Yemisi Izuora
The Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, director general, D-G José Graziano da Silva has canvassed support to African Union (AU) efforts to end hunger in the continent by 2025.
Silva attended the AU summit which focused on a continent-wide commitment by governments to end hunger by 2025, and also on efforts to boost the role of women in achieving prosperity in Africa.
Heads of state and of government met in the Ethiopian capital, to discuss the AU’s 2014 Malabo Declaration on ending hunger. A roadmap and implementation strategy to achieve this was launched earlier by the AU’s Commission together with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
“My presence at the AU summit, where the Malabo implementation strategy and road map have been presented and approved by heads of state, is crucial for FAO,” said Graziano da Silva. “We have accompanied the AU and NEPAD since the beginning of this journey, and will continue to do so until we get a hunger free Africa with the participation of key stakeholders governments, private sector, civil society, youth and women.”
FAO supported the formulation of the post-Malabo Implementation Strategy and Roadmap, including bringing together representatives from the public, private and civil society sectors to identify actions aimed at reducing post-harvest loss and food waste.
Over the past year the Organization also facilitated major advocacy events at a global and continental level, including an international conference on family farming in Angola and the 2014 African Union Commission’s Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security.
The two-day AU summit in Addis Ababa’s agenda includes the theme 2015 – Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063. The initiative focuses on ways to enhance the potential women have to bring about change in Africa.
Graziano da Silva’s attendance at the 24th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, comes at the invitation of the African Union Commission and is a continuation of the partnership between the AU and FAO that has developed into concrete programmes including the African Solidarity Trust Fund.