TZ stresses food security
TANZANIA has underscored the need for an inclusive, equitable, sustainable and resilient food system to address the current global food security crisis.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan issued the remarks on Tuesday during the high-level meeting hosted by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) on the sideline of US Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington, DC.
Dr Samia revealed that Tanzania will host a major international summit next year that will bring together top leaders, thinkers and implementers in African food and agriculture.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Presidential Communications, Zuhura Yunus on Tuesday, the summit will be attended by over 3,000 high profile delegates and new partners to the summit’s in -person activities in Dar es Salaam and thousands more through online engagement.
Dr Samia noted that Tanzania will use the summit to share its experiences on various strategies to address the food security crisis.
“Tanzania will leverage the AGRF 2023 summit in Dar es Salaam to share experiences on strategies to address the current global food security crisis while building a more inclusive, equitable sustainable and resilient food system for the future,” she said.
She also informed the delegates about the initiatives by the government of Tanzania to improve agriculture, assuring of the determinations to maintain the tempo.
“In the financial year 2022/23, the government of Tanzania quadrupled allocation of financial resources to agriculture to $411.2 million (over 950bn/-), up from $126.7 million (296.4bn/-) in the year 2021/22,” read part of the statement.
For his part, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, who is the Board Chair of AGRA and Chair of the Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) Partners Group, applauded Tanzania for playing a leadership role in Africa’s food security.
Tanzania will be the first country to host the AGRF summit since it was rebranded to Africa’s Food Systems Forum this year. The aim was to highlight the ambition to move forward the transformation of Africa’s food system and sustain engagement year-round.
President Samia who is in the US to attend a three-day US –Africa leaders’ Summit that will be hosted by President Joe Biden.
The US-Africa Leaders’ Summit which kicked off yesterday will demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa and will underscore the importance of US Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities.
The summit will build on shared values to better, new economic engagement, advance peace, security and good governance as well as reinforce commitment to democracy, human rights and civil society.
Delegates will also discuss working collaboratively to strengthen regional and global health security, promote food security, respond to the climate crisis and amplify Diaspora ties alongside promoting education and youth leadership.
In his comment regarding the summit, President Biden expressed his optimism for continued cooperation on a shared vision for the future of US- Africa relations.
“I look forward to working with African governments, civil society and Diaspora communities across the United States and the private sector to continue strengthening our shared vision for the future of US-Africa relations,” said President Biden.
Today, members if the summit is also scheduled to attend the US-Africa Business Forum (USABF) will focus on advancing two-way trade and investment partnerships that bolster Africa’s role in the global economy, scale innovation and entrepreneurship and drive advancements in key sector
The USABF will be hosted by the US Department of Commerce, the US Chamber of Commerce and the Corporate Council on Africa, in partnership with the Prosper Africa initiative.
Under the theme ‘Partnering for a Prosperous and Resilient Future,’ USABF will bring together African heads of state and US and African business and government leaders to advance mutually beneficial partnerships that create jobs and drive inclusive and sustainable growth on both sides of the Atlantic.
