The African Development Bank Group plans to invest $10 billion over the next five years to boost #Africa’s efforts to end hunger and become a primary food provider for itself and the rest of the world, bank President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina announced at the Dakar 2 Africa Food Summit.
Opening the summit, Senegal President Sall—who is also the African Union chairperson—said the time had come for the continent to feed itself by adding value and stepping up the use of technology.
“From the farm to the plate, we need full food sovereignty, and we must increase land under cultivation and market access to enhance cross-border trade,” Sall said.
African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said the Dakar summit was timely and would provide innovative solutions to help Africa become less dependent on food imports.
“Food sovereignty should be our new weapon of freedom,” Mahamat told the gathering. He urged development partners to work together within existing structures, such as Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area, for sustainable transformation.
More than 34 heads of state and 70 government ministers, private sector representatives, farmers, development partners, and corporate executives have gathered in in Diamniadio, east of the Senegalese capital of Dakar, to attend the three-day summit.