AfDB urges Africa to adopt technology to ensure food security

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has been reviewing the application of technology, supported by the right policy and investment environment to transform agricultural productivity in an effort to ensure food security for African communities.

This even comes as the development bank revealed that demand for wheat in Africa has soared to more than 75 million metric tons, demonstrating the importance of strategic investment and innovation in this sector.

This is the focal point of discussions at the ongoing 2024 West and Central African Wheat Summit, which begins on Wednesday, 2 October 2024 in Abuja.

In his keynote address, the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina who was represented by the Director General, Nigerian Department of Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdul Kamara emphasized the transformative potential of technology in the agricultural sector.

“The use of technology, supported by the right policy and investment environment, has transformed agricultural productivity in many countries, thereby ensuring food security for their populations,” he said.

“Through the application of innovative technologies in mechanization, agricultural techniques, irrigation systems and high-yielding crop varieties and conservation agriculture, the Cerrado savanna in Brazil increased cotton production by 300 percent; corn by 150 percent and soybeans by 75 percent in the last two decades.

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“This has made Brazil the main source of world food exports today. Likewise, the application of technology, if supported by the right policies, can overcome the problems faced by farmers in West and Central Africa, such as climate change, limited access to finance, and post-harvest losses.

“Thus, agricultural technology can help increase food security in a sustainable manner in this region. Two decades ago, total wheat consumption in Africa was about 25 million metric tons. This number has jumped to more than 75 million metric tons recently,” he added.

Adesina compared it to India, stating that “poor Indian farmers have now become exemplary multi-millionaire agricultural business executives.”

The summit with the theme ‘Prioritizing Policy, Innovative Technology and Investment in the Transformation of Grain towards Sustainable Food Security and Economics in West and Central Africa’ brought together leading figures.

Adesina underscored the importance of addressing wheat dependency in the region, saying, “West and Central Africa imports more than 80 percent of its wheat. This dependency undermines food security and economic stability.”

Key stakeholders from across the continent came together to address challenges and opportunities in wheat production and chart a sustainable path forward.

He underlined that “the transformation of the wheat sector offers huge potential for sustainable food security and economic growth.”

He said the dramatic increase in wheat consumption was caused by several factors, including population growth and changing food preferences.

He points out that “in West and Central Africa, per capita wheat consumption now exceeds 20 kg.”

The summit also highlighted Nigeria’s initiatives in achieving national wheat self-sufficiency.

“The African Development Bank is proud to see that Nigeria has embarked on its journey to achieve National Grain Self-Sufficiency,” Adesina said.

Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of Nigeria, Dominique Kouacou, also called for the involvement of the private sector.

“We need to encourage the private sector to join in and work on a large scale to achieve meaningful results,” he stressed, underscoring FAO’s commitment to supporting government initiatives.

Regional Coordinator of the West and Central Africa Wheat Development Network Prof. Benjamin Ubi explained the reasons behind the summit.

“Wheat plays an important role in global food security and economic growth in Africa,” he said.

He highlighted the need for collaboration between stakeholders.

He notes, “The growing gap between demand and supply of wheat is driven by urbanization and changing dietary preferences.”

Ubi said the summit aims to influence policymakers to prioritize wheat production and transformation across the region.

He added that expected outcomes include establishing policy reforms, promoting innovative technologies and identifying investment opportunities to improve the wheat value chain.

By Babajide Okeowo

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