The three Portuguese-speaking countries are on a list of 11 African states "highlighted as examples in the region for having embraced the Hand in Hand initiative, a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization project that promotes agricultural transformation opportunities to eradicate poverty and malnutrition, "said the official UN media today.
Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zimbabwe are the other participants.
The Hand in Hand initiative uses high-tech tools for localization and analysis, such as the Geospatial Platform and the Data Laboratory for Statistical Innovation.
These media provide "high quality, accessible, timely and reliable data" that help participating countries to make "strategic and conscious decisions, in addition to defining proven policies," said UN News.
This week, the agency brought together Agriculture Ministers from Africa among the 900 delegates who attended its regional conference, a virtual event that ended with a commitment "in favor of increasing ambitions and actions" in favor of food security.
At the meeting, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu addressed the participants of the World Food Security Committee and highlighted the unique character of the Hand in Hand platform, which can be an ally in joint action to end hunger.
At the event, there was talk of how food insecurity and malnutrition worsened, a situation aggravated by the covid-19 pandemic, but also because of crises caused by climate change, plagues, cross-border diseases, conflicts and economic slowdowns.
In a statement, the Ministers of Agriculture highlighted their commitment to accelerating the transformation of African agricultural and agri-food systems, including through innovation and the introduction of digital technologies in the agricultural sector.
The conference also highlighted the fact that it is necessary to support the African Solidarity Trust Fund, because it is "an instrument to show the regional capacity to assume command and leadership of priority programs".
FAO was urged to ensure "greater flexibility and efficiency in the use of existing financial and human resources to support countries and to increase collaboration between institutions to make agri-food systems more sustainable.
The FAO Director-General considered contributions from the region vital to shaping FAO's strategic vision and actions.
The meeting also discussed topics such as innovation and digital technologies for food security in favor of the progress of food security in Africa.
Qu Dongyu pointed out that modern technology can transform lives by its power to bring together, open access to new markets and facilitate trade, said UN News.
