As Africa stands at a crossroads in the fight against hunger and food insecurity, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has called for bold partnerships, innovation, and urgent action to transform the continent’s agricultural landscape.
Speaking at the opening of the 14th Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Management Meeting (RMT14) in Accra, the minister stressed that despite numerous efforts, Africa remained off track to achieving Sustainable Development Goal Two (SDG2) — Zero Hunger by 2030.
“Let us make RMT14 a catalyst for real change — strengthening partnerships, driving innovation, taking urgent action, and fostering continuous learning. Together, I am confident that we can build sustainable agrifood systems that truly deliver for our people and our planet.
“The cascading impacts of conflict, climate change, pandemics, and economic disruptions have deepened vulnerabilities across the continent.
Yet new opportunities are also emerging — opportunities we must seize boldly and collaboratively,” he added.
The minister pointed to promising developments, including the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 2026–2035 Strategy – the projected USD 1 trillion African food market by 2030, and the vast potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to boost agricultural trade.
He, however, said the scale of the challenges demanded unprecedented cooperation: “No country, no institution, can do this alone. Partnerships are no longer optional; they are the only path forward.”
Event
The three-day event brought together more than 150 leaders and technical specialists from across Africa and FAO headquarters to discuss pressing issues shaping the future of the continent’s agrifood systems.
It was held on the theme: “Partnership, Innovation, Action, Learning” the meeting focused on strengthening partnerships, driving innovation, scaling up action, and enhancing learning across FAO’s work in Africa.
The meeting coincides with FAO’s 80th anniversary year, marking eight decades of work to end hunger and transform agrifood systems globally and in Africa.
As part of that, a photo exhibition was held to showcase FAO’s achievements on the continent since the organisation’s founding in 1945 and looking towards the future.
It was held and the theme, “FAO at 80: 365 Days of Action in Africa”.
Commitment
Mr Dumelo said the government’s Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA) was a bold strategy to shift the country from subsistence farming to a market-driven, technology-enabled, and private-sector-led agricultural economy.
He said central to AETA was the Feed Ghana Programme (FGP), which aimed to boost food production, improve agricultural efficiency, develop infrastructure, and create agro-industrial zones.
According to the minister, the FGP was well aligned with FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022–2031, which aimed to promote transformative and innovative solutions for sustainable food systems and resilience.
The FAO Deputy Director-General, Maurizio Martina, emphasised that partnership, innovation, action, and learning were closely interconnected, describing them as essential elements in addressing global food security and nutrition challenges.
He said, “As we mark 80 years of FAO, this event strengthens the organisation’s global efforts in these areas.”
The FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, encouraged participants to build on the momentum FAO had established across the continent.
He stressed that maintaining a “business-as-usual” mindset was inadequate, urging stakeholders to actively pursue, test, adapt, and scale up innovations across technology, finance, programming, and policy sectors.
Citing recent statistics, he said that one in five Africans still goes hungry today.
“The causes are multifaceted. Climate extremes such as droughts and floods, conflicts that displace millions, and global economic shocks that disrupt supply chains all converge to deepen food insecurity,” he said.
