STORY: Africa's population growth requires stronger food security measures: AU official
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 13, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 14, 2025
LENGTH: 00:02:18
LOCATION: Addis Ababa
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the meeting
2. SOUNDBITE (English): JOSEFA SACKO, AU commissioner for agriculture, rural development, blue economy and sustainable environment

STORYLINE:

With Africa's population expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, the continent has to enhance its sustainable food production and processing capabilities to ensure food security, a senior African Union (AU) official has said.

Josefa Sacko, AU commissioner for agriculture, rural development, blue economy and sustainable environment, made the call on Thursday while addressing the media on the sidelines of the ongoing 38th AU Summit, which is taking place from Feb. 12 to 16 at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.

Noting the complex impact of global and regional shocks, ranging from public health challenges and pandemics to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and other geopolitical uncertainties, Sacko said Africa has to strengthen its food production and processing systems. She added that these challenges have been further exacerbated by rising inflation, making food security an even more critical issue.

She said that the 10-year Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program strategy and action plan for 2026-2035, adopted earlier this year at the AU Extraordinary Summit in Kampala, Uganda's capital, serves as a blueprint for advancing agricultural development and food systems across the continent.

SOUNDBITE (English): JOSEFA SACKO, AU commissioner for agriculture, rural development, blue economy and sustainable environment
"The first strategic pillar is intensifying sustainable food production, because we need to produce (more). By 2050, Africa's population will be 2.5 billion. What are we going to do to feed these people? The population is growing and growing. That is why we have to intensify the sustainable food production. The second objective is boosting investment and financing for accelerated agri-food system transformation. We need to really mobilize investments in this area, so that we can transform the agri-food system. That's why we look at the nexus between environment and agriculture, including the impact of climate change. Our model of production is rain-fed. Now with the droughts, what types of resilience programs that we can put to start continuing producing?"

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa.
(XHTV)