By Cecilia Ologunagba
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has called for sustainable investments to build food sovereignty in Africa.
She also underscored the need for strengthening domestic resources, investing in climate action and fixing the global financial architecture.
Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq told journalists on Tuesday in New York that Mohammed discussed this at the ongoing UN Food Systems Summit+2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) in Rome, Italy.
The UN top official spoke at a high-level special event on Africa’s food sovereignty and resilience, organised by the Interdepartmental Task Force on African Affairs (IDTFAA) on the sidelines of the summit.
The deputy UN chief also delivered remarks to an event, headlined Healthy and Protected Oceans, underscoring the urgency of defending marine environments and coastal ecosystems.
“Pollution, overfishing, over-exploitation, acidification and the impacts of climate change and increasing sea surface temperatures disrupt the ocean’s vital functions, imperil biodiversity, and deplete its resources that are vital for people and planet alike.”
She said the challenges facing the ocean combined with economic and environmental burdens within small island nations, representing an “immediate threat”.
“For vulnerable people, the effects are all too immediate.
“For example, between June and September 2022, nearly 94 per cent of small island developing states faced food inflation levels above five percent, with many experiencing inflation in the double digits.”
She stressed that was simply putting nutritious food out of reach, impacting children, women and those below the poverty line most of all.
“Together, let us recognise the urgency of protecting our oceans and coastal ecosystems, safeguarding the future of food systems in small island developing states, and forging a path towards a more sustainable and equitable world that benefits all people.”
According to him, Mohammed later took part in a farmer’s market event together with Antonio Tajani, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Italy.
On the margins of the conference, Mohammed held several bilateral meetings with heads of delegations, as well as the President of the Islamic Development Bank. (NAN)
