Rural well-being depends on institutional modernization and functioning, warned experts at the Africa-Americas Summit

San Jose, 28 July 2022 (IICA) - Institutional innovations and the replication of successful models that have been used in other regions are decisive tools for countries to modernize their food production and improve the quality of life of their vulnerable populations.

This was one of the conclusions of the debate on institutional aspects and policy innovations that took place at the Africa-Americas Ministerial Summit on Agricultural and 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 cooperation ties between the two continents.

The discussion featured a presentation by Ousmane Badiane, Executive President of Akademiya 2063 and Director for Africa of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Also participating in this discussion were Indar A. Weir, Minister of Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Security of Barbados; Jeanine Milly Cooper, Minister of Agriculture of Liberia; and Charlot Bredy, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development of Haiti.

Ousmane Badiane presented the work of the Malabo Montpellier Panel, an international group of agricultural experts that collaborates on policy choices with the aim of accelerating progress towards food and nutrition security in Africa.

“Policy changes can be gradual and at the same time transformative if they really promote innovation. We believe that positive changes occur when there are incentives, spaces to innovate, opportunities for dialogue, and when examples and good practices are shared”, said Badiane.

He added that in the last 20 years Africa has experienced rapid growth in the agriculture sector, which marks a big difference from previous times. In the last 20 years, the countries invested 90% more in agriculture than in the 1990s and the GDP increased by 63%. Poverty has decreased by 40% and malnutrition has also declined.

“There are positive things that are taking place throughout the continent and these changes show us that we can be successful. Examples can be replicated elsewhere and scaled up as well. We want to recover what was lost. And we also know that progress is not evenly distributed. Some countries do things better than others. The idea is to replicate successful initiatives and exchange experiences to be ready to innovate”, he added.

Generating employment and protecting natural resources

“The World Bank is committed to fostering South-South Cooperation to build resilient agriculture in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean”, said Anna Wallenstein, Director of Sustainable Development for Latin America of the World Bank Group. “We wish to contribute to an economy that creates jobs while protecting natural resources. To this end, it is essential that the latest innovations reach family farmers, who must learn from each other”, she added.

“The importance of agricultural insurance must be recognized in order to protect the work of producers”, said Minister Weir, who emphasized the need to strengthen adaptation to climate change in countries to build trust among investors.

Haitian Minister Charlot Bredy said that in this Caribbean country, the use of technology in agriculture is still very low. “However, we have made progress thanks to IICA, and for five years now we have incorporated traceability, particularly in mango cultivation, to fight against fruit flies, even in small-scale enterprises”.

“Haitian agriculture is basically family-based, with farms of less than one hectare. Family farming, despite its vulnerability, is very resilient”, said Bredy, who underscored that Haiti has been under the constant threat of food insecurity for five years.

Jeanine Milly Cooper, Minister of Agriculture of Liberia, described the investments that have been made in agriculture in this African country, which focus on resilience and climate-smart production.

“Liberia”, she pointed out, “is a country with high forest cover, which reaches almost 50% of the territory. We have used this to develop solutions related to climate change in conjunction with the agricultural sector”. 

More information:

Institutional Communication Division

comunicacion.instituciona@iica.int