In the run up to a regional International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) workshop for East and Southern Africa, IFAD director Périn Saint Ange has described the role of small-scale African farmers as central to the development of the continent, saying that these agriculturalists produced the bulk of the continent’s food.
“Despite this, small-scale farmers face daunting challenges of low productivity, poor access to markets, insufficient capital and the disruptive impact of climate change.
“We need to seize this moment of high economic growth in the region to provide small-scale farmers with the support they need to provide food and decent incomes for themselves and for the region as a whole,” he said, noting that the continent’s leaders were increasingly prioritising the agriculture industry in their development strategies.
Saint Ange’s comments came a day before the start of a six-day workshop in Livingstone, Zambia, to review lessons learned from IFAD-funded projects and identify strategies to address challenges faced during their implementation.
The workshop, which would be attended by Zambian Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda and Zambian Agriculture and Livestock Minister Wilbur Simuusa had attracted over 200 participants, including government officials, representatives of other United Nations (UN) agencies, bilateral development institutions, members of the private sector, civil society groups and partners from IFAD-funded projects in the region. READ MORE
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