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Ex-Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Dessalegn, has called on African governments to make deliberate and tangible investments in infrastructure to achieve sustainable, equitable, healthy and resilient food systems.
Dessalegn, who is also Chairperson of the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum), emphasized the need for financing, expertise and partnerships to support these efforts.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, Dessalegn stated that significant progress required investment in infrastructure, such as roads linking rural and urban areas.
“The proportion of jobless youth is steadily climbing, and agriculture and related value chains hold the best promise of employment,” he said.
Dessalegn noted that African farmers face limited market access due to infrastructural gaps, hindering their ability to transport goods to demand areas.
He also highlighted the extensive post-harvest losses caused by inadequate long-term storage technologies and facilities.
“These inadequacies allow unscrupulous brokers to buy produce at low prices, leaving farmers unable to recoup their investment,” he added.
Dessalegn stressed the need for expanding road networks into villages, constructing modern market buildings and providing cold-chain storage and secure silos.
He acknowledged that many infrastructural investments are primarily government functions but can be accelerated with support from development partners and the private sector.
Meanwhile, Dessalegn pointed out that climate change continued to impose new challenges, highlighting the multifaceted nature of food system issues.
He stated the importance of critical declarations and commitments guiding the search for solutions.
Declarations such as the Malabo and Maputo Declarations highlight food system solutions as vital for achieving all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
“World leaders from government, private sector, development organizations, scientists, researchers, civil society, and farmers will gather in Kigali, Rwanda, to review progress towards Africa’s food system transformation,” he stated.
This year’s AFS Forum theme, “Innovate, Accelerate And Scale: Delivering Food Systems Transformation In A Digital And Climate Era,” would focus on innovations, technologies, best practices, business models, policy delivery mechanisms and investments needed to accelerate food system transformation in Africa and beyond, with youth and women at the forefront.
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