AgriFoSe-report covered by Nation

Increasing the budget allocation to support small holder farmers’ linkages with modern technology and research findings is critical, in their contribution of 80 per cent of the total food consumed with Sub Saharan Africa.

“Bringing researchers and food production technology experts closer to the farmer will not only enhance communities’ self-driven capacity to produce enough for themselves, but it will also uplift their economic wellbeing through selling the surplus within well managed market forces, locally and internationally,” said Dr Sofia Boqvist, Programme Officer for AgriFoSE2030.

Further, integrating modern technologies in food production and management in areas that experience adverse weather conditions, will make them become much resilient in the wake of climate change, as well as build the region’s overall food capacity through putting more land under agriculture.

Dr Sofia Boqvist spoke at the launch event of a new food security assessment report, released in April and added that building the capacity of communities through farmer-friendly communication will play a key role in impacting the lastest scientific knowledge to support and transform their practices.

The report states that countries in the East African region still are grappling with pro-longed drought effects, with more than 15 million peoples facing severe food and water shortages.

The Agriculture for Food Security 2030 programme, is funded by Sida, and supports agricultural activities within Sub Saharan Africa.