" [1]October 31, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Nutrition and policy experts from the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD Agency), have joined the African Union (AU) and other partners to commemorate the third Africa Day For Food and Nutrion Security Day, in the Ethiopian Capital Addis Ababa.
Held annually since 2010, this years’ theme Ensuring access to safe and nutritious foods, aims to create a platform in which food and nutrition security stakeholders can discuss solutions and make recommendations on Food Security issues in Africa, as well as strengthen momentum towards achieving the MDGs, and what could follow the MDGs after 2015.
The meeting, at the African Union headquarters was addressed by the AU’s Deputy Chairperson Mr Erastus Mwencha, Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Agriculture as well as by the UN Goodwill Ambassador and world long distance running champion Haile Gebre Selassie, as well as heads of public and private international agencies.
In his opening remarks, Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD Agency, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, said, “Proven solutions for food and nutrition security challenges already exist and need to be replicated, the era of ‘pilots’ is long gone. The private sector is a valuable partner in the fight against malnutrition whereas civil society remains our most important voice of conscience”.
In his goodwill message, Gebreselassie stated that no nation can grow and be successful if its people are not well fed. “As a sportsman I have to ensure that I eat healthily and also enough food, so that I can be successful in my game,’ said Haile, multiple marathon and track award
Experts are marking the day with renewed efforts to tackle malnutrition and under-development in Africa, caused by lack of sufficient food and good nutrition, and have called on the need for policies which will enable the African continent to feed itself.
Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, said that the main expected outcome of the event is to get political commitment and adoption of food and nutrition security priorities based on continent, regional and national frameworks.
UNICEF statistics indicate that, in Sub-Saharan Africa, 54 million children under five years of age are suffering from chronic malnutrition and that 20 percent of those in that age group weigh too little for their age.
Experts on Food and Nutrition Security during the Panel Discussions
David Nabarro, Coordinator of UNHTFL on Global Food Crisis highlighted the importance of Agriculture in Food and Nutrition Security and creating stability in the continent. “There is a clear need to expand agriculture to involve smallholders in the food system and create earning opportunities particularly within Sub-Saharan Africa. Within this region, 330 million young people will enter the job market over the next 15 years. 200 million will live in rural areas; they will depend on Agriculture for their employment” he said.
