"Enhancing political commitment and resources, increasing
agricultural productivity and addressing the complete food and
nutrition cycle to reduce hunger and undernutrition" are central
to any strategy aimed at ensuring agricultural development and
food and nutrition security in Africa, said Victoria Sekitoleko,
FAO Sub-Regional Representative for Southern and East Africa.
Speaking on behalf of FAO Director-General Dr Jacques Diouf, Ms
Sekitoleko said that "long-term responses to reverse the
situation in Africa - where 45 percent of the population are
living on less than $1 per day - have to focus on the role of
agriculture for improving food security, alleviating poverty and
promoting economic growth." The FAO representative recalled some
of the major challenges faced by food and nutrition security in
Africa: - External assistance to agriculture has decreased. -
External assistance to agriculture does not reach the most food
insecure countries. - Cereal production and agriculture
production in general has st