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By most accounts, agriculture is the mainstay of most African
economies, as experts insist that Africa has what it takes to produce food for
its population of about one billion people and even export food to other
regions of the world. The continent, which is blessed with good weather and
geographical conditions, has the capacity to produce food to feed its
inhabitants, all things being equal.

Agricultural experts, however, note that some regions of the
world, including Africa, have been experiencing a food crisis, as global food
prices spiralled upwards, partly because of rising fuel prices, among other
factors.

The rising food prices have elicited a lot of concern from
observers and agencies such as the World Bank, whose Food Price Index is
currently around its 2008 peak.

Since June 2010, an additional 44 million people fell below the
1.25-US-dollar poverty line as a result of higher food prices, says the latest
edition of World Bank’s Food Price Watch.

The situation may even get worse, as simulations show that a
further 10-percent increase in the food price index could lead to 10 million
people falling into poverty, while a 30-percent increase could increase poverty
by 34 million people.

African economies

However, the situation varies from country to country. The World
Bank publication indicates that low-income and lower-income countries are
experiencing an average 5 percent points’ higher food price inflation, when
compared to better-off countries. A special focus on the Middle East and the
North African region in the publication reveals a double-digit food price
inflation in Iran,

Egypt and Syria, with more moderate levels in other parts of the
region. In spite of the gloomy picture, experts, nonetheless, insist that
Africa has the wherewithal to produce abundant food, attain food security and
even export food to other continents. Calestous Juma, a professor of the
Practice of International Development, Harvard Kennedy School in the US,
belongs to this school of thought.

He stressed that agriculture remained the strength of most
African economies, adding that if agriculture was given priority attention in
Africa, the region had the capacity to withstand the vagaries of rising global
food prices.

Mr Juma, who said this at the recent IMF/World Bank Spring
Meeting at Washington DC in the US, stressed that African leaders should focus
their attention and energy on how to use agriculture to foster the region’s
development.

“Agriculture and economy are one and the same, in the sense that
the African economy is driven by agriculture,” he said, adding:

“Therefore, the countries’ ministers of agriculture ought to be
the presidents to enable them to effectively coordinate agricultural activities.”
Mr Juma reiterated that the rising food prices in Africa could be effectively
curtailed if there was a pragmatic focus on agriculture.

Develop agriculture

Sharing similar sentiments, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the managing
director of the World Bank, urged African leaders to focus more attention on
developing their countries’ agricultural sectors, while making pragmatic
efforts to boost food production.

“I think African countries really have to sustain their efforts
to use agriculture funds to ensure food security,” she said.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala stressed that the global food crisis had been
haunting the world, adding, however, that virtually all the African leaders had
come to realise the pivotal roles of agriculture in efforts to boost the
economy.

Agnes Edmond, an agriculturist, supported Mrs Okonjo-Iweala’s
sentiments but insisted that greater efforts should be directed at expanding
the people’s access to credit facilities for agricultural ventures.

She noted that most African farmers were hamstrung by their lack
of access to agricultural funding, adding that issues regarding the land tenure
system should also be examined.

“Africa has a lot of contentious issues. Corruption should be
checked, the land tenure system should be properly managed, while farmers
should have little difficulties in accessing credit for farming activities,” Ms
Edmond said.