Kofi Annan fights US$35b/yr food imports by Africa

Former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, says investment in farmers and fisher folk in Africa could be a game changer for the Continent, as far as food sufficiency and poverty reduction are concerned.

He is befuddled by the Continent’s colossal appetite for, and spending on food imports, when, in his view, that money could be channeled into investing in local farmers and fisher folk for greater and lasting impact.

“A statistic to pause and make you think: Africa spends roughly US$35 billion a year on food imports. Could you imagine if this money, or a substantial portion of it went to African farmers and the fishing communities instead of foreign businesses?” Annan wondered.

“Could you imagine what impact this would have on the lives of those who toil on our farms day in and day out, out there alone, often with very little help from the government or the society?”

Annan, who is championing a green revolution in Africa said: “Four out of five Africans depend on farming and related activities to provide for their families”.

He believes funneling enough capital into local farming in Africa is the key to unlocking the poverty shackles of many an African.

“At the Kofi Annan Foundation, we believe that smart investments benefiting smallholder farming have the potential to lift millions out of poverty and hunger”, he wrote on his Facebook wall.