Speaking on the sidelines of the 36th African Union (AU) summit, the official explained that the commission for Agriculture is "working closely with the department of peace and security" to have a program that ensures long-term investments , despite the resurgence of interregional conflicts on the continent.
In response to Lusa, Commissioner Josefa Sacko recognized that the food situation in Africa is aggravated by conflicts on the continent and that any structural investment in Agriculture needs a climate of security that does not exist today.
"It's not so easy to manage the two things together, but we have to manage them, because really these armed and political conflicts, but also community ones", in a reference to transhumance and pastoralism in the dispute for the best soils, "are all deep causes of food insecurity", he stated.
Admitting that the priority of the African Union is to promote food security and self-sufficiency, Josefa Sacko explained that the organization has been calling on Member States to invest 10% of their budgets in these goals, whether in agricultural production, agriculture or fisheries.
"Countries must specify the statistical indicators. If they are not putting it, it is because they are not investing" in these areas, warned the commissioner, in a reference to the fact that many countries claim not to be able to spend these sums.
The invasion of Ukraine raised the price of cereals and showed the fragility of the continent, he warned, underlining that the continent depends on cereals from Kiev and fertilizers from Russia.
"We are dependent on both," she admitted, expressing concern over the lack of production of "cereals, soybeans, corn, wheat and rice" on the continent, praising the production capacity of countries like Ukraine.
"Africa is a food importer. We cannot understand how a continent with 1,400 depends on a country of 43 million. We should be ashamed", she considered.
On climate change, Josefa Sacko contested who she considers this phenomenon to be false and gave the example of Mozambique, which has faced cyclones, floods and successive droughts in recent years, to which coastal erosion is added.
"President [Filipe] Nyusi is the champion in facing natural disasters. The impact of climate change exists, have no doubts. It is not a problem only in Europe or in more developed countries", Sacko stated, giving the example of the livestock due to drought.
"Pastorship is dying and that has consequences. It is an issue on the agenda and we have to deal with it", she considered.
