU) as a preparatory meeting of the Addis Ababa Summit to be held next May that will review the results of the Kigali meeting.

Arne Cartridge the Representative of the World Economic Fund (WEF) says, “ the process of African development is supported by both the AU and the WEF.”

The Summit in Addis Ababa will be followed by the May (15 – 22) G8 summit in Chicago at McCormick Place Convention Center, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive. The last time the G8 summit was held in the United States was in 2004, at Sea Island, Georgia.

The Group of Eight was created in 1975 to allow the heads of the governments of the world’s largest economies to convene and discuss global issues such as energy, food security, health, terrorism and the environment.

Boaz Blackie Keizire representing the AU meeting observed that postponing the promotion of private sector investment in agriculture would be costly to Africans in the future.

Representatives of seven African countries have reviewed the various challenges they face in promoting investment in agriculture including; land management, lack of national policies on promotion of private sector investment in agriculture and assistance to promote agricultural business internationally.

The Addis Ababa Summit will analyze the range of challenges to develop strategies to attract foreign investment in agriculture on the African continent.