Collaboration in science, technology and innovation must be at the center of Africa-Americas cooperation to leverage sustainable development

San José, 28 July 2022 (IICA) – Collaboration in science, technology and innovation must be at the center of a strengthened cooperation between Africa and the Americas in order to realize the potential of both continents, reinforce their role as guarantors of global food and nutritional security, and create a level-playing field for productive, sustainable and inclusive agricultural sectors that contribute to the sustainable development of both regions.

These conclusions were highlighted at the round table on Science, Technology and Innovation that was part of the first day of the "Africa-Americas Summit on Agri-food Systems", a meeting that brings together ministers, deputy ministers and senior officials of Agriculture, Environment and Science and Technology from 40 countries with the aim of strengthening bi-regional cooperation to face the challenges of global food security and reinforce the role of both continents in terms of productivity.

Participating in the discussion panel were Cleber Oliveira Soares, Secretary of Innovation, Sustainable Development and Irrigation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil; Oseyemi Olurotimi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA); the Minister of Agriculture of Ethiopia, Oumer Hussien Oba; the Minister of Agriculture of Burkina Faso, Delwendé Innocent Kiba; and the Undersecretary (Deputy Minister) of Livestock of Honduras, José Ángel Acosta.

“Brazil today is a world agricultural power thanks to the investment we have made in science, technology and innovation. The Ministry of Agriculture guides its strategies by anticipating the future of agriculture, of Brazilian agriculture, and in order to cooperate on issues of contemporary agriculture with the Americas, Africa and other continents. Nine plant species are the food base of this planet and are produced in countries with a temperate climate. For this reason, tropical climate countries have an immense opportunity,” Soares said, in a presentation long-awaited by African countries, which see Brazil as a major partner for the development of their tropical agriculture.

“We are here to share our vision, to work together on a low-carbon, bio-inputs agenda, with an African and Latin American network to lower costs for producers. With an innovation hub for both our continents”, he added.

Oseyemi Olurotimi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), indicated that “the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of science, technology and innovation for the well-being of the global population. Progress in this field is necessary not only to recover from this crisis and for future crises, but also to face other global challenges such as poverty, malnutrition, disease, food insecurity, inequality, climate change and many other issues”.

He then added: “It is my expectation that this Summit will provide a comprehensive overview of the potential for science and cooperation in priority areas for agri-food systems, and will help identify the institutional policies and regulations needed to promote science, technology and innovation to improve agri-food systems and create platforms that facilitate research”.

In his presentation, Akinbamijo also underscored that “both continents comprise a group of developing countries that belong to the periphery, which share similar situations of vulnerability and comparable challenges. Both regions have struggled against colonialism and have fought for their independence; both have been dependent and have had asymmetrical relations with industrialized countries. These two regions have experienced the economic damage caused by structural adjustment programs, and they share a great variety of natural resources, biodiversity and opportunities for tropical agriculture. Both continents have a primary role in guaranteeing food security, environmental sustainability and resilience. However, despite these opportunities, both continents are sadly described as having the most undernourished, food insecure and discriminated populations.”

After identifying these similarities, he added that “the priority areas for the application of science, technology and innovation must include crops, livestock and the current productivity of agriculture, administration efficiency and the management of precision and digital agriculture’’.

For his part, the Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture stated that “we want to benefit from technology and cooperation opportunities. Ethiopia has been engaged in the transformation of low productivity agriculture systems into more efficient and commercial enterprises, with a view to improving our economic situation. We have a large number of national programs, such as the green energy program, designed to face the current environmental problems and implement efforts to mechanize our coffee production, which is our top product, "our green gold" as we call it.

Along the same lines, Oba expressed that "we must take into account, above all, the possibility of sharing experiences. We must take action quickly and change the scenario, and that is why we are requesting action and collaboration for the good of our people, and to obtain concrete results”.

Minister Kiba, from Burkina Faso, underscored the importance and the needs of small-sized farmers and emphasized the relevance of taking action to distribute agricultural inputs and equipment "so that producers can benefit effectively and contribute to achieving food and nutritional security”.

At his turn, the representative of the Government of Honduras, the Deputy Minister of Livestock José Ángel Acosta, indicated that “we are building an agri-food policy that not only ensures food security, but also guarantees that those who have been historically excluded can access food as a human right. The Honduran government works on four pillars of production: Food security, Zero hunger, Affordable food and Increased agricultural exports. If agricultural technological innovation does not reach the poor, there can be no fair policy to ensure food for all”.

In addition to senior officials from some 40 countries, multilateral credit, cooperation and private sector organizations are also participating in the Summit. The meeting has the support of Bayer, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, World Bank Group, Microsoft, Rabobank, Syngenta and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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Institutional Communication Division

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