NEPAD High Level Forum on Harnessing Skills for Rural Transformation and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: What needs to be done?

According to the 2017 edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 815 million people suffered from hunger in 2016.

This represents an increase of 38 million people compared to 2015 (777 million).

The largest number of undernourished people is in Asia: 520 million. The total number in Africa as a whole is less than half: 243 million

But the prevalence of undernourishment in Sub-Saharan Africa is the highest in the world: 23% of the population suffered from hunger in 2016.

This is an increase compared to 2015, when the prevalence of undernourishment in the Sub-Saharan Africa was 21% of the population. 

And there has been a population growth of about 2,5% from 2015 to 2016. So hunger has advanced in the sub-continent in the last year.

The scenario is especially urgent in Eastern Africa. One-third of the population (34%) is estimated to be undernourished.

And let me also highlight that the prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years of age is also about 34% of the kids in Sub-Saharan Africa.

SOFI 2017 also shows that about 80% of the hungry people in the world are extreme poor people that live in the rural areas.

They are mostly family farmers, smallholders, pastoralists and artisan fisher folks.

So to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we need to focus on the transformation of rural areas. Especially if we want to achieve the SDGs number 1 and 2 of ending extreme poverty and hunger.

But let me highlight that increased focus on agricultural modernization alone is not enough to transform rural areas nowadays.

We have to pay attention to the whole agri-food system, from seed to table.

This also includes processing, packaging, transporting, marketing and final consumption.

And this also means great potential to create jobs. In fact, the agri-food sector is often the main source of non-farm employment in rural areas of poor countries. 

And non-farm jobs can be especially attractive to young people. We have to bear in mind that young people don’t want to remain in the traditional agricultural activities.

They are more interested in areas like agribusiness, storage, trade and retail, tourism and infra-structure.

So we must address the challenges that put away young people from agriculture, such as low levels of modernization, lack of rural infrastructure and insufficient local processing and value addition.

When we think of rural transformation, we have to think about harnessing skills for farm and non-farm jobs.

The African Union has already recognized this in the Malabo Declaration, by aiming to create job opportunities for at least 30 per cent of the youth in agricultural value chains.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me mention 3 key areas in this regard:

The first is to invest more in Information and Communication Technologies.

ICT has a great youth appeal, and also excellent potential to improve efficiency in different areas of farm and non-farm work.

In Senegal, for instance, FAO is supporting the development of a web and mobile-based platform to monitor the national labor market, get information regarding agricultural products and collect data on the agricultural sector.

The second area is the implementation of a territorial approach that strengthens links between small urban centers and their surrounding rural areas.

Building local circuits of production and consumption like the “Zero km” approach is a powerful way to boost local activities.

Small and medium-sized cities, and also villages, are the places where farmers buy seeds, send their children to school, and turn to medical care and other services.

The growth of services linked to rural areas can generate more jobs especially for young people and women.

The third area is the stimulation of private sector investments. This is critical to create a modern and dynamic agricultural sector and value chains.

Infrastructure investments, especially in roads and storage capacity, would help to connect producers, agro-industrial processors, and other segments of the value chains.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In a recent visit to Zanzibar, Tanzania, I was highly impressed by the performance of young women involved in local seaweed farming.

Despite the impacts of climate change that affect productivity, they were processing the seaweed into over 10 products from food, to honey and soap, adding value along the chain.

So we have to train young people in skills that do not require land. This also includes for instance the craftsmanship of agriculture equipment and textiles. Innovation is the key.

Let me also make reference to a programme that FAO promotes in more than 20 African countries.

It is the Junior Farmer and Field Life School (JFFLS), which FAO piloted in Mozambique in 2003.

This aims to train vulnerable rural youth in the agricultural, business and life skills needed to become more productive and active members of their communities.

Participants learn about different business topics and techniques, and then link them to more general life lessons and skills.

For instance, students may learn about protecting their crops from diseases, and then use this as a basis for learning about how to protect themselves from other diseases that can similarly threaten their livelihood and well-being.

FAO is also implementing with NEPAD the Programme called: “Youth employment: enabling decent agriculture and agri-business jobs”.

This is financed through the African Solidarity Trust Fund.

It aims to share best practices, strengthen capacities, promote south-south cooperation, and upscale successful approaches in Africa.

This will directly contribute to the African Union First Five Year Priority Programme (5YPP) on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development.

Before concluding, let me highlight that in April this year, FAO and partners promoted a Global Expert Meeting on Agriculture and Agro industries Development, in Zimbabwe.

One of the main conclusions was that agro-industry development has multiplier effects, as it can generate decent jobs, increase profits and create markets for value-added food products.

It can also be key in delivering safer, more affordable, reliable, convenient, and nutritious food to urban markets.

The Expert Meeting also resulted in the elaboration of the Accelerated Agriculture and Agro-industry Development Initiative PLUS (3ADI+). It aims to promote agro-industries and modern value chains in Africa.

So this event today is a great opportunity to exchange views and scale up more collaboration towards the rural transformation in Africa that is needed to ensure that no one is left behind.

By working together, we can create a better future for Africa.

Thank you for your attention.