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Young people will be the engine of the agricultural revolution in Africa, says African Union Commissioner

In 2050, the population of the African continent will be double its current size. There will be 2.2 billion people, nearly half of them living in rural areas. In the opinion of Rhoda Tumusiime, the African Union Commissioner for the Rural Economy and Agriculture, a more prosperous, modern Africa free of hunger is in the hands of the young people who live in rural areas. “Agriculture has the potential to transform Africa. And we see our demography as the engine for this change,” said Rhoda, at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the African Union in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

“The statistics show that the African continent will continue to have a high birth rate for a considerable period of time and, as a result, a population that is very young. The majority of these people will live in rural areas and will continue to depend directly on the land and agriculture to survive. But we will have a rural population which characteristics much different from the current generation: very young, active, with access to education, information and technology. Our future is in their hands.”

The commissioner said that now is the time for the African continent to achieve food and nutritional security. “Today, Africa depends on external aid to feed itself. We have to change that situation. We have the potential to become the breadbasket of the world. In 2063, I want to see in Africa free of hunger,” said Rhoda, referring to the year in which the African Union will complete 100 years.

CAADP: guidelines outlined

The guidelines for this transformation have already been outlined with the African countries. In 2003, the African Union prepared an “Integrated Plan For Agricultural Development (CAADP), a long-term strategic plan with the goal of helping countries reach higher levels of economic growth through development based on agriculture. To do so, African governments committed to increase public investment in agriculture, to a minimum level of 10% of their domestic budgets and increasing agricultural productivity by at least 6%.

So far, 30 countries have signed the commitment, and Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Malawi, Mali and Niger have already achieved their goal. “This is not just about a financial issue. We are talking about a commitment over the long-term on the part of governments. What we need is to focus on the implementation of projects,” explained Rhoda.

For the African Union Commissioner, small farmers – the principal labor force on the continent – should be given priority. “It is essential for them to have access not just to the means of production, fertilizers and seeds at accessible prices, but also to credit, through microcredit initiatives and the market.”

The expert recognized, however, that difficulties lie ahead. “One factor that is a cause for concern is that the African agricultural sector today is dominated by individuals with little or no education. And, as you know, it is difficult to change the way these farmers behave. They are not interested in increasing productivity if they do not have access to the market. They want access to the market – period,” she said.

The expert believes that the process of industrialization of the continent needs to be linked to the agricultural sector. “We need to develop a complete value chain for the agricultural sector, from production to processing.”

Land in foreign hands: threat or opportunity?

When asked about the issue of an increasing demand for large areas of land by governments and foreign-owned companies, Rhoda responds that, depending on the way the negotiations are carried out, it could represent either a threat or an opportunity. “Before we were born, there was a massive rush for gold and now there is a massive rush for African land. African land is like gold. But we need to guarantee that our gold will be sold for a price that reflects its value, so that we earn something from it, so that the deals are transparent and our capabilities are strengthened. We need the countries to be tough in their negotiations,” she said.

The Commissioner recognizes that Africa needs direct foreign investment, new technology and must develop agribusiness. “Depending on how the negotiations with other countries are carried out, we could have a win-win situation. We need to have nutritional security. The supply of food around the world has fallen and we now have before us an excellent opportunity to increase production, and we have to know how to take advantage of this opportunity and not merely criticize,” she said.

To view the complete interview with Rhoda Tumusiime, the African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, access http://summits.au.int/en/video/Commissioner%20REA

Seminar on food security in Addis Ababa? a month from now, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will travel to Ethiopia. On June 30 and July 1, the headquarters of the African Union will hold a high-level meeting on “New Unified approaches to End Hunger in Africa”, which is being organized by the AU, the FAO and the Lula Institute.