Iowa, USA: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged African countries and their global partners to make strategic investments and enhance cooperation to transform Africa’s agricultural sector, thereby contributing to global food security.
She made the call during her participation in the Norman E. Borlaug International Food Dialogue, hosted by the World Food Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
The platform, established to honour Nobel laureate Dr Norman E. Borlaug, often hailed as the ‘Father of the Green Revolution,’ aims to promote collaboration and innovation to address global food security issues, underscoring agriculture’s importance in achieving sustainable development.
Discussions at the event highlighted the major agricultural challenges facing Africa and explored potential solutions through partnerships with American stakeholders. Key agricultural players in the US expressed their willingness to collaborate with African nations, stressing the benefits of agricultural technology and expertise in boosting food production across the continent.
In her remarks, President Samia said Tanzania’s investments in agriculture aim not only to address food security within the nation but also to contribute to solutions for food challenges affecting Africa and the world at large.
“Our efforts in agriculture are geared towards solving both local and global food shortages,” she said, adding that Tanzania’s fertile soil, strategic policies and dedicated workforce make it a prime location for agricultural investment.
She said there is a need for modernised agriculture to enhance food security.
President Samia extended an invitation to investors focused on improving the agricultural value chain, from production and processing to market access.
The dialogue provided an opportunity for African leaders and other stakeholders to discuss shared challenges, including environmental degradation, water scarcity and the impact of climate change on agriculture.
On the sidelines of the meeting, President Samia also engaged in discussions with US government officials and private sector leaders in agriculture to explore investment opportunities and strengthen the agricultural value chain in Tanzania.
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The Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue is an annual event that brings together leaders, experts, dignitaries and policymakers, particularly in agriculture, nutrition and resource management. The discussions aim to address global food security challenges, particularly those exacerbated by climate change.
President Samia is among four African Presidents honoured to contribute to this year’s dialogue, themed “Seeds of Opportunity: Bridging Generations and Cultivating Diplomacy.” Other participating leaders hail from Sierra Leone, Madagascar and Nigeria.
On Thursday, President Samia affirmed Tanzania’s steady progress towards becoming a food basket for eastern and southern Africa. Speaking at the Africa Agriculture Dialogue, President Samia shared the transformative goals inspired by her experience at Dakar.
“We are not there yet, but I assure you, we are on the right track,” she said, adding Tanzania has made strides in response to Dakar’s recommendations.
“I left Dakar with an energy of implementing three major themes, first, to make Tanzania food self-sufficiency, secondly, to reduce postharvest losses, while the third was to make Tanzania food basket for the region,” she said.
On the institutions to be established, she said first and foremost, during Dakar summit, they were required to establish the Presidential Advisory Agricultural Council.
“Yes, and I have done exactly so. And we have it. And it’s doing a good job of giving advice to the government on how to implement the Tanzania impact on food delivery and food security,” President Samia said.
