Will a trust fund help prevent food and agricultural crises in Africa?
African leaders attending the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization’s 27th Regional Conference for Africa April 23-27 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, proposed the creation of a trust fund for food security in Africa. The fund would help fight hunger and scale up successful programs and activities to prevent problems relating to food and agriculture in the region.
The fund is a welcome step for Africa, which suffers from food crises brought about by recurring droughts. FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva called on African nations to invest some of their resources in agriculture and join forces to free the world from the hunger “curse.”
“I am convinced ending hunger is possible, given true political commitment,” da Silva said.
Civil society organizations present at the event made a “symbolic donation” to the fund. FAO, meanwhile, pledged to help draft a detailed proposal following country-led consultations. The proposal, once finished, will be subject for approval by participating member countries.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
