Africa Needs Investments, Not Food Support—Adesina

By Adedapo Adesanya

The president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr Akinwumi Adesina, has reiterated that Africa does not need food aid to feed itself but needs the right investments and seeds in the ground.

This was argued in an opinion piece penned by the former Nigerian agriculture minister, where he said that already grappling with soaring inflation and still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa now faces a shortage of at least 30 million metric tons of food—especially wheat, maize and soybean imported from Russia and Ukraine.

He explained that fertilizer price hikes of over 300 per cent have made it increasingly difficult for African farmers to grow enough wheat, maize, rice, and other crops.

He said, “A growing number of people in Africa can no longer afford the price of bread.

“Africa is struggling to mitigate a conflict-induced famine that could throw some 30 million Africans into catastrophic levels of food insecurity. It could deepen economic stress and political unrest. With millions struggling to buy food, fuel, and fertilizer, anti-government protests are a real possibility.”

The AfDB chief explained that it was important to prevent unrest and even more human suffering through its many programmes including the African Emergency Food Production Facility and African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programmes.

“In May, the Bank established a $1.5 billion African Emergency Food Production Facility. In less than 60 days, it put into action $1.13 billion worth of programs under the facility, and across 25 African countries. Half a dozen more programs are expected to get underway by September as more governments apply to the facility.

“The African Emergency Food Production Facility will deliver climate-adapted, certified wheat and other staple crop seeds—and increased access to agricultural fertilizers—to 20 million farmers. Over the next two years, the facility will allow farmers to produce 38 million additional tons of food—a 30 per cent increase in local production—worth an estimated $12 billion. To facilitate even greater global investment in Africa’s agricultural sector, the facility will also support enhanced governance and policy reforms.”

He noted that it does not stop there that Africa needs the international community to fill a $200 million financing gap for the facility.

“President Joe Biden has endorsed the African Emergency Food Production Facility, and this is welcome support, as is his support for the African Development Bank’s Africa Disaster Risk Financing Program.

“To help African governments pay drought and flooding insurance premiums and respond better to food insecurity caused by climate change, the Disaster Risk Financing Program is a much-needed futures element of the Facility.

Other support, according to him, has come from Japan, international development agencies, and a growing coalition of nations.

Mr Adesina also noted that “The Africa Emergency Food Production Facility will provide an immediate solution to twin global challenges of conflict and climate change, and play immediate, medium and long-term roles in growing Africa’s agriculture sector as a foundation for resilient African economies.

“Policy reforms will help trigger structural reforms needed for market-based input distribution and to produce crops more competitively.

“Today and well into the future, the African Development Bank is delivering a proven plan to unlock Africa’s food production potential and see Africa become a breadbasket to the world.”